Law Applicants 2012
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Original post by Kidioteque
Ahhh just checked and it is on the A Level law syllabus, I hadn't realised. Will steer clear now! Thanks for pointing that out, as well as your other information. Will try to take it all on board and improve 
Don't worry about that. I used it/got 4 offers and my 1 rejection was nothing to do with my PS. If you're able to concisely discuss it, then run with it. As long as you don't just say the generic, 'this shows how subjective morality can be... No personal statement is going to be 100% original.
Original post by Tsunami2011
Don't worry about that. I used it/got 4 offers and my 1 rejection was nothing to do with my PS. If you're able to concisely discuss it, then run with it. As long as you don't just say the generic, 'this shows how subjective morality can be... No personal statement is going to be 100% original.
Oh right, okay. My head is in a right old mess about it now aha! I'll keep it on my list of possible things to write about but continue to consider others. Cheers!
Original post by Kidioteque
Oh right, okay. My head is in a right old mess about it now aha! I'll keep it on my list of possible things to write about but continue to consider others. Cheers!
Fwiw, I wrote (and rewrote) paragraphs on almost a dozen different subjects until I submitted my PS, and I didn't start on it until August. You're way ahead of the game.
Original post by Kidioteque
Ahhh just checked and it is on the A Level law syllabus, I hadn't realised. Will steer clear now! Thanks for pointing that out, as well as your other information. Will try to take it all on board and improve
I think my PS was pretty bad ass.
Once the application cycle had ended, I'll upload it.
Original post by gtfo
Fwiw, I wrote (and rewrote) paragraphs on almost a dozen different subjects until I submitted my PS, and I didn't start on it until August. You're way ahead of the game.
Mainly down to my pushiness of my school who are demanding a first draft by July 9th! Did you focus on a couple of specific legal areas of interest in yours? Or did you try to be more well-rounded/generic (strictly in terms of your legal interest)? I'd presume that the former would be better but I don't want to seem to have narrowed myself too much!
Original post by tehforum
I think my PS was pretty bad ass.
Once the application cycle had ended, I'll upload it.
Once the application cycle had ended, I'll upload it.
Haha, looking forward to seeing it! Hope it lives up the hype
Out of interest, how has this application cycle gone for you? Offers/rejections? Feel free not to divulge
Original post by Kidioteque
Haha, looking forward to seeing it! Hope it lives up the hype
Out of interest, how has this application cycle gone for you? Offers/rejections? Feel free not to divulge
Out of interest, how has this application cycle gone for you? Offers/rejections? Feel free not to divulge
3/5
2 rejections due to LNAT.
Original post by tehforum
3/5
2 rejections due to LNAT.
2 rejections due to LNAT.
where?
Original post by Kidioteque
Thanks a lot for your reply.
I understand what you mean about regretting not engaging with a higher level of law, but I'm struggling to gauge what constitutes that. On my draft, I've given a paragraph to talking about the Hart-Devlin debate, and why I disagree with a number of the views put forward in the latter's "The Enforcement of Morals"; however I've only chosen to write about that because it's a topic which I find interesting and links with my EPQ. I'd presume that that's not exactly insightful enough, but what kind of thing would be?
I understand what you mean about regretting not engaging with a higher level of law, but I'm struggling to gauge what constitutes that. On my draft, I've given a paragraph to talking about the Hart-Devlin debate, and why I disagree with a number of the views put forward in the latter's "The Enforcement of Morals"; however I've only chosen to write about that because it's a topic which I find interesting and links with my EPQ. I'd presume that that's not exactly insightful enough, but what kind of thing would be?
You need to make sure you make your personal statement, well, personal as well. Everyone applying to top universities are all going to have a good understanding of law and a lot will have the same ideas/opinions as you so you definitely need to find something that makes you stick out. Find something you are genuinely interested in and link it to your interest of law because I think that shows how you understand the bigger picture of things, rather than the slightly isolated concepts posted in books - like, when I was applying last year it was just after the London Riots - youth crime and youth rights are something that really interest me (I'd like to go into human rights law in the future) so a lot of my personal statement was based on that. I think it comes across a lot better because I have no doubt that the admissions tutors can read through applicants extremely easily and will notice if you have looked at the student room, seen what people who have been accepted into UCL have written and write the same thing. Good luck! x
Hi guys
I just finished my first year of law at LSE. First year I brought alot of the textbooks and am looking to sell them on. They are in a good condition with minimal highlighting. If any of you guys got offers from UCL then I know some of the textbooks they use such as criminal and public law are the same as LSE so please dont hesitate to message me if your interested.
Thanks
I just finished my first year of law at LSE. First year I brought alot of the textbooks and am looking to sell them on. They are in a good condition with minimal highlighting. If any of you guys got offers from UCL then I know some of the textbooks they use such as criminal and public law are the same as LSE so please dont hesitate to message me if your interested.
Thanks
Original post by silence18
I'm sorry if I didn't explain my point of view from the beginning. There are around 25 universities that ask for AAA or higher at A levels. From these universities, some of them also give AAB offers but I think they also give that offers to those who are predicted AAA. I might be wrong, though. With AAB one could, theoretically apply to some good unis such as Kent, East Anglia or City but unis such as Southampton, Bristol or Edinburgh give AAB/BBB offers for History which is a traditional, respected degree. Moreover, LSE asks for AAB for Social Anthropology/ Anthropology and Law.
I think that every student's dream is to study at a prestigious institution. Some would like to do so because their peers are going to do it and want to be at the same level with them, for some maybe it is important to know that they have that prestigous name on their CVs, but the main reason one should want to study at an excellent institution is for the actual purpose of going to uni: to study a subject in depth. For that 9000 pounds or less one should expect to have the best academics, the best learning resources, the best amenities, the best career prospects, the best access to extracurricular activities, etc.
If one is decided that he is really passionate about law, maybe there's no point in deciding to apply for something else just because of that. But unfortunately, many of those who apply are attracted by the legal profession(and the starting salaries& again prestige) much more than the study of law. I can see that we agree on the purpose of studying for a degree, Finbarr, you said that one should not study another subject for what it might lead to, what I'm trying to explain is that one should not read law just because what it might lead to!
There are many who would like to study other subjects, but are forced by their parents or by others in going into law because you can do little with a degree in anthropolgy, for example.
From what I've heard the GDL is incredibly hard but it covers all the 7 modules, so there is nothing essential that one could miss, just a lot of work to be done!
I think that every student's dream is to study at a prestigious institution. Some would like to do so because their peers are going to do it and want to be at the same level with them, for some maybe it is important to know that they have that prestigous name on their CVs, but the main reason one should want to study at an excellent institution is for the actual purpose of going to uni: to study a subject in depth. For that 9000 pounds or less one should expect to have the best academics, the best learning resources, the best amenities, the best career prospects, the best access to extracurricular activities, etc.
If one is decided that he is really passionate about law, maybe there's no point in deciding to apply for something else just because of that. But unfortunately, many of those who apply are attracted by the legal profession(and the starting salaries& again prestige) much more than the study of law. I can see that we agree on the purpose of studying for a degree, Finbarr, you said that one should not study another subject for what it might lead to, what I'm trying to explain is that one should not read law just because what it might lead to!
There are many who would like to study other subjects, but are forced by their parents or by others in going into law because you can do little with a degree in anthropolgy, for example.
From what I've heard the GDL is incredibly hard but it covers all the 7 modules, so there is nothing essential that one could miss, just a lot of work to be done!
Can I just say I think you've got a good attitude about this - lots of students do seem to approach law merely thinking it might bag a job, rather than for the sake of what the subject may offer in terms of pleasure.
I don't know about the GDL being hard - I think the more realistic way of looking at "hard" is "easy to fail to get a good education from" but in any case it's 7 modules rather than the 12 you'd do on an LLB.
"There are around 25 universities that ask for AAA or higher at A levels." It depends on whether you're at a comp or a private school or what. Cambridge used to offer AAB for some comp students, not sure if still does.
" for History which is a traditional, respected degree." Ah. You're using the language of going for a graduate recruitment route on the basis of what might be statistically likely to get one a place. I can't really comment on that. I just think if one really wants to be a lawyer, then, well, the GDL taken off one's own back, i.e. unsponsored, I suspect isn't going to be as respected by law firms as an LLB. I might be wrong.
There's a barrister I know, Tunde Okewale, who runs urbanlawyers (look them up on facebook) did his LLB at London Met, university with an appalling reputation, did it in his mid-late 20s, took him 6 years, part-time study working at Sainsburys at night, he admits he didn't study hard enough; all the full-time LLB students sneered at the part-timers, but the part-timers all got pupillages. What I draw from it is a strong interest in law is cause to study law, because over a law degree one has time to study things in more depth than on an LLB, and it's a path known to lead to working as a lawyer.
"I think that every student's dream is to study at a prestigious institution. " Indeed - and that's one of the fallacies dear to people outside those institutions, especially young people. I went to Chelsea and St Martins to do fine art, best institutions in the country, and it was the worst four years of my life. My mistake was to choose the brand of institution over the subject studied. Terrible error.
Anyway good luck!!
(edited 11 years ago)
I'm going to study law at Queen Mary, University of London
Original post by Kidioteque
Mainly down to my pushiness of my school who are demanding a first draft by July 9th! Did you focus on a couple of specific legal areas of interest in yours? Or did you try to be more well-rounded/generic (strictly in terms of your legal interest)? I'd presume that the former would be better but I don't want to seem to have narrowed myself too much!
Fwiw, I started my PS very late, finished it even later, I think I sent my application in in December... still got 5/5 and my grades weren't good enough for it to be based on that. So if your school hassle you for a draft tell them to go away, make sure its absolutely right before you finish it. As for legal areas, I barely talked about my interest at all, not sure why, definitely didn't have to go into depth about anything, didn't have enough word count for that. Applied for some Law + language course and talked about French a bit, so maybe that's why... Anyway, don't stress, keep writing and re-writing and it'll get there...
Original post by silence18
I'm sorry if I didn't explain my point of view from the beginning. There are around 25 universities that ask for AAA or higher at A levels. From these universities, some of them also give AAB offers but I think they also give that offers to those who are predicted AAA. I might be wrong, though. With AAB one could, theoretically apply to some good unis such as Kent, East Anglia or City but unis such as Southampton, Bristol or Edinburgh give AAB/BBB offers for History which is a traditional, respected degree. Moreover, LSE asks for AAB for Social Anthropology/ Anthropology and Law.
I think that every student's dream is to study at a prestigious institution. Some would like to do so because their peers are going to do it and want to be at the same level with them, for some maybe it is important to know that they have that prestigous name on their CVs, but the main reason one should want to study at an excellent institution is for the actual purpose of going to uni: to study a subject in depth. For that 9000 pounds or less one should expect to have the best academics, the best learning resources, the best amenities, the best career prospects, the best access to extracurricular activities, etc.
If one is decided that he is really passionate about law, maybe there's no point in deciding to apply for something else just because of that. But unfortunately, many of those who apply are attracted by the legal profession(and the starting salaries& again prestige) much more than the study of law. I can see that we agree on the purpose of studying for a degree, Finbarr, you said that one should not study another subject for what it might lead to, what I'm trying to explain is that one should not read law just because what it might lead to!
There are many who would like to study other subjects, but are forced by their parents or by others in going into law because you can do little with a degree in anthropolgy, for example.
From what I've heard the GDL is incredibly hard but it covers all the 7 modules, so there is nothing essential that one could miss, just a lot of work to be done!
I think that every student's dream is to study at a prestigious institution. Some would like to do so because their peers are going to do it and want to be at the same level with them, for some maybe it is important to know that they have that prestigous name on their CVs, but the main reason one should want to study at an excellent institution is for the actual purpose of going to uni: to study a subject in depth. For that 9000 pounds or less one should expect to have the best academics, the best learning resources, the best amenities, the best career prospects, the best access to extracurricular activities, etc.
If one is decided that he is really passionate about law, maybe there's no point in deciding to apply for something else just because of that. But unfortunately, many of those who apply are attracted by the legal profession(and the starting salaries& again prestige) much more than the study of law. I can see that we agree on the purpose of studying for a degree, Finbarr, you said that one should not study another subject for what it might lead to, what I'm trying to explain is that one should not read law just because what it might lead to!
There are many who would like to study other subjects, but are forced by their parents or by others in going into law because you can do little with a degree in anthropolgy, for example.
From what I've heard the GDL is incredibly hard but it covers all the 7 modules, so there is nothing essential that one could miss, just a lot of work to be done!
In my experience you have hit the nail on the head with this comment. However, you are guaranteed not to have the same in-depth knowledge of the law; and additionally, you will not be able to study optional subjects that might lead to your particular legal niche (if you have one). I know two people so far who have dropped out of the GDL. Both went to top universities. Both found it too much. And of course, no one should be under the illusion that a GDL is anywhere near as thorough as an LLB. It's physically impossible to study 3 years worth in 9 months. However, another option, which a friend did, was a degree at a top uni, then a graduate LLB (or LLM QLD) which is two years and only covers the core subjects. This allows one the time to spend learning the subject in more depth. Just an alternative option for you.
Original post by BessOsborne
Hi!
I have just finished my law degree (Cambridge) and am going on to do an Msc in Criminal Justice. I have just started a new blog about academic life, and would really like to do a post on FAQs about law/university life etc. If anyone wouldn't mind helping out by posing a question (or even two...), I would be eternally grateful!!
Bx
I have just finished my law degree (Cambridge) and am going on to do an Msc in Criminal Justice. I have just started a new blog about academic life, and would really like to do a post on FAQs about law/university life etc. If anyone wouldn't mind helping out by posing a question (or even two...), I would be eternally grateful!!
Bx
I gather some law schools are very practical in their approaches, and others happier to have students explore more abstract ideas, principles, themes, narratives, and debates, around and touched by law. Where might Cambridge sit on this spectrum?
Can you give some example essay and/or exam questions set which might indicate the scope of the writing one might be encouraged or allowed to engage in?
Original post by Finbarr
Where might Cambridge sit on this spectrum??
I've never studied Law at Cambridge and this question wasn't directed at me, but I'm gonna give my opinion anyway (thats what internet forums are for)
I would expect that cambridge is quite high on the abstract ideas, principles, etc spectrum and quite low on the practical spectrum. Cambridge is pretty solid academically, to put it midly, and these things all have an air of academia about them.
A solicitor told me the other day. "To become a solicitor you have to spend 3 years thinking and writing rubbish somewhere miles away from any solicitors and then once you've left uni you can start training to be a solicitor."
Original post by mathsmusicfrench
I've never studied Law at Cambridge and this question wasn't directed at me, but I'm gonna give my opinion anyway (thats what internet forums are for)
I would expect that cambridge is quite high on the abstract ideas, principles, etc spectrum and quite low on the practical spectrum. Cambridge is pretty solid academically, to put it midly, and these things all have an air of academia about them.
A solicitor told me the other day. "To become a solicitor you have to spend 3 years thinking and writing rubbish somewhere miles away from any solicitors and then once you've left uni you can start training to be a solicitor."
I would expect that cambridge is quite high on the abstract ideas, principles, etc spectrum and quite low on the practical spectrum. Cambridge is pretty solid academically, to put it midly, and these things all have an air of academia about them.
A solicitor told me the other day. "To become a solicitor you have to spend 3 years thinking and writing rubbish somewhere miles away from any solicitors and then once you've left uni you can start training to be a solicitor."
Fantastic quote from the solicitor, thanks also for your considering of my Q generally
Would anyone be willing to help me on a law question. Pm me
Original post by ManPowa
Would anyone be willing to help me on a law question. Pm me
Oh don't be so coy.
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