Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Anyone applying to do History and wanting to be a Solicitor?

Hey,

Is anyone applying to read History at uni and and wants to be a solicitor? Did you/are you going to write that on ur personal statement? Where are you applying to? PM me, i'm interested to what others in the same situation are doing.

Charl

Reply 1

holdencaulfield

If you want to read history your PS should be about your desire to read history. I wouldn't even mention future career plans, they're not particularly irrelevant and could even imply not being 100% committed about reading a history degree.

Reply 2

Lottie

A lot of solicitors have non-law degrees and, indeed, I'm led to believe that a large number of those read history as undergraduates.

If you do mention it in your personal statement, make sure you have several good reasons why you're not applying for law! Try to make some good links between the skills a history degree will equip you with and those needed to be a lawyer. It might be a bit obvious to say because you're interested in 'legal history' but I see no harm in saying that work experience with a solicitor has led you to consider the possibilities of a legal career in the future. The university will probably view quite favourably the fact you've done some work experience (if, indeed, you have) as it demonstrates initiative, a commitment to finding out about things, etc.

It may even be an asset to express a broad range of interests but, of course, you want to stress that, while these are important, they are secondary to your interest in studying history.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with mentioning future career aspirations so long as you relate them to the course you're applying for. You don't want to apply for history then say you want to be a solicitor without qualifying it in some way. There's a chance that they'll just think you're applying for history under the (false?) impression that it's less competitive.

A sentence will probably suffice in incorporating your interest but make sure it doesn't dominate your personal statement or call your passion for your degree subject into question.

Reply 3

Jordan7

I want to go into law but did not mention it on my personal statement for the sole reason lottie just gave. Your basically hanging a flag above your head sayin "im not good enough to do law, so il do history instead". I chose history because most law firms graduate intakes are 50% law graduates and 50% history,english,politics. Iv studied history since year 1 and so a 1st in history will set me up better than a 2:1 in Law. Plus, history is just much more interesting.

Reply 4

Lottie

Jordan7

Plus, history is just much more interesting.

History > Law.

But, hey, we're in the history subforum so perhaps I would say that.

Have considered doing law too but, while I acknowledge that law isn't a vocational subject at undergraduate level, I wanted to leave my options open.

Reply 5

forpolarbears

I sort of want to go into Law as well (particularly Environmental law, I have an itching to be Secretary of Energy), and well, a lot of lawyers in the US have a history degrees, and I'd like to establish a foundation in a strong academic subject like history.

Talk about the historical side, and if you have to mention law, mention the context, tradition, legal examples and cases you will end up studying in history.