The Law School

The Law School provides a range of accredited and professionally recognised law degrees, driven by a dynamic and international team who bring together a blend of practical and academic experience.

We offer on campus, online or work based learning study, and many of our courses are flexible and offer a full time or part time option. In addition, some of our undergraduate courses offer a study abroad option in Europe and the US.

Our esteemed lecturers have achieved 1st place in Scotland for satisfaction with teaching in Law in the Guardian University Guide 2024.

Contemporary Teaching

Our law courses are continuously developed through interaction with our industry contacts who keep us apprised of the latest professional trends, ensuring you are ready for today’s professional world.

Practical skills developed in advocacy, letter writing and contract drafting are complemented by more general business modules to provide a broad range of study.

We are dedicated to providing you with the best possible learning experience. Our class sizes allow our staff to provide more individual and intensive support and we offer a high degree of flexibility throughout our courses allowing you to tailor your degree to specialise in the areas you develop an interest in.

Specialist Subjects

As well as offering LLB, online LLB and LLM, we provide a number of specialist law degrees in the following areas:

• Construction Law and Arbitration
• Energy
• Oil and Gas Law
• International Law
• International Commercial Law
• Dispute Resolution.

You can also undertake your Diploma in Professional Legal Practice with us which will enable you to train further to practice as a solicitor in Scotland.

Further Opportunities

The Law Clinic is an initiative made up of a group of students, academic staff and qualified solicitors with the aim to provide free, confidential and independent legal advice to citizens of Aberdeen who would otherwise be unable to afford a solicitor. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience, meet industry professionals and help benefit the local community.

"At the Law Clinic I have experienced first-hand how to communicate with clients, manage and prepare for meetings and obtain key information. I have built up a great bank of other skills including; legal research, formal letter writing, working with others, formal communication skills and the knowledge of different areas of law, depending on what cases I work on. I love being a part of the Law Clinic and would recommend any prospective RGU Law student to join!" - Charlotte Torrance| LLB (Hons) Law

Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to join the university’s Mooting Society and every year RGU and the University of Aberdeen go head-to-head as part of an annual Granite City Moot, of which RGU has won for the last three years. 

On completion of your law degree at RGU, you can be confident you hold an award that is recognised nationally and internationally.

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Placements

Our courses are designed in response to the needs of industry, and therefore we have developed close links with local and international companies.

We offer placement opportunities on our BA (Hons) Law and Management course only. Placements are an excellent opportunity for you to gain real world experience, apply the knowledge and skills you have developed in the course and for employers to see what you have to offer. It is a great opportunity to increase your employability for when you graduate.

Affiliations and Industry Links

We are proud to be associated with the following leading organisations, institutions and professional bodies:

• The Law Society of Scotland
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
• The Faculty of Advocates
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Energy Institute

Our research has been determined to be either at the level of international excellence or internationally recognised, in terms of its originality, significance and rigour.

The School has also been awarded research grants from, among others, the Scottish Executive, the Nuffield Foundation, the British Association of Social Workers, the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, the European Social Fund, and the British Academy. We have also organised and run a number of conferences.

Research Degree Proposals

Please note, successful proposals on specific research degree topics within the broad areas listed are dependent on available supervisory capacity. For further details on our research degrees visit:

We are particularly interested in receiving research degree proposals in the following broad areas (staff names are indicative only): 

• Construction Law – Dr Joseph Mante, David Christie
• Contract Law – Dr Joseph Mante
• Criminology – Dr Femi Ilesanmi
• Dispute Resolution and Avoidance – Dr Joseph Mante
• Energy Law and Policy – John Karlberg, Dr Leon Moller
• Environmental Law – John Karlberg, Caroline Nixon
• European Union Law and European Human Rights – Carole Lyons
• Legal Theory, Philosophy and Jurisprudence – Dr Hamish Ross
• Maritime Law / Law of the Sea – Dr Leon Moller
• Professional regulation and access to justice – Margaret Downie

We are also interested in the following broader legal research opportunities: 

• Employment Law
• Arbitration Law
• International Human Rights Law
• International Trade Law

Current PhDs in the Law School include:

• The Jurisprudence of the Courts in Spousal Abuse Cases in Nigeria and England; A Review in Criminology
• Building Social Licensing into Scottish Fracking Regulation
• The right to autonomy in common law jurisdiction
• Government, host communities, and oil companies: effective partnership strategies for environmental sustainability in oil producing areas 
• Using the medical treatment contract as an instrument for replacing the tort liability system in England
• Arbitral autonomy and judicial intervention in Nigeria, the UK and the US: a jurisprudential study of justice delivery in commercial disputes
• Offshore Decommissioning: Constructing a Legal Regime and Sustainable Investment Framework in Emerging Economies (with specific focus on the Co-operative Republic of Guyana)

Law School Blog

Visit our blog to keep up to date with the latest research at the Law School:

Our Research Staff