Five reasons to study Law (JD Pathway) LLB at Surrey Law School
At Surrey Law School, law is global, practical, and built around your future. Our Law (JD Pathway) LLB is an accelerated two-year degree designed for graduates who want to build the knowledge and skills needed for a legal career in Canada. It’s a cost-effective and time-efficient route for you to take your first steps to qualify as a lawyer in Canada.
Here are five reasons why you should choose Surrey to study Law (JD Pathway) LLB....
1. Study law at a top university in the UK
The University of Surrey is 11th in the UK and 68th in the world for law (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026) and we are one of the few UK law schools offering a dedicated pathway for graduates who wish to qualify in Canada.
Surrey Law School understands your ambition to be a lawyer and provides you with the crucial knowledge to enable your success in sitting for the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) exams to qualify in Canada.
Alongside the core legal subjects that form the foundation of your LLB, you’ll study Foundations of Canadian Law and Canadian Constitutional Law. You will also benefit from support of a dedicated Programme Lead who understands and supports the needs and ambitions of students planning legal careers in Canada.
2. Gain practical experience throughout your degree
Studying law means much more than memorising rules. A key part of legal training involves developing skills and the confidence to apply them in real life settings.
At Surrey, we have a diverse and energetic set of law clinics offering practical experience on real cases while you study. From the business start-up clinic, the access to justice clinic and the digital law clinic and more, you can jump-start your practical legal training from day one, while studying with us.
Alongside your studies, you'll have opportunities to get involved in student societies, networking events, wellbeing activities and wider university life. Our friendly and active student-run Law Society organises opportunities for you to practise valuable legal skillset, including:
- Mooting competitions
- Simulated trials in our court room
- Negotiation competitions
- Client interviewing competitions.
In addition, getting involved in the Law Society looks great on your CV, and provides a rich talking point at interviews!
We’ll also train you how to use AI to accelerate essential tasks, so you can focus on the aspects it can’t do: supporting clients, exercising judgement, applying ethics and commanding a room.
3. Build your career through placements and professional connections
Surrey Law School has an unusually broad and deep employability programme with two dedicated Directors of Employability who can introduce you to a wide range of legal career options. We offer sessions on skills training, mock interviews and CV writing.
You can add a Placement Training Year as part of your degree. The placement experience is invaluable for personal development and skills building and provides a golden opportunity to start building up your network of professional contacts while undertaking your degree. Surrey students complete placements with a wide variety of organisations, including Disney, Shoosmiths, the Government Legal Department, Linklaters and Thomson Reuters. If you have identified a potential placement opportunity in Canada, we can provide support in helping you to set it up.
You could also choose to do an exchange experience by studying overseas or combining a study exchange with a work placement. Recent destinations have included Australia, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Hungary.
4. Study in beautiful Guildford
The University of Surrey offers the best of both worlds: a campus-based university in the safe and welcoming town of Guildford. We’re surrounded by beautiful countryside, with London just 34 minutes away by train.
The University’s green and vibrant campus provides a peaceful and safe setting for your studies in a classic English market town next to a great world city. Guildford is large enough to have the local amenities you want, but small enough to provide a friendly, comfortable atmosphere. Explore Guildford’s Explore Guildford’s picturesque High Street, visit its Norman Castle, walk the North Downs Way and graduate at Guildford Cathedral.
5. Learn from experts tackling today's legal challenges
At Surrey Law School, you'll learn from expert academics, many of whom are practising lawyers with experience across legal systems in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia and beyond. Drawing on this international knowledge, they bring a global perspective to teaching, helping you develop a deeper understanding of how law is shaped, interpreted and applied in different jurisdictions.
Through interactive seminars, practical exercises and debate, you'll develop the critical thinking, legal analysis and communication skills needed for a successful legal career. Our students tell us that the supportive atmosphere and sense of community are among the things they value most about studying at Surrey.
Our teaching is informed by world-leading research and focuses on the issues shaping today's legal landscape, from artificial intelligence and environmental law to criminal justice and intellectual property.
Explore our Law (JD Pathway) LLB and discover where a legal education could take you.