Leicester uni VS De montfort

What's a good university and why do you need to go to a good one? Are you planning on working for a city firm or being a barrister?

I'll just reiterate, law is obviously one area where rep is important. As well as the teaching and academic brand there is also the contacts made. However, going to a modest uni is by no means a severe barrier to a career in law. Certainly not in a regional or national firm of solicitors.

Hmm, well as you go to Durham University (your profile says) I don't really know how you can comment.

For 'magic circle' firms, you NEED to go to a good university. I'm not being rude, but they don't really recruit from DMU and such places. Therefore, to stand a chance in, as I said, the more 'prestigious' firms you have to go to a decent university.

I did say PRESTIGIOUS to try and prevent people from getting at me. I realise you could perhaps go into a mid-sized firm from a so-called 'bad rep' university, but training contracts are very competitive. They'd rather have someone from Leicester with a 2.1, then someone from DMU with a 2.1.

I know some people may disagree with me. But, I PERSONALLY believe that it is true.

So just because I'm from a top university I don't know what more modest unis can bring to the table?



I'm aware of that. That's why I asked if you wanted to be a barrister or go into a city/mg firm. I never denied that by going to a modestly ranked university you have a poor chance of going into such firms. After all, it can be difficult enough from an elite uni such as Durham or UCL.

The point is we are talking about decent or realistic chance here. Getting into a mg firm from a uni outside the elite is exceptionally difficult but not impossible. Even if your chance is 0.5%.



If by bad rep you mean a mid ranked uni that's an ex-poly but still has a decent law department then I agree. As I've said elsewhere on this forum in many of the mid size national firms I have worked at (done work placements at) there's a wide variety. In more than one firm there were more partners from unis like Northumbria and Kent than Oxford and Durham.

That doesn't mean to say that if you are going for a training contract at one of these firms and you have a 2:1 from Durham and are up against someone with a 2:1 from Kent and there's little else to differentiate between the two cadidates then the one who went to the elite uni has the advantage.



I'm not disagreeing as such. It's just as you said you "need" to go to a uni with top rep I was wondering where you were looking at going to a mg firm. Call me a nosey bugger if you want

But, that said, do the magic circle even recruit from Leicester anyway, given that it's a fair way outside the elite unis, or even top 15? Although its still more than a decent school and has good employment prospects. I must make that clear.

And surely you're making presumptions too now?
"Do the magic circle even recruit from Leicester anyway, given that it's a fair way outside the elite unis, or even top 15?"
So because it's out of the top 15, you can't get into a magic circle firm?

Nope. That's not a presumption, it's a question. I should have said, "is it a target uni for the magic circle?" Do they actively try to attract grads from Leicester? If it's not that still doesn't mean to say Leicester grads still can't (and don't) go into mg firms. Some obviously do.

Please don't be so defensive I was just wondering why you used you said you "need" to go to a better university as you're doing law. That's why I asked whether or not you have your eye on the magic circle, that's all. You do so fair enough.

I just felt that you were getting at me because I personally think that Leicester is better than DMU for having a career in Law. Sorry.

How can you compare two different uni's?? One offers traditional courses whilst the other stretches more towards vocational courses.. its not like you'll go to leicester uni to do media production when they don't even specialise in the course or the field.. so does that mean de montfort are better since they offer more courses?
it all depends on how you look at this and whether you look at either reputation or whether they have the right course for you!

There is absolutely no way you can compare the two.

Leicester uni is indeed a good uni as they are recognised and are ranked higher up in the league table but my belief is that De Montfort uni is also a good uni especially when they offer a lot more courses especially in my field (Business). What i hate most are leicester uni giving abuse about dmu dum, if you go to dmu you might as well sign up on the dole, and all that ****! it really does my head in sometimes!!! but then again this probably happens everywhere.. sheffield hallam/sheffield uni, liverpool jmu/liverpool uni, manchester met/manchester uni.. etc.

Leicester uni is indeed a good uni as they are recognised and are ranked higher up in the league table but my belief is that De Montfort uni is also a good uni especially when they offer a lot more courses especially in my field (Business). What i hate most are leicester uni giving abuse about dmu dum, if you go to dmu you might as well sign up on the dole, and all that ****! it really does my head in sometimes!!! but then again this probably happens everywhere.. sheffield hallam/sheffield uni, liverpool jmu/liverpool uni, manchester met/manchester uni.. etc.

They give as good as they get...

true but only a minority.. i honestly don't have anything against you leics uni people so i don't see any reason to give you abuse..

I don't mind either! DMU doesn't have as many applicants to certain subjects than Leicester does for the same subject. It's all the same to me.

Although if I don't get into Leicester to do English. I'm going to try to get into DMU for journalism. Sounds more vocational than English - I just try to be optimistic about all the courses.

Because it is. I don't know if that's really a good method, do you want to be a journalist? (I'm not suggesting that a journalism degree doesn't have relevant transferable skills, it does).

I love this traditional uni v. ex poly rivalry. I wish we had it in Durham All we have is pathetic college rivalry.

I'm not sure really. I'm not very career-minded which is not an admirable trait.