mediocre student wants to do law

OP

[QUOTE=TheDefiniteArticle;56247097]Definitely just ask around and stick in some applications at least. For law, at Oxford at least, reading around the subject and showing genuine interest/ability will be more important than having a B rather than an A at Chemistry A Level. What are your other A Levels, though?

Geography, bio and physics dropped at AS. Yh they're aren't a great combo for law. I started wanting to do law slap bang in the middle of yr 12

Reply 22

stemmery

17

Original post by Brownclown

Geography, bio and physics dropped at AS. Yh they're aren't a great combo for law. I started wanting to do law slap bang in the middle of yr 12

You won't be any good at Law.

Reply 23

Original post by Brownclown

BA won't be sufficient enough to apply to the bar or to get a solicitor training contract. I'd need an LLB undergrad degree, or I'd have to do another degree and then get a graduate diploma in law to be eligible

Actually, that is a qualifying law degree.

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

Scroll to LSE's part of the page and click on 'degrees'.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 24

stemmery

17

Original post by Brownclown

BA won't be sufficient enough to apply to the bar or to get a solicitor training contract. I'd need an LLB undergrad degree, or I'd have to do another degree and then get a graduate diploma in law to be eligible

Wrong. BA Law can also be a qualifying Law degree, just like the LLB. If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure Law at Oxford is a BA.

Reply 25

Original post by solarplexus

What about LSE's Anthropology and Law BA?

Excellent shout.

Reply 26

TheDefiniteArticle

Original post by Brownclown

Geography, bio and physics dropped at AS. Yh they're aren't a great combo for law. I started wanting to do law slap bang in the middle of yr 12

Talk to some Oxbridge colleges' admissions tutors (their emails should be available on websites), and see what you could do to strengthen your application. Off the top of my head, I might try writing some essays extra-curricularly (for instance, contribute to a student newspaper or something), and definitely read around the subject. Consider reading some more accessible pieces on law - Hart's 'The Concept of Law' will be very impressive to have read, is quite fun and isn't too tough (it was originally intended for intelligent laymen rather than law students), or if you're really good with logic, maybe even consider reading Raz, though that will be VERY hard work at this stage. Past that, thinking a bit about some legal issues that are in the public eye - sentencing policy, human rights, maaaaaybe something like the appropriate function of the courts (google and get a quick understanding of the separation of powers to start with that one) will help with interviews and a bit of research into the area will give you more reading to put on your application. I'm blathering on a bit now, but if you don't have any hobbies which will look good on an application, now is the time to get some.

Reply 27

TheDefiniteArticle

Original post by stemmery

Wrong. BA Law can also be a qualifying Law degree, just like the LLB. If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure Law at Oxford is a BA.

Can confirm it is BA Jurisprudence, which is an LLB plus a couple of modules (jurisprudence, roman law) that Oxford likes.

Reply 28

Nutella_Balls

Only 10 A*'s?
You may be clinically retarded.

Reply 29

OP

[QUOTE=TurboCretin;56247913]Excellent shout.

Yh I just had a quick look at this. It seems I could do a joint honours at SOAS or LSE of anthropology and law - why are the entry requirements much lower for this though? That worries me about the course compared to the straight up law counterpart they run

Although anthropology is interesting, career wise it's not great is it?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 30

frances98

19

Original post by Nutella_Balls

Only 10 A*'s?
You may be clinically retarded.

Bahahaha

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 31

Original post by Brownclown

Yh I just had a quick look at this. It seems I could do a joint honours at SOAS or LSE of anthropology and law - why are the entry requirements much lower for this though? That worries me about the course compared to the straight up law counterpart they run

It's got lower requirements because it's less competitive. 128 apps for 14 places in 2013, while the LLB gets 2500 apps for 167 places.

Original post by Brownclown

Although anthropology is interesting, career wise it's not great is it?

What do you mean? The anthropology part of the course is just a means to an end. If you find it interesting, all the better. This course would allow you to gain a qualifying law degree from a top university for law despite grades which put you at a disadvantage for a top straight law programme. Not sure how much better this course could be for your situation.

If nothing else, this seems good to put down as one of your choices. You still have four spaces to fill with straight law programmes if you like.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 32

OP

[QUOTE=TurboCretin;56248631]It's got lower requirements because it's less competitive. 128 apps for 14 places in 2013, while the LLB gets 2500 apps for 167 places.

I could go down the route of getting a first in a non-law subject at a decent uni and then doing a GDL. Is that still competitive? Or am I massively disadvantaged because it's not a top top uni

Reply 33

Original post by Brownclown

I could go down the route of getting a first in a non-law subject at a decent uni and then doing a GDL. Is that still competitive? Or am I massively disadvantaged because it's not a top top uni

[*Disclaimer* - I'm not an expert on the Bar, but:]

The bottom line is 'it depends'. Ultimately the question for non-law grads is how strong the evidence is of their academic prowess, it seems. Generally in the legal field, doing a non-law degree and converting is no disadvantage. At the Bar, I'm given to understand that there is a preference for law grads owing to the more academic nature of the work. That said, non-law Oxbridge grads should be okay, because they're deemed academically sound by virtue of the alma mater. There's a noticeable Oxbridge bias at the Bar.

If you were to go somewhere like Durham or UCL and get very high marks, there's no reason you couldn't get pupillage in principle. But of course you'd need the whole package: winning mooting competitions, subject prizes, essay competitions, doing mini-pupillages, etc.

My take on it is that the LSE Law/Anthro degree is probably your best bet. If you got a 1st in that and did all the extra-curricular stuff above, your chances at pupillage would probably be as good as anyone's.

Reply 34

OP

[QUOTE=TurboCretin;56249997][*Disclaimer* - I'm not an expert on the Bar, but:]

The bottom line is 'it depends'. Ultimately the question for non-law grads is how strong the evidence is of their academic prowess, it seems. Generally in the legal field, doing a non-law degree and converting is no disadvantage. At the Bar, I'm given to understand that there is a preference for law grads owing to the more academic nature of the work. That said, non-law Oxbridge grads should be okay, because they're deemed academically sound by virtue of the alma mater. There's a noticeable Oxbridge bias at the Bar.

If you were to go somewhere like Durham or UCL and get very high marks, there's no reason you couldn't get pupillage in principle. But of course you'd need the whole package: winning mooting competitions, subject prizes, essay competitions, doing mini-pupillages, etc.

My take on it is that the LSE Law/Anthro degree is probably your best bet. If you got a 1st in that and did all the extra-curricular stuff above, your chances at pupillage would probably be as good as anyone's.

I wish I could get into somewhere UCL or Durham but all their courses are AAA+ - the ones I'm interested in anyway.

Choosing the wrong A levels has really f*****d up my chances of getting into a top uni. I'll look deeper into the Anthropology/law degree though

Thanks for the sound advice

Reply 35

OP

Original post by TurboCretin

[*Disclaimer* - I'm not an expert on the Bar, but:]

The bottom line is 'it depends'. Ultimately the question for non-law grads is how strong the evidence is of their academic prowess, it seems. Generally in the legal field, doing a non-law degree and converting is no disadvantage. At the Bar, I'm given to understand that there is a preference for law grads owing to the more academic nature of the work. That said, non-law Oxbridge grads should be okay, because they're deemed academically sound by virtue of the alma mater. There's a noticeable Oxbridge bias at the Bar.

If you were to go somewhere like Durham or UCL and get very high marks, there's no reason you couldn't get pupillage in principle. But of course you'd need the whole package: winning mooting competitions, subject prizes, essay competitions, doing mini-pupillages, etc.

My take on it is that the LSE Law/Anthro degree is probably your best bet. If you got a 1st in that and did all the extra-curricular stuff above, your chances at pupillage would probably be as good as anyone's.

I don't suppose you know anything about BPP law school?

Reply 36

Original post by Brownclown

I don't suppose you know anything about BPP law school?

I'm currently studying there.

Reply 37

OP

Original post by TurboCretin

I'm currently studying there.

Small world aha

What's it like? In terms of teaching and student life

Reply 38

Original post by Brownclown

Small world aha

What's it like? In terms of teaching and student life

The legal world is very small. The supply of legal professional course providers is even smaller...

It's fine - does its job relatively well. The facilities are decent and my experience of the teachers has been positive. It's essentially a sausage factory for professional courses (GDL, LPC, BPTC). Wouldn't touch its LLB with a barge pole, though.

This is in relation to the Holborn campus, which has a very City feel what with all the LPC students (and location). The Waterloo campus has quite a different vibe due to the prevalence of GDLers.

City Law School is the default choice for prospective barristers, FYI.

Reply 39

OP