Riara Law School Programmes

LLB Degree

The Riara Law School’s Advantage includes learning from world class faculty who have been trained at the Ivy League and other prestigious institutions around the world; and a low faculty to student ratio.  Influenced by the legacy of the founders, Riara’s curriculum has been expertly crafted to nurture a problem-solving lawyer who is aware of the social, economic and political context within which the law exists and one who understands and crafts solutions for Africa and beyond.

Mode and Duration of study

Full time, 4 years

Intake

January, May and September

Entry Qualification

Applicants for the LLB degree programme must be holders of:

  1. KCSE with a minimum mean grade of B- (minus) and a minimum grade of B (plain) in English or Kiswahili; or
  2. KCSE with a minimum grade of C+(plus) and a minimum grade of B (plain) in English or Kiswahili (subject to the applicant passing oral and written interviews) (see further explanation below in part 2(b)); or
  3. KACE with a minimum of three principal passes; or
  4. GCE (A-Level) with a minimum of three principal passes; or
  5. Degree from an institution recognized in Kenya in addition to the minimum secondary school qualifications in (a), (b), (c), or (d) above; or
  6. Diploma in Law from an accredited institution recognized in Kenya.

Other admission considerations:

  1. All LLB degree applicants undergo oral and written evaluations conducted by law faculty to assess their suitability for our rigorous law degree programme.
  2. To promote affirmative action with regard to applicants from under-privileged segments of our society, holders of a mean grade of C+ (plus) in KCSE and a minimum grade of B (plain) in English or Kiswahili are eligible for admission on a case-by-case basis.
  3. The faculty encourages admission of non-traditional applicants such as holders of degrees and diplomas in fields other than law as well as persons interested in pursuing law as a complement to other training, so long as such applicants meet the minimum statutory and faculty requirements stipulated above.

Course Units 

YEAR 1
Semester I
RLLB 101: Constitutional Law I
RLLB 102: Law of Contract I
RLLB 103: Law of Torts I
RLLB 104: Legal Research & Writing I
RLLB 105: Social Foundations of Law

Semester II
RLLB 106: Constitutional Law II
RLLB 107: Law of Contracts II
RLLB 108:  Law of Torts II
RLLB 109: Legal Systems & Methods

YEAR 2

Semester I
RLLB 201: Criminal Law I
RLLB 202: Legal Writing II
RLLB 203: Property Theory
RLLB 204: Civil Procedure I
RLLB 205: Law of Evidence I
RLLB 206: Administrative Law I

Semester II
RLLB 207: Criminal Procedure
RLLB 208: Law of Evidence II
RLLB 209: Criminal Law II
RLLB 210: Civil Procedure II
RLLB 211: Administrative Law II
RLLB 212: Property Law

YEAR 3

Semester I
RLLB 301: Commercial Law
RLLB 302: Public International Law
RLLB 303: Law of Business Associations I
RLLB 304: Labour Law
RLLB 305: Education Law and Policy

Semester II
RLLB 306: Insolvency Law
RLLB 307: Jurisprudence
RLLB 308: Law of Business Associations II
RLLB 309: Equity & Trusts

Electives for Year 3

RLLB 310: Insurance Law
RLLB 311: Alternative Dispute Resolution
RLLB 312: Introduction to Islamic Law
RLLB 313: Financial Services Law
RLLB 314: Customary Law
RLLB 315: Conflict of Laws
RLLB 316: International Humanitarian Law
RLLB 317: Law & Anthropology
RLLB 318: Securities Regulation
RLLB 319: Regional Integration Law
RLLB 320: International Human Rights Law
RLLB 321: Law & Development

YEAR 4

Semester I
RLLB 401: Accounting for Lawyers
RLLB 402: Family Law
RLLB 403: Legislative Drafting
RLLB 404: Research Paper I

Semester II
RLLB 405: Law of Succession
RLLB 406: Gender and the Law
RLLB 407: Research Paper II

Electives for Year 4
RLLB 408: National Security Law
RLLB 409: Introduction to Tax Law
RLLB 410: International Trade Law
RLLB 411: International Economic Law
RLLB 412: Environmental Law
RLLB 413: Law, Science & Technology
RLLB 414: Intellectual Property Law
RLLB 415: Law, Democracy and Citizenship
RLLB 416: Sports & Entertainment Law
RLLB 417: Public Procurement Law

Pre-KSL

  1.  INTRODUCTION  

The aim of the Pre-Kenya School of Law Core Courses Compliance Programme  is to enable applicants to the Kenya School of Law to attain compliance with Section 23 of the Legal Education Act 2012, which, read together with the Second Schedule of the same statute, stipulates the core courses required for the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.

All the stipulated courses are in the Riara Law School LLB Programme Curriculum that was approved by the Council of Legal Education in August 2012.  The approved curriculum supplies the rules, policies, course description and course content for this programme.   The programme has four modules, described below, the first of which is mandatory.

2.  ADMISSION  REQUIREMENTS    

To gain admission to this programme, applicants must:

  1. Be holders of an LLB degree from a recognized university; and
  2. Have a referral letter from the Council of Legal Education  indicating the courses they need to take to become eligible for admission to Kenya School of Law.

3.  CERTIFICATION  

Upon completion of  their course of study, students will receive an academic transcript from Riara University and a Completion letter signed by the Dean of Riara Law School.

There are sixteen courses in total: Legal Research; Torts; Contracts; Constitutional Law; Legal Systems and Methods; Criminal Law; Family Law and Succession; Law of Evidence; Commercial Law (Including Sale of Goods, Hire Purchase and Agency); Law of Business Associations (including Insolvency); Administrative Law; Jurisprudence; Equity and Law of Trusts; Property Law; Public International Law; Labour Law.

4.  PROGRAMME    REQUIREMENTS    

  •  COURSE UNITS

The programme is made up of the four modules listed below.  The first module is mandatory, but students who hold postgraduate in any of its course units may apply in writing for exemption from such course or courses.  All other students will be expected to take all the courses listed in it.  Students are at liberty to pick only the courses they need from the remaining three modules.

 Module One (mandatory)

  •   RLLB 106: Constitutional Law II
  •    RLLB 202: Legal Writing & Research II

 Module Two

  • RLLB 201: Criminal Law I
  •  RLLB 209: Criminal Law II
  •  RLLB 205: Law of Evidence I
  •  RLLB 208: Law of Evidence II
  •  RLLB 206: Administrative Law I
  •  RLLB 211: Administrative Law II
  •  RLLB 109: Legal Systems and Methods
  •  RLLB 302: Public International Law
  •  RLLB 307: Jurisprudence
  •  RFC 101: Communication & Writing Skills

Module Three

  • RLLB 102: Law of Contracts I
  • RLLB 107: Law of Contracts II
  • RLLB 301: Commercial Law
  • RLLB 303: Law of Business Associations I
  • RLLB 308: Law of Business Associations II (to include Insolvency Law)

 Module Four

  • RLLB 402: Family Law
  • RLLB 405: Law of Succession
  • RLLB 203: Property Theory
  • RLLB 212: Property Law
  • RLLB 309: Equity & Trusts
  • RLLB 103: Law of Torts I
  • RLLB 108: Law of Torts II
  • RLLB 304: Labour Law
  •  CONTINUOUS  ASSESSMENT

For each course, students sit a final examination that comprises 70% of their final grade.  Continuous assessment assignments are also given that make up 30% of the final grade.  Continuous assessment includes in-class written tests, take home research assignments, legal drafting assignments, moot court, and classroom presentations.

  • CLASS ATTENDANCE, PREPARATION  AND PARTICIPATION

Riara   Law   School   has   a   mandatory   class   attendance,   preparation,   and participation policy.   Students who fail to attend 80% or more class sessions  are ineligible to sit final examinations.  Those who routinely fail to prepare adequately for class will suffer reduction of continuous assessment grades.  Students are encouraged to avoid penalties related to attendance, preparation, and participation by letting their instructors know in advanced of necessary absences, and by taking up make up assignments.

  •  DURATION  

This programme runs in semester sessions.  There are two sessions in each academic year.  The first session begins in May and end in September.  The second session begins in September and end in December.   Each semester runs for 17 weeks: 15 teaching weeks and 2 examination weeks.

FOUNDATION COURSES

All students undertaking the Riara University Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree programme are required to take the following common core courses:

Year 1 

Semester I
RFC 101: Communication and Writing Skills
RFC 105: Foundations of African Civilization-Its Impact on the World

Semester II
RFC  102: HIV-Aids, Drug and Substance Abuse
RFC  104: Creative and Critical Thinking
RFC  106: Essential Elements of Africa’s Development

Year 2 

Semester I
RFC  201: Ethics, Culture and Development
RFC 203: Legal systems and Social Political Thought
RFC  205: Community Service

Semester II
RFC  204: Governance and Leadership in Africa
RFC  202: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Electives for 3rd year

Semester I
RFC  301: Dynamics of Change in Africa
RFC  302: Development Studies

Electives for 4th year

Semester I
RFC  401: Women and Development in Africa
RFC  402: Development & Management of Africa’s Knowledge Systems