Non-law degree entry into Law VS Straight forward LLB?/Is Keele a good law school?

Hi,

Help!!!

Iv recently completed my second year at the University of Sheffield in Politics and French and am pondering as to whether the long hawl of studying for another two years and then completing the extensive GDL/CPE conversion is as favourable as I once thought? :dontknow:

I am now contemplating revising my decision of entering the legal field and am looking to go to Keele perhaps via Clearing for a 2006 start and study for an LLB with Politics or Criminology....would you consider Keele a good option for Law. In the 2004 Times Good Uni Guide that I went by when making my choice it came at 20th for Law...whereas Politics was 2nd at Sheffield. However it does have 5* for research and yet needs to be assessed for teaching.

My reasons for changing course is also due to the fact that I am bi-lingual in French and do not find my degree challenging enough :rolleyes:

....my department will not allow me to swap to straight Politics and so I am contemplating revising my whole choice. I am particularly interested in getting into International and Human Rights law....any advice would be very much appreciated!!! :p:

Thanks,

Scarlett

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Reply 1

rah2

Stay at Sheffield. Regardless of which degree you go for it will always be more employable than Keele.

Reply 2

superdillon

BrunetteScarlett

Iv recently completed my second year at the University of Sheffield in Politics and French and am pondering as to whether the long hawl of studying for another two years and then completing the extensive GDL/CPE conversion is as favourable as I once thought?

What specificially do you not like about starting your career in law by studying the GDL/CPE conversion course?
You say that it is a "long haul" but isn't taking the LLB at Keele followed by the LPC, the real "long haul"?

BrunetteScarlett

Keele is a good option for law. I am sure that employers would think that you lacked direction if you were to do a 3yr+ LLB after a 3yr Politics and French course, just go strainght to the law conversion course.

BrunetteScarlett

My reasons for changing course is also due to the fact that I am bi-lingual in French and do not find my degree challenging enough :rolleyes:

....my department will not allow me to swap to straight Politics and so I am contemplating revising my whole choice.

I can see why you would want to do a more challenging degree but my best advice would be to complete the remaining years of your current course and get on a law conversion course that you are likely to find more stimulating.

BrunetteScarlett

I am particularly interested in getting into International and Human Rights law....any advice would be very much appreciated.

This is obviously something that you would have done well to do the LLB for.
However, I don't doubt that you will cover it in a law conversion course.
If you don't think that the latter is the answer, then there is the opportunity to do a Masters degree in law where you are likely to cover the material that you enjoy.

Reply 3

Lady Narcissus

I'd finish your degree first :smile:

Keele is ok but after 2 years you might as well have something, especially as language degrees are always useful- even for lawyers!!! :smile:

Reply 4

Ethereal

We know someone at Keele :wink:

Reply 5

ellewoods

LauraWalker

even for lawyers!!! :smile:

Especially for lawyers! All my vac scheme / TC applications wanted to know about foreign languages, especially with so many firms having offices / associate firms all over the world :smile:

Reply 6

Ethereal

I speak fluent west riding. Does that count? :p:

Reply 7

ellewoods

Ethereal

I speak fluent west riding. Does that count? :p:

Absolutely :wink:

Reply 8

BrunetteScarlett

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrunetteScarlett
Iv recently completed my second year at the University of Sheffield in Politics and French and am pondering as to whether the long hawl of studying for another two years and then completing the extensive GDL/CPE conversion is as favourable as I once thought?

What specificially do you not like about starting your career in law by studying the GDL/CPE conversion course?
You say that it is a "long haul" but isn't taking the LLB at Keele followed by the LPC, the real "long haul"?

*I ought to revise my statement...i meant the fact that it is a law degree packed into one year...i have heard the success rate for conversion courses are at about 40%....I have started another thread to find if this stat is true. Not sure if it is best to take my time and study it over the two years....though having two degrees wud be useful....?*

I am sure that employers would think that you lacked direction if you were to do a 3yr+ LLB after a 3yr Politics and French course, just go strainght to the law conversion course.

My course is four years and so I am half way....either way I can start a fresh with a 3yr LLB and then the LPC (total of 4 years) or continue and complete my current degree so another two years, plus conversion and then LPC (also 4 years). I am looking at the best way to study law should it be at a less well know uni like Keele or stick at Sheffield and do an MA/conversion. Although an MA would add another two years of study onto it all. I am particularly worried about the amount of debt i will be accumulating year on year with additional expenses such as living costs as I have already foreseen the prices of the courses already.

Thanks! What are your opinions?

Reply 9

Purple

Does your degree have a year abroad? If so can you not do it as you already have significant experience with French? That way it will be a year shorter.

Reply 10

BrunetteScarlett

Hey Kristin,

It complicates loads cos my year abroad has modules within itself that count towards my whole degree and thus to remove that compulsory year out I would need to convert to straight politics....thus wud lose the french side of my course...One of the girls on the same combination as myself wasnt allowed by the department to swap from French and Politics to Straight Politics and so had to go to Manchester Met to finish her degree......shame really seeing as Politics is in top3-5 as a department in the country! I have emailed my department about this too yesterday, as they maybe able to accomodate my needs now, i.e someone may have dropped out since my friend tried to convert and thus may have a space..but highly doubt it really!

Worse still I havent got much planned for year abroad.....have a place at a good uni in Paris...but not keen on studying if I can avoid it....i.e can also get a job.....but have not made much effort to buddy with ppl with my course to make links out abroad..most probably due to the sub-conscious fact that I didnt wanna do this year abroad :smile:

Reply 11

Purple

Is there any reason why you chose Keele to do Law? Would you be able to transfer departments, to Law at Sheffield?

Reply 12

BrunetteScarlett

I have chosen Keele as an option as they are likely to have places via Clearing for this year and all other possible clearing legal courses will be not as well known/good law departments.

Reply 13

superdillon

BrunetteScarlett

I ought to revise my statement...i meant the fact that it is a law degree packed into one year...i have heard the success rate for conversion courses are at about 40%....I have started another thread to find if this stat is true. Not sure if it is best to take my time and study it over the two years....though having two degrees wud be useful....

I am not sure that having "two degrees would be useful". Further you won't have two degrees in any case would you? Your choices are to stay on at Sheffield to complete the degree that you are doing or to stop that and do the LLB at Keele, right?

I wouldn't really worry about the success rate for the conversion course. If you want to study law and practice law then surely thats all the encouragement that you need personally to do well on the course.

BrunetteScarlett

My course is four years and so I am half way....either way I can start a fresh with a 3yr LLB and then the LPC (total of 4 years) or continue and complete my current degree so another two years, plus conversion and then LPC (also 4 years).

I can see why you would want to start fresh- your current degree isn't that stimulating for you and you want to go on to practice law. I still think that you should do the degree that you are committed to at the moment.
Anything else, I think shows that you lack direction.

BrunetteScarlett

I am looking at the best way to study law should it be at a less well know uni like Keele or stick at Sheffield and do an MA/conversion. Although an MA would add another two years of study onto it all.

Stick at Sheffield and do the conversion course. Definitely.

BrunetteScarlett

I am particularly worried about the amount of debt i will be accumulating year on year with additional expenses such as living costs as I have already foreseen the prices of the courses already.

Not sure whether you can get sponsorhsip for the conversion course.

You should be able to get sponsorship for the professional course that you have to do to qualify as a lawyer, lots of firms sponsor loads of people.

Of course this doesn't solve the problem of living costs but its still something.

Reply 14

BrunetteScarlett

I am not sure that having "two degrees would be useful". Further you won't have two degrees in any case would you? Your choices are to stay on at Sheffield to complete the degree that you are doing or to stop that and do the LLB at Keele, right?

I think you have mis understood me....when I said two degrees that would be with me having a BA in Politics and French and a MA/GDL in Law, thus two degrees.

You have said that Keele is good for Law.....could you expand on that if possible? Has it got a good reputation? Do you believe many Law graduates there get into the larger law firms?

Regards,

Scarlett

Reply 15

Purple

BrunetteScarlett

I have chosen Keele as an option as they are likely to have places via Clearing for this year and all other possible clearing legal courses will be not as well known/good law departments.

Other good unis have places in Extra, so are likely to be in Clearing (such as City, UEA, Essex, Hull, Kent, Leicester, Sheffield, Southampton).

If you dont want to go on your year abroad and finish your degree either because its not challenging enough or you dont enjoy it and feel you will enjoy Law a lot more then go for it :biggrin:

Reply 16

Lush Law

Sheffield is a good, sound university - Keele is ok but it's not as good as Sheffield. Stick with Politics and French. When you do your Law conversion, LPC/BVC whatever and then come to seek employment you'll be very employable with a language qualification. Politics is also a good base for going onto a legal career, as is an Economics or a History degree, in my opinion.

Reply 17

BrunetteScarlett

Yeah, im not very familiar with the extra route as they didnt have that two years ago....could you enlighten me on that and why that would mean there maybe clearing spaces that those institutions?

Reply 18

Purple

Courses are put in Extra if they have extra spaces, incase you change your mind about a course or get no offers, so if they are still in Extra now then they are going to still have spare places come clearing as all applications now go straight to clearing.

Reply 19

superdillon

BrunetteScarlett

You have said that Keele is good for Law.....could you expand on that if possible?

Well the teaching and research facilities are "excellent" which is a level of attainment that some top unis for law do not have. Having said that, I wouldn't describe it as good for optional modules that I would want to take personally. Other people have described it as being a "good" university for law and I was really just repeating that.

BrunetteScarlett

Do you believe many Law graduates there get into the larger law firms?

When you say larger law firms if you mean magic circle/other similar top law firms, then I wouldn't have thought so. However, with a first class degree, good references, other achievements you may be able to.
The area that you want to go into- International law/Human Rights will be practiced at these big law firms and so unless you have reason to believe that you could perform exceptionally well on the Keele LLB then I wouldn't go for it.

I have no reason to doubt, on the other hand, that if you were to stay on at Sheffield and do the conversion course afterwards then you will be more successful in your applications to these larger firms.