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Is Reading a good uni for law?

Can someone please tell me if reading uni is good for law.

What the uni is like, the town, people, are there loads of asians, etc..

Oh yeah one more thing, if u do a law degree can u get like business job, working in an accounting firm or in a bank. How would the law degree come in use.

Thanks

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Original post by ********
Can someone please tell me if reading uni is good for law.


Define 'good'.

What the uni is like, the town, people, are there loads of asians, etc..


The town is reasonably large, has all the shops you would need and a reasonably good nightlife if this is a concern. Yes there are quite a lot of Asians in Reading, I'm not sure why this matters though.

Oh yeah one more thing, if u do a law degree can u get like business job, working in an accounting firm or in a bank. How would the law degree come in use.

Thanks


Yes you can - you can apply for any job that does not require a specific degree. A Law degree will teach you a similar set of skills to many other degrees; the ability to analyse sources, clear communication, critical thinking etc (or at least this is the idea). You are not restricted to a career in law with a Law degree.
(edited 12 years ago)
Student working at the Cole Museum
University of Reading
Reading
Visit website
no.
Reply 3
Original post by MedicineStuudent
no.


why??????
Reply 4
Original post by ********

Original post by ********
Can someone please tell me if reading uni is good for law.

What the uni is like, the town, people, are there loads of asians, etc..

Oh yeah one more thing, if u do a law degree can u get like business job, working in an accounting firm or in a bank. How would the law degree come in use.

Thanks



lol... is there a lot of asians
you will have to do A LOT of pro bono if you wanna study law in reading
Reply 6
Hi,

Reading is a good University for Law. Everyone here who says otherwise is chatting complete crap. Dr Newdick is one of the lead medical barristers in the UK and the Law Dept is amazing.

People who say you need to do pro-bono to get somewhere are completely retarded and naive. Prof. Newdick said in our contract lecture he taught someone who is now a partner in Alan & Overy and they are also coming this term to do a workshop for us first and second years. They also turn up, along with many other firms, to the fayre.

People who say that Reading Law isn't good are completely misguided and I would question their intellectual capacity by making sweeping statements not guided by any fact whatsoever on a forum. Obviously they're just complete morons.
Original post by Caarl
Hi,

Reading is a good University for Law. Everyone here who says otherwise is chatting complete crap. Dr Newdick is one of the lead medical barristers in the UK and the Law Dept is amazing.

People who say you need to do pro-bono to get somewhere are completely retarded and naive. Prof. Newdick said in our contract lecture he taught someone who is now a partner in Alan & Overy and they are also coming this term to do a workshop for us first and second years. They also turn up, along with many other firms, to the fayre.

People who say that Reading Law isn't good are completely misguided and I would question their intellectual capacity by making sweeping statements not guided by any fact whatsoever on a forum. Obviously they're just complete morons.


woops my bad! I mean u will have to do pro-bono when you are studying law in reading (that's what the admission tutor said!)
Reply 8
It's not good. I've also gotten the strong impression Reading is a very dull place.

On the upside, most places for law seem to be asking for AAA, and Reading doesn't, I think. If you get a first (top 5-8% of the year) you probably won't have a problem getting into a City firm. Training contracts are very, very tough to get nowadays.

My opinion is you're best not applying for law if you have to take Reading.
Reply 9
Original post by ray_charlene
woops my bad! I mean u will have to do pro-bono when you are studying law in reading (that's what the admission tutor said!)


They encourage it, to get involved etc. I've done mooting, played badminton, joined the conservative society this year. Next year I will do Street Law and Red Award. They say it's good on your CV because just having a degree is not enough anymore.
Reply 10
Original post by Rancorous
It's not good. I've also gotten the strong impression Reading is a very dull place.

On the upside, most places for law seem to be asking for AAA, and Reading doesn't, I think. If you get a first (top 5-8% of the year) you probably won't have a problem getting into a City firm. Training contracts are very, very tough to get nowadays.

My opinion is you're best not applying for law if you have to take Reading.


Where do you go to University? Also, AAB instead of AAA it's hardly a major difference. Reading ranked 8th in Law last year. Also applications for Reading are up 20% this year on last year, when the national average is down 8%. Consider this because it means Reading can be more selective.

Also, I don't see a difference if you go to Reading or Warwick. In the whole scheme of Law Schools it is not a big deal as long as you go to 1994 group or above. If you think otherwise then obviously you are either (A) at Oxford or Cambridge or (B) have no idea how little importance the University you attend impacts your professional career.

Besides, I got A*AB at A level and I only did A levels for a year. Try and beat it.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Caarl
Where do you go to University? Also, AAB instead of AAA it's hardly a major difference. Reading ranked 8th in Law last year. Also applications for Reading are up 20% this year on last year, when the national average is down 8%. Consider this because it means Reading can be more selective.

Also, I don't see a difference if you go to Reading or Warwick. In the whole scheme of Law Schools it is not a big deal as long as you go to 1994 group or above. If you think otherwise then obviously you are either (A) at Oxford or Cambridge or (B) have no idea how little importance the University you attend impacts your professional career.

Besides, I got A*AB at A level and I only did A levels for a year. Try and beat it.


I stand by what I have said. I didn't comment on the quality of the students. A first at Reading may well be the same quality as a first from Warwick.

I said it wasn't good. My perception of good is limited to a certain number of universities which are particularly targeted by law firms, and which have done well in the law league tables consistently over some years. Reading places 8th for one year in one table. In the previous year in the same table it was 26th. It places 17th in another table this year. That's not 'good' as any sensible person would care to define it. 'Good' as I would define it would be limited to the top 10/15 universities for law, if you want me to be more specific. Reading does not extend to that category. The tables have tended to place it between 15-30 for law. Maybe you should write a letter to the newspapers to complain?

It's a small law school, it isn't that well known, doesn't tend to be well ranked. The only academic I've heard of from Reading is Carl Stychin who has written some first class articles. I don't think it's got any/many 'big names' or prolific textbook/article writers simply because it's so small.

As far as I'm aware it used to take ABB, and recently moved to AAB. If that is the case, it should be known that City law firms filter out applicants with less than AAB - and have done so for many years - which is the bare minimum they will accept of applicants. So the graduating class this year/in recent years, have probably been filtered out by City law firms in the main.

Law firms do tend to have a recruitment net. There is no coincidence that better universities have graduates with more training contracts. Reading is not always in that net. If a law firm takes a good bunch of applications, maybe some successful applicants from a university, then they tend to recruit from them again.

Training contracts are enormously difficult to secure if you have no contacts. The competition is ridiculous. As in, if you don't have one, you have no idea how competitive. There is so much students get assessed on. Unless you can show me that x% of Reading law graduates are securing training contracts, I'm going to withhold my judgement on that. You generally need a high 2:1/1st everywhere nowadays. I am distinctly unimpressed with you receiving two As and a B. The minimum law firms ask for is AAB, and that will probably rise in time. I'm sure the average successful applicant has statistically much higher grades than that. Law is so competitive nowadays that I really think there's an argument to be had for applying to a less competitive course with AAB at a more competitive university like UCL or Newcastle, where you will probably have a lot more fun as well!

In short, if you think with a low 2:1 from any university you are in good stead for a training contract, you are just not simply living in the real world. From Reading of all places, you will probably need a first. Checking on UniStats it appears 3% of Reading students gained a first in the last year. 3% have a good shot at a training contract at a City firm. I'm sure more than 3% of students will become lawyers, but just not at City firms. I'm sure a few students with high 2:1s/connections will get City training contracts too. Many will go to low rate high street firms. Some will go to regional firms. Many won't go into law at all. This isn't a reflection on Reading; it's a reflection on how competitive it is to secure a training contract at a City law firm.

You also seem insecure because of your choice of university.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 12
Original post by Rancorous
I stand by what I have said. I didn't comment on the quality of the students. A first at Reading may well be the same quality as a first from Warwick.

I said it wasn't good. My perception of good is limited to a certain number of universities which are particularly targeted by law firms, and which have done well in the law league tables consistently over some years. Reading places 8th for one year in one table. In the previous year in the same table it was 26th. It places 17th in another table this year. That's not 'good' as any sensible person would care to define it. 'Good' as I would define it would be limited to the top 10/15 universities for law, if you want me to be more specific. Reading does not extend to that category. The tables have tended to place it between 15-30 for law. Maybe you should write a letter to the newspapers to complain?

It's a small law school, it isn't that well known, doesn't tend to be well ranked. The only academic I've heard of from Reading is Carl Stychin who has written some first class articles. I don't think it's got any/many 'big names' or prolific textbook/article writers simply because it's so small.

As far as I'm aware it used to take ABB, and recently moved to AAB. If that is the case, it should be known that City law firms filter out applicants with less than AAB - and have done so for many years - which is the bare minimum they will accept of applicants. So the graduating class this year/in recent years, have probably been filtered out by City law firms in the main.

Law firms do tend to have a recruitment net. There is no coincidence that better universities have graduates with more training contracts. Reading is not always in that net. If a law firm takes a good bunch of applications, maybe some successful applicants from a university, then they tend to recruit from them again.

Training contracts are enormously difficult to secure if you have no contacts. The competition is ridiculous. As in, if you don't have one, you have no idea how competitive. There is so much students get assessed on. Unless you can show me that x% of Reading law graduates are securing training contracts, I'm going to withhold my judgement on that. You generally need a high 2:1/1st everywhere nowadays. I am distinctly unimpressed with you receiving two As and a B. The minimum law firms ask for is AAB, and that will probably rise in time. I'm sure the average successful applicant has statistically much higher grades than that. Law is so competitive nowadays that I really think there's an argument to be had for applying to a less competitive course with AAB at a more competitive university like UCL or Newcastle, where you will probably have a lot more fun as well!

In short, if you think with a low 2:1 from any university you are in good stead for a training contract, you are just not simply living in the real world. From Reading of all places, you will probably need a first. Checking on UniStats it appears 3% of Reading students gained a first in the last year. 3% have a good shot at a training contract at a City firm. I'm sure more than 3% of students will become lawyers, but just not at City firms. I'm sure a few students with high 2:1s/connections will get City training contracts too. Many will go to low rate high street firms. Some will go to regional firms. Many won't go into law at all. This isn't a reflection on Reading; it's a reflection on how competitive it is to secure a training contract at a City law firm.

You also seem insecure because of your choice of university.


Had Prof Stychin this morning actually, he's very good.

Coming back at your point, and in general to the topic subject; doing a Law degree does not necessarily mean that you have to go into the subject (obviously). But referring to my point, we have many established law firms come to recruit students for Reading, as stated above Alan & Overy come twice a year, Olswang and many other city firms come, as well as very good regional firms in the area such a Field Seymour Parkes who are very well respected.
It took me so long to realise what that said.
Reading (LLB Law with legal studies in Europe) or Exeter (LLB European Law (Maitrise) ?

grateful for anyone who'd shed some light on these two as not sure which offer to firm
Original post by L - Jilla94
Reading (LLB Law with legal studies in Europe) or Exeter (LLB European Law (Maitrise) ?

grateful for anyone who'd shed some light on these two as not sure which offer to firm


Same, Have an LLB offer for law at reading and exeter and really unsure what to firm :s-smilie:
Original post by ellasmith
Same, Have an LLB offer for law at reading and exeter and really unsure what to firm :s-smilie:


I'm leaning more towards Exeter as it's ranked slightly higher than Reading, but at the same time my offer for Reading is slightly lower so I'm not sure whether to play it safe :confused: never been to Reading either as their post offer days were "full".
Original post by L - Jilla94
I'm leaning more towards Exeter as it's ranked slightly higher than Reading, but at the same time my offer for Reading is slightly lower so I'm not sure whether to play it safe :confused: never been to Reading either as their post offer days were "full".


Ive got the same AAB offers for both unis, are you sure? I emailed the [email protected] and theres one more open day in march, its not completely an open day but the head lecturer gives a talk and you get to see the law building in some sense, better than nothing!
Original post by L - Jilla94
I'm leaning more towards Exeter as it's ranked slightly higher than Reading, but at the same time my offer for Reading is slightly lower so I'm not sure whether to play it safe :confused: never been to Reading either as their post offer days were "full".


also, how did you like exeter? i havent visited and theres no more open days left. Also may I suggest firming exeter and insuring reading? I think that's what i'm going to do.
Original post by ellasmith
Ive got the same AAB offers for both unis, are you sure? I emailed the [email protected] and theres one more open day in march, its not completely an open day but the head lecturer gives a talk and you get to see the law building in some sense, better than nothing!


same here although I only need a B in French for Reading rather than the A for my course at Exeter..ahh ok i see i might have to book onto that one then in that case :smile: have you been on one of the offer days yet??

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