Before your law degree...

I'm an aspiring solicitor, it's been a dream job of mine for many years now. However, I was thinking to myself today... I don't actually know ANYTHING about Law.
What I'm saying is, if I do a law degree, I'll metaphorically be a tomato being mixed into BBQ sauce.
I'm looking at the course modules and I don't really understand what any of them actually mean.

Is this normal? When you started your law degree, did you actually know anything about what you were studying? Etc etc

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Reply 1

Zedd

Ignorance is usually the one way things get rolling, I wouldn't take it as a negative sign.

Reply 2

Tortious

Original post by Weeves

As Zedd says, I wouldn't worry. I had some idea of what they were because I studied the A Level so I was already familiar with the language, but my understanding of what the modules entailed was rather simplistic. :p:

If you post some of the ones you're unsure of here, I'd be happy to try and describe them to you. :smile:

Reply 3

Original post by Weeves

What I'm saying is, if I do a law degree, I'll metaphorically be a tomato being mixed into BBQ sauce.

Haha, brilliant that really made me laugh :ahee:

Love the inclusion of "metaphorically" too to avoid any ambiguity :biggrin:

And I'm sure deep down you actually know more than you think. And you only really need to know the basics....if that.

By basics I mean stuff like what "custody" means, and other related words. I'm sure you have, at the very least, a basic understanding of a few things.

Don't worry :smile:

Reply 4

Charlottie93

Original post by Weeves

Don't worry about it too much :smile:

there will be plenty of people who don't know much about law and will be some who do!
If you want to know more before you start there are some books on the Law Society thread on this website which have been recommended and you can always watch documentaries e.t.c. for example there has been a good one on BBC4 it was on last night and is the history of the law in the UK. But honestly its not 100% necessary as they will understand not everyone took Law at A-level w/e.

Reply 5

Tortious

Original post by Charlottie93

Don't worry about it too much :smile:

I know the one you mean - it's presented by Harry Potter! :awesome:

Reply 6

Norton1

I don't know anything about the law now...

Original post by Tortious

I know the one you mean - it's presented by Harry Potter! :awesome:

When I found out about the real 'Harry Potter Barrister' I saw this video in a different light.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN_ieg7heWk

Reply 7

tehforum

Original post by Tortious

I know the one you mean - it's presented by Harry Potter! :awesome:

Too good to be true haha

Imagine in court

I'm being defended by Harry potter!

Let's jus do an out of court settlement and no one will get hurt.

Also to all perspective law students , justice in 21sy century is on I player by michael sandel he's a beast

Reply 8

Tortious

Original post by tehforum

He clearly gets that a lot - he's pretty much written an FAQ! :lol:

Reply 9

michael321

Original post by tehforum

Seconded that guy is a legend :tongue:

Reply 10

Weeves

Cheers to all of whom has replied so far! Very helpful :biggrin:

Reply 11

I knew nothing when I started last October. I got a 2:1 in my first year. They assume you know nothing and start from scratch. It still isn't easy, but you'll be fine, I had the same worries last year and everything turned out okay.

Reply 12

Original post by Weeves

Cheers to all of whom has replied so far! Very helpful :biggrin:

I'm a bit more interested to know why being a solicitor has been a dream job for you for many years? What attracts you to it?

Reply 13

Aspiringlawstudent

I only knew what I had been taught during A-level law and had picked up myself along the way (not a massive amount).

Generally it is assumed you know nothing about the law, because most people know so little it is best to just start afresh.

Reply 14

gethsemane342

OP, I didn't know any law whatsoever before I began and neither did most of the people I studied with. We all did fine. Most people don't study law before they start (in my case, my school didn't offer it anyway) and people who have done the Law A2 have often said it didn't give them much of an advantage.

Original post by Norton1

I don't know anything about the law now...

When I found out about the real 'Harry Potter Barrister' I saw this video in a different light.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN_ieg7heWk

Ha ha, I enjoyed the youtube video - I used it to revise equity. If only certainty of subject-matter had actually come up in my paper rather than something on trust documents...

Reply 15

roh

Original post by Weeves

Same as everyone else didn't know anything detailed.

Could take a fair guess at what Contract, EU, Criminal etc. would be about and Tort because I speak French but stuff like Jurisprudence I would have needed to look up.