Trinity College Dublin (TCD) School of Law

The School of Law is very proud of its postgraduate programmes which have attracted and continue to attract top legal graduates from prestigious universities around the world. Our current postgraduate student population is 200. Consisting
of students from over thirty EU and Non-EU countries, our postgraduate cohort of students benefit from an intellectually rigorous and culturally diverse environment with a deep sense of community. 

Our  LL.M. programmes continue to expand and to grow in profile. The School of Law is very proud of its postgraduate programmes which attract top legal graduates from prestigious universities around the world. Students benefit from an intellectually rigorous and culturally diverse environment, enriched by a deep sense of community.

-LL.M (General) (when applying to TCD, this is listed as LLM (Laws) )
-LL.M. (International and Comparative Law)
-LL.M. (International and European Business Law)
-LL.M. (Intellectual Property  and Information Technology Law)
-MSc Law and Finance

The School of Law currently offers four taught Master in Laws (LL.M.) Degrees that boast an enormous variety of modules - enough to ensure that all students have their needs and interests catered for by our gifted academics and expert practitioners. Our flagship LL.M. course is the general LL.M., but some of you may wish to focus and streamline your studies through our LL.M. in International and Comparative Law, our LL.M. in International and European Business Law or our LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law. These are briefly discussed below, but the general message is that whether you wish to learn about the world of financial services law, law and bioethics, EU aviation law, Data Protection or Privacy Law,  African Human Rights law or the legal system of China  (and anything in between!) you will find it on our LLM programmes

The LLM programme welcomes graduates from many different countries, thereby offering students the chance to study in an intellectually rigorous and culturally diverse environment. It is the perfect programme for students who do not wish to be overly specialised in their postgraduate studies and who wish to broaden their knowledge base and to enhance their legal qualifications.

To see the vast list of modules available to LLM students, please visit https://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/

LLM (General)
Our flagship LL.M programme offers students the opportunity for postgraduate study where they can select modules from a wide range of modules covering many disparate branches of law at national, European and international level. Students can learn about the world of financial services, aviation law or technology law while at the same time having the opportunity to study Islamic law, refugee law or international humanitarian law.
The programme encourages independent learning and innovative thinking in a supportive academic community and attracts students from around the world. It is the perfect programme for students who do not wish to be overly specialised in their postgraduate legal studies while at the same time it enables them to broaden and deepen their knowledge of the law, further develop their research skills and significantly enhance their career prospects both within the legal profession and elsewhere.

LL.M (International and Comparative Law)
In an era of globalisation, it is no longer possible to understand law in a purely national context. As globalisation not only intensifies but also comes under challenge, it has never been more important for lawyers to develop an in-depth understanding of law in its wider international context.
The LL.M. programme in International and Comparative Law offers students a valuable opportunity to develop this understanding. The programme offers a rich and diverse array of modules taught by experts in the fields of international and comparative law which can be tailored according to students’ interests. Students develop their legal knowledge and advanced legal skills in these fields but also gain a deeper insight into law and legal practice in its evolving international context. This equips students with the expertise, skills and attributes which are valuable across a wide range of careers, both within and beyond the legal profession, nationally and internationally.

LL.M (International and European Business Law)
In a global economy where companies of all sizes seek to expand beyond domestic borders, building an awareness of the legal environment in which these companies operate requires us to look beyond our national laws. The LL.M. (International and European Business Law) meets this challenge by offering a comprehensive list of modules exploring the complex legal issues surrounding international business, commercial and financial services law. 
Academic staff engage in research-led teaching and the modules allow graduates to develop their knowledge and expertise in areas including  competition law, corporate governance, international trade law, international dispute resolution, international business tax law and many others. 

LL.M. Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law
Technology is ubiquitous. It is the infrastructure of our daily lives; it is constantly developing; and it gives rise to many exciting and weighty legal issues. They arise in the context of intellectual property (IP) law in particular, where the tensions between rewarding intellectual development, on the one hand, and incentivising further developments, on the other, are most acute in the context of technological advance. And such issues arise in the context of information technology (IT) law more generally, where the rapid emergence of new technologies raises questions of how, if at all, the law should respond to, regulate, and promote, such developments.
On the LLM in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law, you will take modules in which you will study the inter-relationships between law, science and technology. These modules cover the substantive, policy, and practical elements of IP and IT law within European and International contexts. This programme provides graduates with the knowledge and tools to meet the demands of our sophisticated knowledge economy. 

Students of the LLM (IPIT) can apply to take part in the 'Pan-European Seal’ Professional Traineeship Programme' annually. Successful students can take part in a paid traineeship with the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO). For further details, please see https://www.tcd.ie/law/news-events/professional-traineeship-programme.php

MSc Law and Finance
This interdisciplinary MSc is jointly offered by the School of Law and Trinity Business School offering expertise in these two vital areas.
This course is structured to include foundational and advanced material to build students’ knowledge and understanding of law and finance. It will provide students with the capacity to embrace current and future changes in respect of financial regulation, EU law and financial innovation, and will develop both students’ technical skills in understanding financial and legal concepts and the analytic skills to apply these skills. It will ensure that graduates are particularly well placed to tackle business challenges with an understanding of both the legal and financial aspects, which is crucially important to organisations operating in an increasingly dynamic and complex world.

Launched in academic year 2019/20, the MSc Law and Finance has been ranked 1st (Ireland) and 6th (Western Europe) International Business law programme by Eduniversal Best Masters Rankings 2022. It is the top ranked Irish business law programme to feature in the rankings.

Master in Letters (M.Litt) and Doctor in Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The School of Law also provides for students attracted to in depth research and writing with our two research degree programmes

Our expert staff provide academic support to those interested in undertaking independent research while our postgraduate research module and weekly research seminar series provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of work in progress from different areas of law.
Further information is available at http://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/research-programmes ;

LERU European Ph.D. Exchange Programme 
To enrich the doctoral studies experience and to facilitate the international mobility of Ph.D. candidates, the School of Law has joined with a number of select partner university law faculties within the prestigious League of European Research Universities to offer an exchange scheme. PhD candidates now have the possibility of spending up to eight weeks at partner universities within Europe which typically include esteemed universities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Geneva, Heidelberg, Helsinki, KU Leuven, Leiden Lund, Milan, UCL, Utrecht.

Please visit http://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/taught-programmes ;

Founded in 1592, Trinity College, the single constituent college of the University of Dublin, is the oldest university in Ireland and one of the oldest universities of Europe 

Located in the heart of Dublin City and one of Ireland major tourist attractions, it contains many historical buildings alongside many state-of-the-art libraries, lecture theatres, laboratories, IT facilities and recreational facilities.

Trinity prides itself on its tradition of personal contact between staff and students, encouraged by its collegiate atmosphere. Its seventeen thousand staff and students form a compact academic community, with several hundred students and a number of staff living on campus.

The University Library is one of the largest in Europe, with extensive collections, electronic books and core academic journals available online. Postgraduate students can also enjoy exclusive 24 hour access to the 1937 Postgraduate Reading Room.

Trinity College Dublin is the top Irish university for postgraduates, with some 5,300 students (32% of the total student body) on the postgraduate register. It is recognised internationally as Ireland's premier university and the only Irish university in the world top 100 universities.

Comprehensive information for EU and Non-EU students who wish to study at Trinity College Dublin is available at http://www.tcd.ie/study/

Trinity College Dublin's School of Law founded in 1740, is Ireland's oldest and most internationally renowned Law School. It is one of the leading law schools in Europe, consistently ranked as one of the top 100 law schools in the world.  We are a relatively small and very friendly school, with student welfare at the heart of our activities. We attract students of the highest calibre both nationally and internationally and currently have a student population of approximately 510 undergraduates and 200 postgraduate taught and research students.

The School of Law is strongly committed to maintaining and further developing its reputation for rigorous legal scholarship and research, both in a national and international context and seeks to promote standards of academic excellence, and in particular, the ability to think analytically, among the student body. It is widely recognised as providing a liberal environment where independent thinking is encouraged and as promoting the ideals of social inclusion and equality. Together the Law School staff and students form a vibrant community inspired by the values of mutual respect and co-operation.

Our staff members are experts in their chosen field, involved in writing and editing leading textbooks, casebooks and commentaries on a vast number of different areas of law including disciplines with a strong International and Comparative law focus (such as International Humanitarian Law and Islamic law), to disciplines with a broad International and European Commercial law basis (including subjects such as Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Governance) and to our specialised Intellectual Property Law and Information Technology Law masters degree (such as Copyright, Patents, Trademark Law, Data Protection Law and Regulation Cyberspeech). In addition, the Law School is delighted to welcome various national and international legal experts as lecturers on the LLM programmes. 

We also offer an interdisciplinary MSc Law and Finance degree that is co-delivered with Trinity Business School. Launched in 2019, this programme is already is widely recognised amongst employers in legal and financial professions.

Former members of staff include former President, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and current Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin Mary Robinson, former President Mary McAleese, the late South African Minister for Education Professor Kader Asmal and the late Irish Minister for Finance, Mr Brian Lenihan.

The Law School is home to one of Ireland's leading legal periodicals, the Dublin University Law Journal and to the Trinity College Law Review published by the student members of the College's Law Society. The annual Law Student Colloquium, an international conference in which undergraduate and postgraduate law students present short papers on a wide variety of topics, is also run by students at the School of Law. In addition the law school runs a large number of top level legal conferences annually which postgraduate students are warmly invited to attend.

Further information is available at http://www.tcd.ie/Law/

Follow the School of Law on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TrinityCollegeDublinLaw

Read what our graduates have to say about their studies:

LL.M Student Testimonials

https://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/taught/student-testimonials/

MSc Law and Finance Student Testimonials

https://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/taught/law-and-finance/index.php

LL.M General Admission Requirements

• Applications are invited from well-qualified graduates who hold a very good Honors Bachelor degree in law or in a law-based interdisciplinary programme.
• Applications will also be considered from exceptional graduates in related disciplines in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences who can convincingly demonstrate that their studies have fully prepared them for the LLM.
• Assuming that this basic pre-requisite is in place, thereafter admission to the various LLM programmes is at the absolute discretion of the School of Law, which will decide on questions of admission having regard to a wide range of academic criteria, including the quality of the individual application and the objectives of ensuring a diverse LLM class of the highest possible academic calibre.
• Admission requirements may vary from year to year.
  *This is the starting point for application and does not guarantee admission

MSc Law and Finance General Admission Requirements

• An undergraduate honours bachelor degree of 2.1 grade or higher in Business, Economics or Law.
• We advise students to apply for this programme as early as possible as admission to the course will be very competitive. The programme is subject to early closure as a result.
  *This is the starting point for application and does not guarantee admission

English Language Requirements
Students whose first language is not English and who have not been educated through the medium of English must present one of the following qualifications in the English Language:

• IELTS: Grade 6.5 (with no band under 6)
• TOEFL: 88 - Internet based (with a written score of 21)
• University of Cambridge:
  Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
  Advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
  First Certificate, Grade A (CEFR Level C1)
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 (with no section score below 59)

Please note that test scores are only valid for 2 years

The 2024/2025 application process is now open.
Applicants must complete an online application form and submit required supporting documentation by 31st May 2024.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  

We strongly advise students to apply for as early as possible. Admission to LL.M and MSc Law and Finance programmes will be very competitive and subject to early closure as a result.

Applicants must complete an online application form, pay the relevant application fee and upload the following supporting documentation:

-Proof of Undergraduate Degree (Degree certificates and transcripts of results) and all other qualifications received to date
- Two Academic References*
- An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae.
- Proof of English Language Certification (If necessary)
- If you are applying as an EU Student, we require proof that you have been ordinarily resident in the EU for at least three of the last five years in order to consider you as an EU student for fee-paying purposes.

Applications can be submitted via http://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/

Further information is available at https://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/

*When completing your application form, you will also be asked to supply email addresses for two academic referees. Trinity will send each referee an automated email containing the reference document and a link through which they upload the completed reference. You should contact your nominated referees before including their details to seek permission and request that they submit references in a timely fashion.

EU and Non-EU fee information is available at https://www.tcd.ie/academicregistry/fees-and-payments/

Postgraduate Taught students may apply for a number of limited competitively-awarded scholarships.

Scholarships details are available via:

https://www.tcd.ie/study/international/scholarships/postgraduate/index.php ;

https://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/taught/scholarships/

"Dublin has become a more multicultural and cosmopolitan place in the past two decades but at its heart remains a tradition and culture that is all its own."

Trinity College is located in the very heart of Dublin, the principal city of Ireland - a country located on the western edge of Europe with air links to all major cities worldwide. Small by present-day international standards and easily navigated, Dublin has nevertheless the resources of a capital city with a full and varied historical, cultural and intellectual life. Our National Museums and Galleries showcase our unique Celtic history while our smaller galleries showcase modern and contemporary art.

Trinity College is located in the very heart of Dublin, the principal city of Ireland. Small by present-day international standards and easily navigated, Dublin has nevertheless the resources of a capital city with a full and varied historical, cultural and intellectual life. Our National Museums and Galleries showcase our unique Celtic history while our smaller galleries showcase modern and contemporary art. In the work of its writers, playwrights, actors and musicians, Dublin stands up well to comparison in quality and variety with any capital city in Europe. A hub for sporting activities, Dublin hosts sporting events in all major sports and caters for those with more obscure sporting interests.

A variety of industries thrive in Dublin and students can benefit from studying at the centre of Irish political, administrative and commercial life. With many Irish and EU headquarters located in Dublin, students have access to many avenues upon completion of their studies at Trinity College.

Dublin in the twenty first century is an exciting and progressive capital city with much for people to do and see. With one of the youngest populations in Europe, it is home to many Irish and global eateries, boutiques, shops and markets to suit every budget and taste and provides students with a pleasant environment to carry out their studies at Trinity College.

The Accommodation Office at Trinity College offers support to those wishing to apply for College accommodation on campus or at the modern and comfortable off-campus locations. Find out more about College accommodation and the on-line application facility at https://www.tcd.ie/accommodation/.

Many postgraduate students find accommodation in shared houses or self-catering flats and apartments in the city centre. Each August/September, the Accommodation Advisory Service (http://www.tcdsuaccommodation.org/) also provides support to those seeking private accommodation. Advertisements also appear on the many noticeboards around College, especially in Front Arch and the Accommodation Office. These are generally looking for people to share accommodation with and if you do not know anyone in Dublin, may be a good option.

In addition to the vast array of activities available in Dublin's city centre, Trinity College provides a complete day-time environment, with a range of facilities - dining hall, cafeterias and bars, and a varied social life sustained by over 90 College societies and 50 TCD Sports Clubs. The newly built Science Gallery and Sports Centre, together with the Douglas Hyde Gallery, numerous school museums and the Samuel Beckett and Players Theatre provide students with many ways to spend time between lectures.

The School of Law also encourages student interaction outside the classroom and organises numerous social events throughout the academic year, including LLM receptions, the Staff Student Walk, the Staff-Student cabaret. The Student Law Society also provides social and academic events such as high profile guest lectures, law debates and moot courts, the Law Ball and much more.

Postgraduate students can also benefit from numerous support services provided by College, including but not limited to the Graduate Students Union, Careers Advisory Service, IT Services, the Centre for Academic Practice and eLearning (CAPSL), Student Health and Counseling Service, Disability Service, the College Day Nursery.

For student testimonials, please visit https://www.tcd.ie/law/programmes/postgraduate/taught/student-testimonials/

Centre for English Language Learning and Teaching at Trinity College Dublin provides English Language Learning Support for prospective and accepted students of Trinity College who are not native-speakers of English.

https://www.tcd.ie/slscs/english/

Summer English for Academic Purposes
The Summer English for Academic Purposes modules are twelve, eight or four-week intensive courses that run throughout June, July, and August, and focus on the development of spoken and written academic English. Classes take place for four hours daily, 20 hours per week. These courses are available for any student, who wants to improve their academic English skills. Students can choose two of the following study options: academic English skills modules, content-based modules, or IELTS preparation modules.

Pre-sessional intensive English module - The pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes Modules are eight or four-week intensive courses that run before the start of the Michaelmas term, and focus on the development of spoken and written academic English. Classes take place for four hours daily, 20 hours per week. These courses are available for accepted Trinity College students, who want to improve their academic English skills.

In-sessional English module - This module runs throughout the academic year. Classes are free of charge for registered postgraduate students , upon nomination from the LLM Course Director.