About us
"All the best schools of law have been situated at places favourable for study rather than for business." Professor Thomas Levi, Head of the Department of Law 1924.
Choose to come here to study, and you will find a stimulating, supportive and rewarding environment within a dynamic, forward-looking department that has a distinctive identity, a wealth of experience, excellent teaching and dynamic research activity, backed up by superb library and IT provisions.
You will be taught and guided by a community of scholars whose main focus will be to help you to succeed and fulfil your potential. It is not by accident that Aberystwyth University was placed Top in Wales and 2nd in the UK for Student Experience, and Top in Wales and 3rd in the UK for Teaching Quality (Good University Guide, The Times and Sunday Times 2024). This is in addition to being Top in England and Wales for Student Satisfaction (NSS 2022).
Having been a legal practitioner for over thirty years, I understand the value of students acquiring practical skills and hands-on experience during their time at university. As well as excellent academic learning, the department offers many opportunities to do this. These include our Family Law Clinic, where students can do casework under the guidance of a qualified solicitor, our very active mooting society where students can acquire and practise advocacy and case preparation skills, and the opportunities to volunteer at our ground-breaking Dewis/Choice research project, which is focused on addressing the increasingly high-profile issue of abuse of elderly people. The Veterans Legal Link Project also provides opportunities to volunteer. For example, in conjunction with ‘Both Parents Matter’ the project recruited over 30 students to participate in bespoke training sessions to enable them to participate in both online support and casework allocation.
Choosing a University can be a perplexing experience. There is a wide choice, and it’s not always easy to select the one that’s right for you. However, if you are interested in studying Law or Criminology at an established University in a beautiful and unique part of the world, look no further than Aberystwyth. Take the opportunity to visit us on one of our Open Days. I look forward to welcoming you here.
Professor Emyr Lewis, Head of Department