THERE’S good news for persons interested in pursuing studies for the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) degrees here in Guyana: They don’t have to travel abroad to complete their studies!

Nations University Guyana, located at 41 New Market Street, Georgetown, is currently gearing prospective students to get registered for the LLB, being offered through the University of London for the academic year 2013/2014.
And there are indications that persons could be entered for the Masters degree within a few months as well, Director of Nations University, Dr. Brian O’Toole, said, but this is contingent on the interest shown by local graduates who already have the LLB degree.
To this end, Professor Jenny Hamilton, Director of the University of London’s LLB Programme, visited Guyana last week and held a public meeting at Nation’s University, where she addressed a large gathering of enthusiastic persons in relation to entrance requirements, course outline, fees, career possibilities, and other issues of interest regarding the programme.
Two meetings were held at Nations University in June – one earlier in the evening to discuss the LLB, and another at 19:00 hrs to discuss the LLM.  Both meetings were well attended, and much interest was generated.
Impressed with the response, and optimistic about the prospects for an early start, Dr. O’Toole said there were serious enquiries from persons from a variety of backgrounds, including people who already have their LLB and are just rearing to go. “And so it looks like there’s every possibility we could help facilitate these programmes…maybe within a matter of months,” Dr. O’Toole said.

Nations University offers three routes to the LLB degree:

* Pre-Law: One year of study for persons with five CSEC subjects with grades three and above.

* Entrance to the LLB:  Persons with two CAPE or two advanced level subjects get admission to the first year of the LLB.  They undertake 12 modules that can be completed in three to four years.

* Graduate entry to the LLB:  For details, persons are invited to contact Nations University.

The benefits of being able to do the University of London’s LLM programme right here in Guyana are tremendous, and it’s literally “a dream come true” for local students, according to Professor Hamilton.
“The LLB is designed to be a flexible programme. The University of London always had a broad access mission, and  offered the University of London’s International Programme, LLB, for over 100 years now; and we’ve got about 18,000 students in over 100 countries around the world….
And if you study the University of London LLB Programme, it’s (the fees) about one-tenth of the cost of going to London. If you go to London, you’ve got living expenses as well (to contend with),” she said.
Professor Hamilton emphasized that the standard of the degree is the same as if the student were studying in his/her home country through the international programames, or in London at one of the six colleges within the University of London Federation, which provide the academic support for the lower degree. She added, “But it’s significantly cheaper.”

RESOURCE MATERIALS
Of the method of study, she said: “The good thing about the programme we offer is that London gives access to online resources, so that people involved with the London LLB have all the materials that they could possibly need; and I know that’s a huge, huge test in Guyana.”
Professor Hamilton said the University of London programme is designed to be a distance and flexible learning programme, so it is possible for students to study for the degree on their own. The university provides a lot of resources from London to facilitate that. Each year, international students are sent a box of materials containing hard copies of key textbooks for each subject; the key statute book of study materials, and some other information they might find useful, she said.

LIBRARY
Professor Hamilton said: “The University of London has an extensive online law library, which provides all of the major journals and other resources students need to study law. Our students have access to a very extensive online law library, so they don’t need, these days, to go to a hard copy law library to get access to the case reports.”
She said the prevailing trend in most universities now and in the future is to provide online access to these reports.
International students studying online from their home countries also have access to the online audio; and brief audio lectures that accompany other materials also supplement the materials contained in the box.
And stressing the benefits of local tuition at a local centre for international students studying online, she said this is where Nations University comes in: It will provide the important function of providing the local support infrastructure and framework for students who are studying the law programme.
“So we’re delighted that Nations is supporting our programme here in Guyana. We think it’s a very strong institution, and can provide a good quality of support for our students,” she added.
Another plus is that students also benefit from interacting with each other, as would happen at the local centre.

STUDY HOURS
Each of the 12 classes is worth 30 credits, which translates into 300 study hours, so that students need to put in 300 study hours for the particular course or subject. That can be made up of lectures, tutorials, home study, and study groups.  Nations University will organize that kind of support for students, to help them manage and structure their learning in preparation for exams.

The LLM degree
The cost of the LLM is about 7,600 pounds sterling. Payment must be made directly to London.  The minimum period of study is one year, so students can complete their LLM in one year, if they want to, but that will be equivalent to a full-time study. Alternatively, persons working or with other commitments may take up to five years to complete the programme.
The LLM structure requires the student to study four courses or subjects, each divided into four parts – accumulated to 16 parts.  The flexibility of the programme allows the student to study those parts to suit their particular circumstances.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Persons with the LLB or other degree can sign up straightaway for the full LLM. Persons may also begin by doing the Post-Graduate Certificate in Law, and move on to the full LLM degree.
Persons interested in doing the LLM have the opportunity available to them now. They can register through the University of London website, so they can start studying the LLM as soon as they like. Nations University would be pleased to provide additional information to interested persons.

EXAMINATIONS
Exams would be done through the Ministry of Education in Guyana. Exam papers would be shipped here and back to London when the exams are completed. Another incentive is that Nations will provide the opportunity for students to undertake moot course experience – that’s a mock trial.
Professsor Hamilton said: “That’s the kind of thing that we can’t do from London. And, here again, that’s where a local institution can provide this local contexture knowledge and experience. That, we think, is a very beneficial aspect of the programme.”
Dr. O’Toole added that the moot would be done in collaboration with the University of Guyana law students as part of their planned collaboration.
The two directors also met with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana. The meeting was both exploratory and encouraging, Dr O’Toole said.