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How important is work experience

I did a week of work experience at a solicitor firm and i want to study law at university. Do you guys think this is good as it shows i've got a real interest in the subject?
Law is an academic subject so you want to show an academic interest in the subject and not just that you want to be a lawyer.
Original post by asos98
I did a week of work experience at a solicitor firm and i want to study law at university. Do you guys think this is good as it shows i've got a real interest in the subject?


Hi Asos98,

How are you doing with your Personal Statement?

Work experience is a great thing to add to you PS - and particularly important for a competitive subject like Law. Admissions tutors want to be sure they're selecting people who will do well on the course, so they are looking for motivation and realistic interest. Work experience shows both of these. It shows realistic interest because you will learn a lot about the profession, and you can discuss specific examples of things that interested you to prove this. In addition, it shows motivation that you have the commitment and energy to arrange and undertake work experience. Therefore including anecdotes about your work experience adds great strength and is exactly what admissions tutors are looking for.

Do link your experience to specific aspects of Law that you might want to study further in the future - this further shows a genuine interest and an aptitude for independent learning.

You might be interested in reading a few of our blogs covering topics for Law.

Hope this helps, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

UniAdmissions
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by UniAdmissions
Hi Asos98,

How are you doing with your Personal Statement?

Work experience is a great thing to add to you PS - and particularly important for a competitive subject like Law. Admissions tutors want to be sure they're selecting people who will do well on the course, so they are looking for motivation and realistic interest. Work experience shows both of these. It shows realistic interest because you will learn a lot about the profession, and you can discuss specific examples of things that interested you to prove this. In addition, it shows motivation that you have the commitment and energy to arrange and undertake work experience. Therefore including anecdotes about your work experience adds great strength and is exactly what admissions tutors are looking for.

Do link your experience to specific aspects of Law that you might want to study further in the future - this further shows a genuine interest and an aptitude for independent learning.

You might be interested in reading a few of our blogs covering topics for Law.

Hope this helps, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

UniAdmissions

Thanks for clearing that up, i did a fair share of independant research at this work experience so il wrote that down. I've used 500 characters on only my work experiemce, do you think i should cut ot down a bit?
Original post by asos98
Thanks for clearing that up, i did a fair share of independant research at this work experience so il wrote that down. I've used 500 characters on only my work experiemce, do you think i should cut ot down a bit?


That's quite a lot of characters to spend on work experience so unless it specifically shows that you've developed relevant skills and specific academic interests in the subject I'd reconsider using that much space for it. Like I said before law is an academic subject and isn't about becoming a lawyer.


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Original post by UniAdmissions
Admissions tutors want to be sure they're selecting people who will do well on the course, so they are looking for motivation and realistic interest. Work experience shows both of these. It shows realistic interest because you will learn a lot about the profession, and you can discuss specific examples of things that interested you to prove this.


This is the bit I disagree with. Realistic interest is key but doing an undergrad degree in law doesn't make you a lawyer so talking about solicitor work experience in a law PS is not showing a realistic interest in the subject. It's an academic subject.
Original post by alleycat393
Realistic interest is key but doing an undergrad degree in law doesn't make you a lawyer so talking about solicitor work experience in a law PS is not showing a realistic interest in the subject. It's an academic subject.


It's true that studying Law at university and working in the legal profession are different entities. However this does not detract from the value of legal work experience - and whilst not essential, it can be useful for the following reasons:

1) Most people who apply to law do so because their end goal is to enter the legal profession. Therefore the work of legal professionals is a key motivator for their decision, and work experience makes sure this is a well informed choice.

2) Many students do not study law at school. Therefore work experience in a legal field gives a great opportunity to learn about Law and can stimulate reading about law.

3) It gives a valuable opportunity to ask questions to people who work in Law

4) It shows the personal characteristic that the student has gone to the effort to organise something in their own free time to help them make an informed university/career choice. This is valuable.
That's all fine but suggesting that work experience is important for law because it is a competitive subject and that it shows a 'realistic interest' is what I'm objecting too. Lots of lawyers haven't even studied law at uni!

Anyway, I think I've made my point. Good luck OP!
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 8
Not especially important it does help sift out middling applicants though.
Original post by Napp
Not especially important it does help sift out middling applicants though.


Not quite given that it isn't a requirement.
Reply 10
Original post by alleycat393
Not quite given that it isn't a requirement.


I didn't say it was a requirement. If you have to applicants for one spot though with the same academics the likely hood of some interesting extra-curricular tipping the balance is more than likely.
Original post by Napp
I didn't say it was a requirement. If you have to applicants for one spot though with the same academics the likely hood of some interesting extra-curricular tipping the balance is more than likely.


That's when they'd interview. You can't pick people based on whether or not they do something that's not actually directly relevant to the course (again law is an a course academic so work experiment isn't directly relevant). Also everyone can't get experience and it's unfair to pick based on that.


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Reply 12
Original post by alleycat393
That's when they'd interview. You can't pick people based on whether or not they do something that's not actually directly relevant to the course (again law is an a course academic so work experiment isn't directly relevant). Also everyone can't get experience and it's unfair to pick based on that.


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Where did i ever say anything even remotely like that? I said they're of benefit when there's nothing else to sperate two applicants.

I'm not entirely surehow fairness is a factor, life isn't fair. The earlier people learn that the better.
Original post by Napp
Where did i ever say anything even remotely like that? I said they're of benefit when there's nothing else to sperate two applicants.

I'm not entirely surehow fairness is a factor, life isn't fair. The earlier people learn that the better.


Sorry I don't think this is going anywhere. I think the OP has their answer. Good luck!


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