Should I go into law?

With an English law degree? What would be the point? It's a completely different system over there.

Is there any point us continuing this discussion? I've given my opinion and you keep saying "yes, but ....." Clearly you have already made your choice and this debate is somewhat superficial.

arabic .... no way .... if ur gonna do a language either mandarin or cantonese are probably the way to go, but they are bastarding hard.

The reason I think arabic is good is that there are not many arabic speakers in the country but there are alot of arab speaking countries and with the current events it will be good to know the language.

I've gathered Sheffield Hallam probably doesn't have a "good reputation", however, I noticed in the preospectus that they offer;

"LLB (honours) Maitrise en Droit Francais"

4 year course - 1 & 3 @ Hallam, 2 & 4 @ University of Paris XII.

Might be of interest to someone with a leaning towards law and languages and French in particular??

Personally I rate the northumbria course as good as most in the country ... I would put it on a par with Liverpool. For clearing that is a really really good course which many underrate purely because it is at Northumbria which is not a great uni all round.

Yes but the grades = ACCb = not good. The best I can do is hope Kent or Essex who want ABB/ABC take me

I'd say do the languages degree first, then do the conversion course. The entrance requirements may be lower, so you might get into a better uni (if that matters to you). Most employers will look at the class of degree you get, and (to an extent) where its from before they look at the content. There are people who have done Scandanavian Studies who work at big city firms now. And languages are VERY useful, I don't know where this idea comes from that they're a waste of time.

Rather do the languages degree first and then the conversion.

Excellent, one of my favourite topics!!

In mentoring and interviewing undergrads, I have often come across the view that a language degree or ability somehow makes you massively more employable.

A skill in a language demonstrates some degree of academic ability but the skill itself is not necessarily of any particular use to an employer.

To think otherwise, ignores the reality of the legal system and practice.

It is naive to think that you're going to be busy negotiating contracts with a law firm in Paris because you've done French at uni. The reality is that the client will instruct French lawyers whether that be a French firm or the French office of your own UK firm. Likewise, you're not going to be in a postion to advise on French documents as you're not qualified in the law of that jurisdiction. If its simply a matter of translating documents so your firm can understand them, well that can be done far cheaper than by using the services of a junior lawyer.

I'm not saying that a language degree isn't well regarded. It is, but in exactly the same way as a history or English degree is regarded. Just don't expect your language ability to be some amazing selling point above and beyond the fact that you've achieved a good grade in a good subject.

Oh, and I'd love to know which City firms have taken on students with degrees in Scandinavian Studies.

Your choice of Uni and course is a big balancing exercise. There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to weighing up the merits of choice of course vs choice of particular institution.

The reality is that employers often use a pretty draconian system when culling applications which may mean that undergrads from certain Unis simply aren't considered. By the same token, certain institutions are highly regarded and that may stand you in good stead come application time.

However, the way in which an institution is regarded by potential employers should only be one criteria (albeit a very important one). Your choice of course is extremely important also. If you are dead set on studying law rather than a different discipline then go for it. I should point out, however, that studying law rather than a different subject won't actually make a huge difference when it comes to actually being a lawyer. If you're not massively committed to studying law, then you might well be better off getting yourself in to a more highly ranked Uni and studying something else.

Finally, you need to give some serious consideration to the other aspects of going to Uni - which place is going to give you the most enjoyable three years of your life from a social point of view? Its a bit pointless going to a highly regarded Uni because its "the right thing to do" if you're miserable when you're there.