Law conversion or straight law degree?

What is the difference between doing a law conversion and studying law in the normal way? IS one better then the other, which one do employers preffer?

Reply 1

kingslaw

14

FoxyRoxy

What is the difference between doing a law conversion and studying law in the normal way? IS one better then the other, which one do employers preffer?

If you do a degree other than a qualifying law degree (so your degree could be "Law and Sociology" for example, but if certain subjects are not covered by it, it won't be a qualifying law degree) then you have to do a one year (or two year part-time) CPE diploma if you want to be able to go on and do the LPC or BVC.

Be warned, the CPE is notoriously tough. You'll be covering in one year what law students will cover in two (albeit law students will do it in more depth). It's also another year of not earning and paying fee's. I personally haven't got any strong authority to suggest that it would be in any way beneficial in getting into the legal industry. However, I imagine doing a degree in a language and then the CPE may be beneficial in the eyes of the employer if you wish to work in a company which deals a lot in a jurisdiction which speaks that language.

Alternatively, it may be beneficial if you feel there's another academic discipline you'd enjoy more than Law with the result that you may perform better and thus have a better chance reaching the golden 2:1 which most law firms/chambers worth their salt will require.

However, most of the evidence seems to suggest there is little benefit in doing the CPE apart from the above. If you wish to do a degree instead of Law, but still want to work in the legal industry, I think it's still recommended that you get the degree from an institution where the law firms/chambers recruit law students from. I've heard many times that firms/chambers, instead of casting their nets wider to students from less traditional recruiting grounds, are simply recruiting more non-Law students from the same old universities.

Hope that helps!

Reply 2

viviki

14

More than half of employees in firms come from the CPE or 2 yr postgrad conversion route now.

Reply 3

Lawz-

14

viviki

More than half of employees in firms come from the CPE or 2 yr postgrad conversion route now.

I dont think its "MORE" than half - as far as I know its pretty much half.

Essentially it boils down to this - (if there are quotas - which there seem to be):

50% - go to law degree holders - ie you only compete with ONE subject's worth of people

50% - go to any other degree holders - ie you compete with ANYONE who did something else and who has realised that law might be a good career for them.

Agreed.

Lawzzzzzz

I dont think its "MORE" than half - as far as I know its pretty much half.

Essentially it boils down to this - (if there are quotas - which there seem to be):

50% - go to law degree holders - ie you only compete with ONE subject's worth of people

50% - go to any other degree holders - ie you compete with ANYONE who did something else and who has realised that law might be a good career for them.

I was told at a legal careers fair in Birmingham by a couple of firms that they do now take on more than half non law grads and the trend is continuing for more non law grads, and I got similar information when i was at the college of law open day too that the firms were employing more and more non law grads.

Reply 6

ForeverDecember

4

But compare how many law-grads there are, to how many non-law grads...the only constructive way to look at these figures would be to see what percentage of applicants to a certain firm WITH Law degrees were successful, and what percentage of applicants who did a CPE were successful...

Reply 7

James.R

2

So what about the subject you convert from? In people's experience is this a big factor in future employment?

Reply 8

UCL_Law

4

Science is esp good if you're interested in IP, but apart from that it doesn't seem to matter as long as it's a decent degree from a good Uni. Most people I've met who've converted studied Sciences, English or Economics.