Features of academic and professional training of master of laws students at universities in Great Britain

Abstract

The article examines the key features of academic and professional training of Master of Laws (LL.M.) students at universities in Great Britain from historical, methodological, organizational, content-related, and procedural perspectives. It is established that the formation of the fundamental principles of legal education in Great Britain is linked to the emergence of the Anglo-Saxon legal system in the twelfth century, which was based on the activities of royal courts, legal customs, and statutes, as well as to the establishment of the first universities in Oxford and Cambridge that developed from monastic law schools. The two-tier system of legal education originated in England in the seventeenth century, when universities, upon completion of a defined educational program, awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with master’s-level training being broader in content and extending over an additional three years. Alongside the study of Roman and canon law at classical universities, opportunities for the practical acquisition of English common law were provided through training at the Inns of Court. It is shown that in the nineteenth century, the division between university-based legal education, aimed at implementing the ideals of classical education, and the practical training in common law at the Inns of Court gradually lost its significance. Over time, the distinction between classical education and practical legal training became blurred, which was reflected in the development and legislative consolidation of a unified model of higher legal education. The training of legal professionals for various branches of legal services (barristers, solicitors, etc.) has undergone changes in both content and organizational structure in the context of Brexit. At present, academic and professional training of Master of Laws students in universities in the United Kingdom is implemented on the basis of student-centred and competency-based methodological approaches. From an organizational perspective, such training is characterized by its intensity; in terms of content, – by variability, interdisciplinarity, and alignment with the demands of the legal services market; and from a research perspective, – by a focus on developing analytical and research skills of Master of Laws (LL.M.) students, alongside the formation of key legal and applied competencies across various fields of law