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Law Degree or Conversion Course?
To tell the truth I have no burning desire to study anything else but Law at uni and would like to pursue a career in Law however I'm not quite sure as what to do.
Shall I do a Law Degree?
Or some other degree and then a Law conversion course?
What are the PROS and CONS of doing either?
Some people say that doing a Law Degree is a waste of time, and that you hardly ever get employed, but surely that can't be right?
If this were the case, then why do so many people still take Law as their first degree?
To do another degree as your first and then a Law conversion course does however give you "something extra" to offer your law firm.
Not meaning to be rude but it would be more helpful if people gave me proper advice which is credible and authentic and not personal ramble because I might be making university options on this!
Shall I do a Law Degree?
Or some other degree and then a Law conversion course?
What are the PROS and CONS of doing either?
Some people say that doing a Law Degree is a waste of time, and that you hardly ever get employed, but surely that can't be right?
If this were the case, then why do so many people still take Law as their first degree?
To do another degree as your first and then a Law conversion course does however give you "something extra" to offer your law firm.
Not meaning to be rude but it would be more helpful if people gave me proper advice which is credible and authentic and not personal ramble because I might be making university options on this!
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Pros of doing law degree:
It is venerable
It is difficult, and people know this
It is about law, but this is, of course, only a plus if you like it
You can tell people that you are doing a law degree, as opposed to other, shall we say 'lesser', degrees
You get to spend lots of time in your university's law library
It's fun
Cons of doing a law degree:
You have to do work
You must read books
You have to take examinations
People expect your knowledge to be boundless, and not just limited to legal topics
It is venerable
It is difficult, and people know this
It is about law, but this is, of course, only a plus if you like it
You can tell people that you are doing a law degree, as opposed to other, shall we say 'lesser', degrees
You get to spend lots of time in your university's law library
It's fun
Cons of doing a law degree:
You have to do work
You must read books
You have to take examinations
People expect your knowledge to be boundless, and not just limited to legal topics
It's really simple: if Law is the only thing you are interested in studying, then do it. There is absolutely no point in picking something you're not really interested in and then wasting more time and money on a conversion course, seriously.
It's total rubbish that most Law graduates don't get employed - in fact I think it has one of the highest employment rates! It's an academically rigorous subject which gives you many skills as well as just knowledge of the law, and people know that.
If you are planning on practising law, it is true that some employers seem to prefer the conversion course route as it shows other interest/areas of knowledge, but there are an equal number (if not more) who prefer a Law degree or don't care either way. Plus around 25% of graduates go on to have careers outside of the legal field - it opens plenty of doors to you.
So yeah, pick Law. You'll do better at something you have a genuine interest in anyway, and have a better time all round. It's hard work but it's totally bearable as long as you're interested.
It's total rubbish that most Law graduates don't get employed - in fact I think it has one of the highest employment rates! It's an academically rigorous subject which gives you many skills as well as just knowledge of the law, and people know that.
If you are planning on practising law, it is true that some employers seem to prefer the conversion course route as it shows other interest/areas of knowledge, but there are an equal number (if not more) who prefer a Law degree or don't care either way. Plus around 25% of graduates go on to have careers outside of the legal field - it opens plenty of doors to you.
So yeah, pick Law. You'll do better at something you have a genuine interest in anyway, and have a better time all round. It's hard work but it's totally bearable as long as you're interested.
I'm doing the CPE because I changed my mind about what I wanted to do after my first degree, but I don't think it's worth actually planning that unless you really can't decide between two careers down the line. If you decide against law in the future then you'll still have a degree, but if you're sure it's what you want to do, then go for it!
aw thanks you guys!
tbh i had my heart set on doing law as a first degree but then everyone in my year who wants to become lawyers are asking me why i want to do law as a first degree?
I want to try for Oxford with Law.
I know it'll be tough competition and very very hard
BUT lets just say I get into Oxford... i'm hardly going to be unemployed right?
I mean loads of big firms go especially to Oxbridge to recruit people right?
tbh i had my heart set on doing law as a first degree but then everyone in my year who wants to become lawyers are asking me why i want to do law as a first degree?
I want to try for Oxford with Law.
I know it'll be tough competition and very very hard
BUT lets just say I get into Oxford... i'm hardly going to be unemployed right?
I mean loads of big firms go especially to Oxbridge to recruit people right?
Yes, a lot of firms take Oxbridge graduates.
Also - If you do the CPE, you may have the advantage of knowledge in other areas, but you have to fit the equivalent of an LLB into a year. That's a lot of work, so your learning may not be as thorough or extensive.
Also - If you do the CPE, you may have the advantage of knowledge in other areas, but you have to fit the equivalent of an LLB into a year. That's a lot of work, so your learning may not be as thorough or extensive.
Conversion! Conversion!
All my law friends hate the subject and say studying it has put them off becoming a lawyer so the fact i'm only going to study it for a year is very appealing, studying law and practising law are very different things!
This way I spent three studying for a degree I love, worked a lot less hard than my law friends, had plenty of time for other stuff and have still come out with a great TC and a good 2.1 (i think..cross fingers)
All my law friends hate the subject and say studying it has put them off becoming a lawyer so the fact i'm only going to study it for a year is very appealing, studying law and practising law are very different things!
This way I spent three studying for a degree I love, worked a lot less hard than my law friends, had plenty of time for other stuff and have still come out with a great TC and a good 2.1 (i think..cross fingers)
LucyMP
Yes, a lot of firms take Oxbridge graduates.
Also - If you do the CPE, you may have the advantage of knowledge in other areas, but you have to fit the equivalent of an LLB into a year. That's a lot of work, so your learning may not be as thorough or extensive.
Also - If you do the CPE, you may have the advantage of knowledge in other areas, but you have to fit the equivalent of an LLB into a year. That's a lot of work, so your learning may not be as thorough or extensive.
It's true that the CPE is a lot of work, and I mean a lot - I've probably done more work already than I did in my whole 1st degree! You 'only' do 7 core modules rather than everything you'd do in a 3-year LLB, but it's still very intensive and not something to be chosen unless you're really committed. Having said that, it's also great fun and I don't regret it for a moment.
You also need to do the Legal Practice course between the CPE and training contract, i.e. 4 years in all.
Do an LLB combined law course and then you get the best of both worlds
Edit: E.g Law with Politics/Sociology etc
Edit: E.g Law with Politics/Sociology etc
Tamato
I know you can get law firms to sponser you to do your CPE but will they pay for your LPC aswell?
Yes, the bigger firms do provide sponsorship for the LPC. I'm not aware of any firms which pay for the CPE but not the LPC - if a firm only pays for one, it's the LPC.
Hope that makes sense.
Most fairly big firms I've looked at say they will fund both the CPE and the LPC. But you have to get the training contract before you start the course, obviously!
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