European Law/French Law = an advantage ?

jay71

Both my firm and insurance are 4 year courses with 1 year in France.
The reason I choose them over a standard LLB is mainly academic interest : to be able to compare the different systems, get a different perspective ...

I was wondering if there were any benefits as far as employability is concerned with these types of degrees vs a normal LLB ?

Are you getting a degree in Paris (a Maitrse) or a diploma?

Very different, as it is one year I am of the inclination that it is a diploma.

So the true question is a diploma. Anyway, Nana_Julia has informed me that chambers like languages, and I don't see a disadvantage.

EDIT: Is it French Law (civil law) OR European Union Law (or something of that sort) ?

Reply 4

Josypie

I had a meeting with the head of the Law department at a Uni and he said that students who took the courses with an extra year abroad were preffered by employers mainly because they had studied an entire extra year of law (alongside other advantages)

also
1) A foreign juridication (the civil legal system)
2) A different language

OP, you could become an avocat, I might?

Reply 5

username116406

Lord Hysteria

also
1) A foreign juridication (the civil legal system)
2) A different language

OP, you could become an avocat, I might?

As I said, alongside other advantages :p:

But the extra year was what he specifically mentioned and I aint arguing with someone who's probably given away thousands of law students to varying quality jobs.

Reply 6

Josypie

As I said, alongside other advantages :p:

But the extra year was what he specifically mentioned and I aint arguing with someone who's probably given away thousands of law students to varying quality jobs.

yes of course ... but is it a diploma or degree? There is a difference.
I think the OP is doing a diploma.

Reply 7

I have a question. How would you compare these from an objective point of view?

1. European Law (four years with a year spent in an English speaking European country, e.g. The Netherlands)
2. LLB and then a Masters in European Law.

Obviously I am aware that there are a lot of factors involved, but I am inclined to think that the Masters would involve deeper study into a particular area which may give the student an advantage.

Thanks in advance. :smile:

Reply 8

Redefined

13

You don't need to go to another to learn about how different their system is to ours, you'll be doing that in a normal LLB anyway.

Also, if your planning on working in an international firm in the furture or a firm in France...what is the point?

Reply 9

Absinth

I have a question. How would you compare these from an objective point of view?

1. European Law (four years with a year spent in an English speaking European country, e.g. The Netherlands)
2. LLB and then a Masters in European Law.

Obviously I am aware that there are a lot of factors involved, but I am inclined to think that the Masters would involve deeper study into a particular area which may give the student an advantage.

Thanks in advance. :smile:

Oh yes - which university are you thinking of applying to? :smile:

Reply 10

g_star_raw_1989

Well theres so much compeititon to get training contracts etc...

Anything that makes you stand out from the crowd should be advantage !

Reply 11

law:portal

You don't need to go to another to learn about how different their system is to ours, you'll be doing that in a normal LLB anyway.

Also, if your planning on working in an international firm in the furture or a firm in France...what is the point?

Firstly, we do need more information from the OP, but it

1) Helps you stand-out - which is what people desperately need
2) I can't think of many firms that deal on a purely UK law only, so on a side note languages is an asset.

France is the one of the head countries of the civil law, much like UK for common law - and a lot of countries adopt the civil law (a lot more in fact that the common law) so it is more valuable.

Reply 12

Lord Hysteria

Oh yes - which university are you thinking of applying to? :smile:

I have an offer from Queen Mary to do English and European Law which involves a year abroad in The Netherlands. I also have offers from SOAS and Nottingham and I'm considering doing a Masters in European Law instead of the year abroad. If I were doing a year abroad in another language it would be a different matter. Any thoughts? :smile:

Reply 13

Absinth

I have an offer from Queen Mary to do English and European Law which involves a year abroad in The Netherlands. I also have offers from SOAS and Nottingham and I'm considering doing a Masters in European Law instead of the year abroad. If I were doing a year abroad in another language it would be a different matter. Any thoughts? :smile:

To be very frank, the year abroad at Kings people can choose to go to France, Germany, Netherlands etc ... but either way I get the impression people do so as a 'holiday' option!

Can I ask what it involves - what do you study there?

I would advice doing an LLM - worth more than a diploma. :smile:

Reply 14

Lord Hysteria

To be very frank, the year abroad at Kings people can choose to go to France, Germany, Netherlands etc ... but either way I get the impression people do so as a 'holiday' option!

Can I ask what it involves - what do you study there?

I would advice doing an LLM - worth more than a diploma. :smile:

English and European Law at Queen Mary involves doing the third year abroad at a European university, studying civil law and the legal system of at least one European country.

Reply 15

I say go - it would give you an extra dimension. Going to a different university and learning to get to grips with a foriegn language, but I don't think it will
1) Help you financially - remembering you have to fund yourself to do LLM
2) employment - it is of course a factor they will take into consdieration though ...

where are you thinking of going to?

Reply 16

Lewisy-boy

11

Well my year abroad was certainly useful, but Singapore is common law and in English so possibly not quite as useful but it depends really: some firms wil see it as an advantage, but in reality they have so many people who speak French it actually might count for jack all. Point is, do it if you're interested in doing it, not just because of some perceived recruitment advantage... if you want to do it, you can turn it into an advantage (and at the end of the day, an extra year of exposure to law certainly makes you better at it, statistically at Nottingham those who do 4 year courses perform better in their final year than those who do not).

Reply 17

Lewisy-boy

Well my year abroad was certainly useful, but Singapore is common law and in English so possibly not quite as useful but it depends really: some firms wil see it as an advantage, but in reality they have so many people who speak French it actually might count for jack all. Point is, do it if you're interested in doing it, not just because of some perceived recruitment advantage... if you want to do it, you can turn it into an advantage (and at the end of the day, an extra year of exposure to law certainly makes you better at it, statistically at Nottingham those who do 4 year courses perform better in their final year than those who do not).

I agree with the bold in particular.
I am doing what I am doing because I love France, and eveything about it.

P.S. How are we LB?

Reply 18

Lord Hysteria

I say go - it would give you an extra dimension. Going to a different university and learning to get to grips with a foriegn language, but I don't think it will
1) Help you financially - remembering you have to fund yourself to do LLM
2) employment - it is of course a factor they will take into consdieration though ...

where are you thinking of going to?

Time is also one of my concerns. I'm on a gap year which means that if I did want to do the LLM, it would have taken me six years to get to that stage, which seems ages!
I'm not sure where I want to go to.

Reply 19