[Scots King]

Deleted

[roh]

(Original post by Scots King)
Hi,


So an apparent solution would appear to be me graduating from Glasgow, and retraining in England. The huge issue with this is that my LL.B from Scotland isn't especially useful. I will still have to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), with a few exemptions likely in Constitutional Law, etc. The GDL is going to cost me in the region of £8,000.

If a firm's going to sponsor you for the LPC they likely will for the GDL as well. So you wouldn't pay 8k, you'd pay nothing and get somewhere around a 5k grant to live on to boot. This is the case at most big regionals such as DLA, Pinsents etc. and virtually every City firm.

Thus you'd just rack up the enticing 27k's worth of tuition debt instead!

Also, remember that no one earns loads of money in law early on (outside Bingham, 100k *kerching!*), the big money comes when you hit partner and if PEPs are around the same in Scotland it may not be worth it as much.

Check out this link: http://targetjobs.co.uk/career-secto...version-vocati

[Scots King]

(Original post by roh)
If a firm's going to sponsor you for the LPC they likely will for the GDL as well. So you wouldn't pay 8k, you'd pay nothing and get somewhere around a 5k grant to live on to boot. This is the case at most big regionals such as DLA, Pinsents etc. and virtually every City firm.

Thus you'd just rack up the enticing 27k's worth of tuition debt instead!

Also, remember that no one earns loads of money in law early on (outside Bingham, 100k *kerching!*), the big money comes when you hit partner and if PEPs are around the same in Scotland it may not be worth it as much.

Check out this link: http://targetjobs.co.uk/career-secto...version-vocati

Thanks for your reply!

I've had a look at the link, I was aware that some firms paid for the LPC but hadn't realised that it was so prevalent!

I think the thing that was worrying me though was that even post-traineeship, the salaries didn't improve too greatly. I read of one who had been qualified for seven years at Brodies and was still on 35k....which is good, but not brilliant when you consider the sums he could be earning had he gone on to do a general grad scheme.

This is certainly food for thought though, thanks!

[roh]

(Original post by Scots King)
Thanks for your reply!

I've had a look at the link, I was aware that some firms paid for the LPC but hadn't realised that it was so prevalent!

I think the thing that was worrying me though was that even post-traineeship, the salaries didn't improve too greatly. I read of one who had been qualified for seven years at Brodies and was still on 35k....which is good, but not brilliant when you consider the sums he could be earning had he gone on to do a general grad scheme.

This is certainly food for thought though, thanks!

Yeah, most commercial firms will pay for GDL and LPC, often at the provider they have a deal with (nearly always CoL or BPP).

Is that normal though? If it's a lockstep then it is pretty poor, but if the firm follows the rule of thumb of taking home a third of what you bill then they could just be a really bad lawyer or work in a not particularly profitable field.

[Scots King]

(Original post by roh)
Yeah, most commercial firms will pay for GDL and LPC, often at the provider they have a deal with (nearly always CoL or BPP).

Is that normal though? If it's a lockstep then it is pretty poor, but if the firm follows the rule of thumb of taking home a third of what you bill then they could just be a really bad lawyer or work in a not particularly profitable field.

I have spoken with a few people, and middle 30k's does appear to be about average...worryingly!

[josilaphina]

I'm afraid I don't know anything about law salaries - Oxford English student, sorry - but I do know something about the Oxford application process. If you don't fit the academic requirements they aren't likely to consider you - particularly in a really really competitive subject area such as law. Also, you've averaged a 2.1 not a 1st, which means your year at Glasgow isn't likely to help you. (I'm not saying that a 2.1 isn't a good mark, it is and its what I got in my first year, but Oxford is looking for students to keep it at the top of the league table, and if you aren't getting a first in Glasgow, you aren't going to get one in Oxford) I think you probably would need to resit the LNAT, but unless your sixth form grades come up - resits or something - you aren't likely to be interviewed for Oxford. I think if your higher grades are fine, dropping out of Glasgow/getting a 2.1 there aren't likely to count against you. But I don't think you can use it to aid your application. Hope this helps.

[Scots King]

(Original post by josilaphina)
I'm afraid I don't know anything about law salaries - Oxford English student, sorry - but I do know something about the Oxford application process. If you don't fit the academic requirements they aren't likely to consider you - particularly in a really really competitive subject area such as law. Also, you've averaged a 2.1 not a 1st, which means your year at Glasgow isn't likely to help you. (I'm not saying that a 2.1 isn't a good mark, it is and its what I got in my first year, but Oxford is looking for students to keep it at the top of the league table, and if you aren't getting a first in Glasgow, you aren't going to get one in Oxford) I think you probably would need to resit the LNAT, but unless your sixth form grades come up - resits or something - you aren't likely to be interviewed for Oxford. I think if your higher grades are fine, dropping out of Glasgow/getting a 2.1 there aren't likely to count against you. But I don't think you can use it to aid your application. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply!

Thanks for the advice, just wanted to get an idea of my chances really, suppose post-grad is always an option Thanks again