Study law with politics affect becoming a lawyer?

I'm applying to study law this year, but I'm also interested in politics as well but I don't want to do a joint degree. I was wondering if I applied for Law with politics does it still count as a qualifying law degree which will enable me to go on to become a lawyer?

Also do I still take on the full law course like those who are just doing law on it's own? Also I researched that I do assessments for Law and Politics which confuses me because I'm thinking does that make me capable of going into politics as well? Can someone clarify as I'm really confused.

Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

NeverEatFish

13

Original post by Sesshomaru24U

I'm applying to study law this year, but I'm also interested in politics as well but I don't want to do a joint degree. I was wondering if I applied for Law with politics does it still count as a qualifying law degree which will enable me to go on to become a lawyer?

Also do I still take on the full law course like those who are just doing law on it's own? Also I researched that I do assessments for Law and Politics which confuses me because I'm thinking does that make me capable of going into politics as well? Can someone clarify as I'm really confused.

Thanks in advance.

Not sure about the politics side but as long as the degree is an LLB, it is a qualifying law degree which will enable you to go on to become a lawyer.

Reply 2

River85

17

Original post by Sesshomaru24U

I'm applying to study law this year, but I'm also interested in politics as well but I don't want to do a joint degree. I was wondering if I applied for Law with politics does it still count as a qualifying law degree which will enable me to go on to become a lawyer?

Also do I still take on the full law course like those who are just doing law on it's own? Also I researched that I do assessments for Law and Politics which confuses me because I'm thinking does that make me capable of going into politics as well? Can someone clarify as I'm really confused.

Thanks in advance.

For qualifying law degrees check the Solicitors Regulation Authority. There are qualifying law degrees that are combined with politics. I don't know of any politics and law degree that isn't a qualifying degree off the top of my head.

A list of qualiyfying law degrees (for England and Wales) is found at the SRA website

http://www.sra.org.uk/students/courses/qualifying-law-degree-providers.page

If you do a Law and Politics degree it will be split between the two (usually 50:50 but not always). In other words, if we take a law degree as being make up of 18 modules you may study 7 modules in politics and 9 modules in law.

Your qualyfying law degree will cover all the basic areas of law that need to be covered. You just won't have the same freedom as a single honours law student when it comes to studying additional law modules as you'll also be studying politics.

So, no, you won't still do a "full" law degree in the sense I think you're talking about as that would mean you would have studied for the equivalent of one and a half degrees.

A significant number of solicitors and barristers didn't study for a law degree at all but took the GDL (one year conversion course) after graduating. For those who did study law degrees a significant number took joint degrees. Therefore the number of solicitors and barristers with single honours law degrees is likely to be the minority.

I don't know what you mean about being qualified to go into politics. A career in politics, the civil service, think tanks or anything of that nature doesn't require a politics degree. Of our last five Prime Ministers only one studied politics at University (David Cameroon and that was alongside Philosophy and Economics) and one didn't have a degree at all (John Major). Brown had a PhD in History, Blair had a law degree and Thatcher studied Chemistry, I think. A background knowledge of politics can be useful, however. Still, law, economics, history, philosophy and, to a lesser extent, science degrees are all commonly found among Government ministers and leading Civil Servants. They are probably more common than politics degrees.

Reply 3

Origami Bullets

19

If it says LLB, then it's a qualifying law degree as far as I'm aware. Do be careful though - I know Manchester does one Law with Politics LLB (qualifying) and one Law with Politics BA (non-qualifying) so be careful about which you apply for!

Reply 4

SpicyStrawberry

18

Original post by Origami Bullets

If it says LLB, then it's a qualifying law degree as far as I'm aware. Do be careful though - I know Manchester does one Law with Politics LLB (qualifying) and one Law with Politics BA (non-qualifying) so be careful about which you apply for!

Indeed, one of my friends nearly fell into that trap! Glad we managed to spot it before she applied for it though :smile:

I've never before seen an LLB that isn't qualifying, but beware of Law BAs as these might not allow you to progress onto legal training.

(edited 11 years ago)

Study law with politics affect becoming a lawyer?

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