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Is it worth doing a Law degree

Hi, I am interested in doing a degree in law. I've just came out of doing a degree in another subject that I wasn't too happy with during my second year.

I'm planning on using it to go into soliciting or becoming a barrister. Part of me also wants to use it towards a career in the police, with their fast track program.

Clearing is almost over, I have the grades, should I really make the step? I work hard when I have to. I'm the type of person that can occasionally procrastinates his work at times, but when I really want to do something I work hard and do well.

Should I run towards a law degree or get a job with what I have at the moment? or perhaps do something else?

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Original post by Aizen95
Hi, I am interested in doing a degree in law. I've just came out of doing a degree in another subject that I wasn't too happy with during my second year.

I'm planning on using it to go into soliciting or becoming a barrister. Part of me also wants to use it towards a career in the police, with their fast track program.

Clearing is almost over, I have the grades, should I really make the step? I work hard when I have to. I'm the type of person that can occasionally procrastinates his work at times, but when I really want to do something I work hard and do well.

Should I run towards a law degree or get a job with what I have at the moment? or perhaps do something else?


AFAIK it's a total nightmare. I graduated with a bunch that read law and they had a super tough time of it. I saw a training contracts thread here, which is just people desp for training and not often getting it.

There's just way too many people trying for far too few places either as barristers or solicitors. For the bar, afaik you have to be from Cambridge or Oxford, otherwise your looking at a real longshot - even people from Oxford/Cambridge aren't necessarily getting training.

And besides, you don't actually need a law degree to go to law school. You can just take the course.
Reply 2
Original post by Trinculo
AFAIK it's a total nightmare. I graduated with a bunch that read law and they had a super tough time of it. I saw a training contracts thread here, which is just people desp for training and not often getting it.

There's just way too many people trying for far too few places either as barristers or solicitors. For the bar, afaik you have to be from Cambridge or Oxford, otherwise your looking at a real longshot - even people from Oxford/Cambridge aren't necessarily getting training.

And besides, you don't actually need a law degree to go to law school. You can just take the course.


Thanks. If I may ask, what made it a total nightmare and which university was this at?
Original post by Aizen95
Thanks. If I may ask, what made it a total nightmare and which university was this at?


Kings mostly.

There's too much competition for training places, apparently. The law students start applying in their 2nd year but are up against all the people who didn't find places the year before and the year before that plus all the people without law degrees who have done the conversion course.

I also had a friend round the corner at BPP (ok not the best example)- and he said not one person in his class got training. The law schools promise everyone loads, but they just can't deliver because of the sheer numbers. I think it's just a case of everyone thinks they can do it and they'll be the exception, but the numbers are so big that when you think about it, most people are ending up missing out - especially as barristers.

I thought about doing the conversion course, but it was just insanely risky. £10k+ for something that only gets you to the point of then needing the practise course (another £10k+) which doesn't guarantee you anything.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Aizen95
Hi, I am interested in doing a degree in law. I've just came out of doing a degree in another subject that I wasn't too happy with during my second year.

I'm planning on using it to go into soliciting or becoming a barrister. Part of me also wants to use it towards a career in the police, with their fast track program.

Clearing is almost over, I have the grades, should I really make the step? I work hard when I have to. I'm the type of person that can occasionally procrastinates his work at times, but when I really want to do something I work hard and do well.

Should I run towards a law degree or get a job with what I have at the moment? or perhaps do something else?


No, get some work experience/insight days under your belt. Gun for a vac scheme open to non-law grads and then convert that to a training contract from a firm which will pay for your GDL and LPC.

Dropping £27k on a law degree after you have a degree already is ridiculous.

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Reply 5
I just graduated with a first class in Law. Taking a gap year so that I can accumulate enough funds for LPC. Let's see what fate has in store for me.
Reply 6
Original post by Princepieman
No, get some work experience/insight days under your belt. Gun for a vac scheme open to non-law grads and then convert that to a training contract from a firm which will pay for your GDL and LPC.

Dropping £27k on a law degree after you have a degree already is ridiculous.

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My didn't complete my last degree because I wasn't happy with where it was leading me to. I'm also tempted to do something like criminology maybe, and get into the police and go further with their fast track program they offer for recently graduated undergraduates. I plan to do something that relates to law/crime. My last course was NHS funded so I don't owe anyone a dime.I will also be living at home since the university is a walking distance away, so I'll be saving money that way.
Original post by Aizen95
My didn't complete my last degree because I wasn't happy with where it was leading me to. I'm also tempted to do something like criminology maybe, and get into the police and go further with their fast track program they offer for recently graduated undergraduates. I plan to do something that relates to law/crime. My last course was NHS funded so I don't owe anyone a dime.I will also be living at home since the university is a walking distance away, so I'll be saving money that way.


Ah, it would have made more sense to complete it tbf. How far into the degree did you get?


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Reply 8
Original post by Princepieman
Ah, it would have made more sense to complete it tbf. How far into the degree did you get?


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Halfway through my second year, it wasn't really worth it.
Original post by Aizen95
Halfway through my second year, it wasn't really worth it.


Hmm, well you technically have enough student finance entitlement left such that you'd only pay for your first year out of pocket in another degree. But, trouble is saving up that £9k

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Reply 10
Original post by Princepieman
Hmm, well you technically have enough student finance entitlement left such that you'd only pay for your first year out of pocket in another degree. But, trouble is saving up that £9k

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When I was in my first year from my first degree I didn't have student finance. I got a bursary which covered my accommodation and other small fees. I've never used student finance.
Original post by Aizen95
When I was in my first year from my first degree I didn't have student finance. I got a bursary which covered my accommodation and other small fees. I've never used student finance.


I see, fair play then. Another degree might be worth it after all

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Original post by Aizen95
My didn't complete my last degree because I wasn't happy with where it was leading me to. I'm also tempted to do something like criminology maybe, and get into the police and go further with their fast track program they offer for recently graduated undergraduates. I plan to do something that relates to law/crime. My last course was NHS funded so I don't owe anyone a dime.I will also be living at home since the university is a walking distance away, so I'll be saving money that way.


I think law is more useful overall than criminology, but criminology would probably be better preparation for a career in the police. The LLB has one criminal law module but the rest of the stuff isn't going to be particularly relevant for the police, or only small parts of it would be. I took a criminology module during my LLB and I actually didn't like it because it was more about psychological and sociological aspects of crime, but that would be really helpful for the police. It depends really, you can go into the police with either degree and I'm tempted to say don't put yourself through something as difficult and, at times, extremely tedious/antiquated as law when you don't need it, but it's definitely the more respected of the two courses and if you do want to become a lawyer later on you would need a law conversion or accelerated LLB anyway...
Reply 13
Original post by Princepieman
I see, fair play then. Another degree might be worth it after all

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The only thing I've wasted is time, two years of it. I've gained a lot of skills though and have improved my writing and communication skills greatly. I admit it does feel bad wasting two years but I feel that I've gained more since the time I've spent at university has been virtually free.

I might not go into law, I've been having my eye on going into the police. I've done some reading and apparently if you go in with a undergraduate degree (2'1 or above) in something, through a three year fast track program with them, you'll be promoted to sergeant or inspector. They earn 45+ grand per year. The only reason I've been thinking about law or criminology, is to prepare myself even further for it. Part of me has always wanted to work in a public service.
Reply 14
Original post by infairverona
I think law is more useful overall than criminology, but criminology would probably be better preparation for a career in the police. The LLB has one criminal law module but the rest of the stuff isn't going to be particularly relevant for the police, or only small parts of it would be. I took a criminology module during my LLB and I actually didn't like it because it was more about psychological and sociological aspects of crime, but that would be really helpful for the police. It depends really, you can go into the police with either degree and I'm tempted to say don't put yourself through something as difficult and, at times, extremely tedious/antiquated as law when you don't need it, but it's definitely the more respected of the two courses and if you do want to become a lawyer later on you would need a law conversion or accelerated LLB anyway...


Yeah I see what you mean. I want to do something relevant and can get me a job higher up when I apply for a career in the police. I did Sociology as an A-level and enjoyed it, which involved sociological aspects of crime in A2. I guess that part of me wants to go into law as a safety net, if the police doesn't work out, I could use it for something else.
Reply 15
Original post by Saba XD
I just graduated with a first class in Law. Taking a gap year so that I can accumulate enough funds for LPC. Let's see what fate has in store for me.


Which university did you go to? and how did you find it?
Original post by Trinculo
even people from Oxford/Cambridge aren't necessarily getting training.



I literally don't know anyone from Cambridge who wanted a TC and didn't get one tbh.

There are more TC applicants than places but the picture isn't nearly as bleak as you've painted it, even outside Oxbridge.
Original post by Aizen95
Yeah I see what you mean. I want to do something relevant and can get me a job higher up when I apply for a career in the police. I did Sociology as an A-level and enjoyed it, which involved sociological aspects of crime in A2. I guess that part of me wants to go into law as a safety net, if the police doesn't work out, I could use it for something else.


I think if you really want to go into the police and you're sure of that, do criminology. The content will be far more useful and applicable to you than a law degree. I know what you mean about law being a safety net because it's more respected but to be honest, I would've thought it's riskier to hope you get training in law than it would be to go into the police. You could look into other careers with criminology as well if you didn't want to work for the police after, like you could maybe consider social work or something? I work in the NHS and absolutely love working in the public sector, I hear about friends working 13 hour days in law firms and working on Saturdays, and they're getting paid less than I am. I would never want to work in a law firm now
[QUOTE=Aizen95;66781118

I'm planning on using it to go into soliciting or becoming a barrister. Part of me also wants to use it towards a career in the police, with their fast track program.




hehe

In terms of actual advice, if you can get into a 'good' university, maybe. Law is ridiculously oversubscribed, and competition for TCs and pupillages is rough. I don't see a law degree as a solution to a problem, do it if you love learning about the law. Way too many people do law degrees for the job prospects only to find that they have none.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Saba XD
I just graduated with a first class in Law. Taking a gap year so that I can accumulate enough funds for LPC. Let's see what fate has in store for me.


just out of curiosity, where are you going work to save up the funds?

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