Law degree

So when I was back in sixth form my original plan was to study law , I was drawn to law since then however I didn’t do good in my LNAT , my home situation meant that I didn’t have the time or opportunity to repeat and take a year out so I went to university to study English & Classical studies in the hope that perhaps law wasn’t the path for me and I’ll forget about it and I’m in third year now and I do take interest in these subjects . However the older I am the more I seem to be drawn back to law and human rights in particular . I am considering doing a masters in human rights after I finish but I keep thinking of whether I should try and find a way in law somehow and whether there is still a possibility without a law degree? Or should I forget about this and just continue what I’m doing. I often hear that law is pointless if you’re not finished from a top prestigious university and that there’s so many firms around and it’s difficult to find a job as a lawyer . This is one of the reasons people around me encouraged me to not do law in the first place

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 1

UEA Rep Daniel

Official Rep

Original post by _np02_

Hi there,

While I cannot advise on whether Law is necessarily the right path for you personally, I can let you know that the career is certainly far from closed off for you!

As a non-Law graduate you still have options available for turning to a career in Law.

You could study the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) which is essentially a fast-tracked Law degree which will make you eligible to apply for any further legal study (i.e. to become a lawyer). This is a one year course which covers all of the mandatory modules of a qualifying law degree and will provide you with a solid basis of legal knowledge before moving ahead in your training and career.

Alternatively, Lawyer apprenticeships are becoming much more accessible and are very popular options! While the eligibility criteria varies, you may find some apprenticeships being available to non-Law graduates. These apprenticeships are particularly attractive when it comes to finances and gaining real-life, practical experience ahead of qualification.

Additionally, the Solicitor's Regulation Authority has recently introduced a new training qualification, which will eventually replace the existing way of training to be a solicitor, called the Solicitors Qualifying Exams. This qualification does not require you to have studied a Law degree to be eligible for study. This introduces a new way of becoming a Solicitor where no Law degree or conversion course is needed. While it is not currently being recommended to take this course without any prior legal study, the course is still very new and time may tell that the course can be effective and successful for non-Law graduates as well.

Ultimately, please rest assured that whether now or in the future, a career in Law certainly remains open to you!

I hope this helps ease your mind, if you have any further questions please do let me know.

Leah :smile: