[deekinee]

Is a CPE from a top 20 university more highly regarded amongst Barristers or a LLB(Hons) from Southampton Solent? If I go for the CPE I'll save some extra cash and complete it in just 1 year. If I go for the 4-6 years part-time law degree then I get to learn more and it is an honours degree... even though Solent isn't reputable. Both routes can be gone through with the same end year.

I'm either going for part-time LLB in Solent, costing £3000 per year or around £2000-6000 for a CPE in several years time.

[deekinee]

And what of distant learning? I heard that you can study at an open university. Is that recognised at all?

[Lewisy-boy]

I think the CPE with a respectable first degree would be better.

[Alan Smithee]

As far as I'm aware, no top 20 university even does the CPE.

[deekinee]

The best uni that offers CPE seems to be City, which isn't that much better than Solent. I think an Honours degree might be more well regarded but it will cost more. Or I can go for a fast-track 2 year LLB(Hons) course after graduating but that means 1 extra year and -1 year of tuition fees.

[Alan Smithee]

Can I just say, that undergraduate league table positions barely mean much at undergraduate level, let alone postgraduate CPE course.

[always + forever]

I think you misunderstand a bit: the CPE is pretty much a standard course, it's taught according to Law society requirements only. That means everyone, where every you study, studies the same thing. It's a bit the same A-levels taught at different schools, but with the same exam board.

It's not offered by many universities, but there are several places, (e.g. BBP, college of law, Kaplan) which are geared to teaching ONLY the CPE and LPC/BVC.

Although there are better and worse providers, the difference is nothing like that between, for example, Thames Valley and Oxford. However, from my experience, employers do look at the uni you've been to whilst they're a lot less bothered about your choice of CPE provider. I think what I am trying to say, is get yourself a 2:1 from a top-ten uni.

[deekinee]

I was about to do a part-time (4 years) law degree alongside my current degree but now I think I'll wait and do the CPE later on.

[Lewisy-boy]

I agree, the uni you go to for LPC/CPE is not so important because it is vocational. Although some firms have negotiated cheaper fees for their sponshor and/or a unique course at soem schools, and so insist you go there!

[Purple]

Where you do your CPE or LPC as said above doesn't really matter, but I started a thread (which you will be able to easily find by looking at threads I have created via my profile) a few months ago about how competitive tenancy and pupiliages are for intending Barristers and it was said about 80% (or something as equally high) were Oxbridge graduates so the remaining 20% or so are going to be from the top 10 or so universities.

[deekinee]

I refuse to believe Oxbridge graduates are given priority just because of the universty reputation. It's not as if the university itself is asking for a pupiliage.

Isn't it around 600 applicants for every 1 pupiliage place?

[Lewisy-boy]

I don't think it's quite 600:1, but it's certainly not in your favour. sorry, barristers look much for academic prowess than elsewhere, so oxbridge favouritism is rife. this is the one place where you can see it markedly, but it exists in all careers.

[Alan Smithee]

(Original post by Lewisy-boy)
CPE is not so important because it is vocational.

The CPE is as vocational (by defintion) as any specialist degree i.e. Law!!

It is like doing an LLB in less time. It's an academic course, obviously, whereas the BVC is vocational.

[Lewisy-boy]

Yup, sorry a mistake on my part. However, it still doesn't matter quite so much where you take it as where you take your degree: content is standardised and none of the top schools teach it anyway.

[Alan Smithee]

(Original post by Lewisy-boy)
content is standardised and none of the top schools teach it anyway.

Thus proving that all this jazz about top universities is nothing but prestige. A distinguished CPE candidate (and thus, one is led to believe, a good law student) is the same, irrespective of where they do it.

I would even argue that the CPE/GDL is tougher than a 3 year LLB. Although, I cannot qualify that statement. It's just an assumption based on what I've heard. Namely, that the CPE/GDL "is like doing an LLB in 9 months".

[Lewisy-boy]

Hold on ... you can't say that about top unis. There is no dispute that those from the best schools are most likely to get the best jobs or the best masters courses, whichever route they choose to take. People who succeed via the CPE route will, in all likelihood, have been to a top school of their chosen discipline at undergraduate level.

As for it being tougher, I would argue that while being more intensive the standards of contribution required MAY (opinion, not known as a fact) be lower in order to attain high grades. Further, because all that is studied are the 7 foundations such a student will not have as large an understanding of th legal world from the CPE as from an LLB.

A distinguished CPE student may well be the same regardless of where they do it, but this is wholly inaccurate if extrapolated to the realms of undergraduate, degree level, study.

[K Abraham]

Its true! Graduates from good Universities such as the University of Wales and university of Southampton are currently studying the CPE with me at Solent Uni. They are very good. So its a case of how well you make that leap from your undergraduate studies to a professional career in law rather than choice of where you do the CPE or even the LPC/BVC. Other respectable Universities such as Birmingham and Oxford have both had at least a student attend Solent Uni to study the CPE. Indeed the Birmingham student is finishing her CPE in June next year. Its noticeable that students from less well off Universities are struggling somewhat with their CPE. Its a tough course and I think no matter where you do it the standards are broadly similar although attitudes may differ. At Solent its fairly laid back. However, if you wish to study at a more pressured institution, choose College Of Law or BPP in London.

[Alan Smithee]

(Original post by K Abraham)
IIts noticeable that students from less well off Universities are struggling somewhat with their CPE. Its a tough course

I'm lost, you mean universities with less money?

[dragon_1706]

(Original post by Lewisy-boy)
Hold on ... you can't say that about top unis. There is no dispute that those from the best schools are most likely to get the best jobs or the best masters courses, whichever route they choose to take. People who succeed via the CPE route will, in all likelihood, have been to a top school of their chosen discipline at undergraduate level.

As for it being tougher, I would argue that while being more intensive the standards of contribution required MAY (opinion, not known as a fact) be lower in order to attain high grades. Further, because all that is studied are the 7 foundations such a student will not have as large an understanding of th legal world from the CPE as from an LLB.
A distinguished CPE student may well be the same regardless of where they do it, but this is wholly inaccurate if extrapolated to the realms of undergraduate, degree level, study.

That certainly makes sense in theory, but I don't feel at any disadvantage on the LPC. In fact, I know several other CPE graduates from different places and none of them seem weak in any way - if anything, they tend to be better than law graduates.

[Lewisy-boy]

That's because the LPC requires zilch academic understanding... also practice aswell, I'm not sure much what you learn actually comes to be relevant. I meant if you wanted to do a masters etc obviously the law degree is superior... bit of a generalisation about them being better dont you think?