Law Students - Chat Thread

you guys want to be solicitors or barristers? When do you think the best time to decide is? i.e will i need to know in the first year to get into pupillages/vac schemes? I spose it's depends on grades aswell i.e need a 1st to get into top law firms/sets

Anyway hello!

You apply for mini-pupillages and vacation schemes early second year; around October - December, with interviews in December - February.

As for deciding, you can always do both. Plus, if you (for the sake of argument) do a vacation scheme and later want to become a barrister, the former will still be relevant.

I'm looking towards the Bar myself, though that may well change, depending on grades and experience.

Most the top set firms only require a 2:1, and the majority of applicants are on that. A first wouldn't be in any way necessary, it would just give you a slight advantage (which, with law, is exactly what you need).

Okay cool, but I spose I'll figure it all out once I start! law experience is law experience!

Yeh I'm the same, my first choice would be the bar but I'm just worried that I will not get in with it being so competitive. This forum doesn't help either telling me that from York (i.e not oxbridge/London) I'll need a first just to get a shot at the Bar/MS/SC firms

I'm worried about it all and I haven't even started lol

Better to be worried about it now - it might make you work! I didn't give a **** until, essentially, it was time to apply for vacation schemes. At that point, I wish I'd done any work in first year and had got a 2:1 instead of a 2:2.

I wouldn't worry too much about what the population of TSR thinks. The only reason the 'top' unis are considered that way when it comes to employment in the legal field is because they're seen as more likely to take people who're going to work and, thus, achieve the better degree classifications. The top firms are chambers are by no means populated entirely by Oxford and London graduates.

Providing you get a 2:1 and as much legal experience as possible, you'll stand a good chance.

PS - York haven't offered law for long, have they? I was considering it when I applied in 2008, and I'm pretty sure then was the first intake for their law course, or the second year it had run.

Yeah well I'm motivated from the outset which may be a little harsh on my uni social life but better in the long run!

But proportionately more compared to the graduates of other universities but such is life! That's the plan!

They have not! It's a new course they teach in a more unorthodox way i.e we will be put in student law firms and much of our teaching will be problem based like with legal scenarios - may be useful!

I will be in the third cohort! So when I start my second year the first year will graduate - I expect then we will see if they manage to confirm TCs etc.

Which uni are you at?

Hm, interesting. Student law firms could certainly be interesting. Also, seems to be pretty much the exact opposite of the Oxbridge purely theoretical approach!

I imagine your social life will probably take precedence, at least at first. Of course, if you can actually go to lectures and do plenty of work, it'll obviously be for the best.

I'm at Kings (KCL).

Haha yeah I know! I think it should be a good course probably very good for ones confidence as there is a lot of presenting/arguing so we wont just be book worms, my come in handy for interviews. Well as long as the york law degree is well regarded! But if not I may do a masters somewhere afterwards if I can afford it

Yes, I don't want to be lonely! But I managed to juggle both at school and still came out pretty well So I can try at uni although there will be a lot more work and more social distractions!

Kings is nice, are you enjoying Law?

It's harder to balance them at uni, simply because one or the other seems to take preference. It doesn't help that you're living with friends and without parental influence. If you actually attend lectures and tutorials, there aren't that many hours a week you need to attend.

It's been decent enough so far, in that I've essentially been there for the uni 'experience' and done work for the course when absolutely necessary. This year I need to actually concentrate, consistently attend, work, and do a proper amount of revision. I've chosen modules with a graded essay (25% of one module) and a January exam to try and ensure this happens.

When's your freshers?

Yeah I just hope I'm disciplined enough

haha good luck!

10th OCtober so late

Yeah I just hope I'm disciplined enough

haha good luck!

10th OCtober so late

I know- everyone I know has either gone or is going in the next 14 days. Combined with people going back to school, my town now feels like 80 90 year olds and me.

It's worse for me, my birthday is on the 23rd and all my friends will have either gone or are going on the 25th so have lots to sort out and cant go out to get hammered!

tbf, I've been up reasonably early both years so far, and will be back up next week, so it's not something I've experienced. People tend to be around earlier in London anyway.

Got any plans between friends heading off and starting? Could always do some... pre-course reading.

We have been given no pre-course reading and have been told to read for fun if we want to and to keep up with current affairs.

Yeah, we didn't get any either. Current affairs, then.

You don't have lectures during freshers, do you? They're more understanding during freshers, as most don't make the 9am/10am ones after going out.

Staying in halls?

Well most of the Freshers ents run from when we arrive on the 2nd October until the 10th. I meet my Tutor on the 4th at 9am, my DoS early on Tues or Weds, then I have lectures all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So yeh, unpacking, freshers and work all collide in one week
Yeh I'm staying in Trinity's accommodation. Managed to get en-suite, which is great

Meetings with the heads of department and tutors? Ooh, la de da :camp: (only joking!). We had none of that. I declined the optional session with my tutor.

Saturday lectures? That's just cruel.

En-suite was good in first year, admittedly, but I really paid through the nose for it. Managed to get into another hall this year (of sorts, it's further out and doesn't cater for first year) and it's not en-suite, but the saving per week is so worth it.

You have lectures during the week-long freshers? Anyone would think Cambridge are expecting you to work...

What's your budget p/w for the year?