Law Students/Ex-Law Students who went on Gap Years

Hi, I've applied to study Law at university for 2009 however, I'm considering a gap year. My main concern is how it will affect and to what extent it will affect my chances of getting into a law firm after my LPC.

Here is what I believe are the positive points of a gap year:

•

A chance to de-stress from 14 years of education

•

Earn money (if I get a job)

•

Go traveling

•

Chance to do volunteer work

•

Gives me a chance to do something I'll never do again

•

Looks good on my CV (More Interesting)

•

No coursework, No revision, No worries

•

If I get higher than my predicted grades at uni, I can re apply for better Unis.

The bad points:

•

One year longer to be a solicitor

•

If I don't get higher than my predicted grades the universities that I've already applied to might not accept me

•

Might look bad on my CV (More Lazy)

•

If I can't find a job, I'll be at home for a year broke and bored.

So what do you think, Will a gap year help or be detrimental to my future?

anyone...

a gap year will not damage any future job prospects at all.

Reply 3

inksplodge

Many would suggest now is NOT the time for a gap year because there are no jobs etc. However, if you don't mind not having any money ( :tongue:

) and want to go for the voluntary experiences instead then by all means go for it. Like you said, it adds to the CV. As long as it isn't a year where you're going to do bugger all and just laze about then I see no reason why it should damage future job prospects.

Reply 4

libertine861

I graduated with a Law degree last year. I had a gap year when I left school at 16 but it was never planned, I was more or less forced to take one because I failed my Royal Navy medical twice and it was too late to enroll at college.

Fate intervened and my mum put me on the Prince's Trust 12 week self-development course which changed my life. After completing the course, I volunteered full-time in a charity shop until I was eligible to start college the following academic year. I think it was a great experience for me even though none of it was planned, it literally changed my life. Not only did it give me confidence and ambition, it sort of became a stepping stone for other things I have done since. For example, my experience of working in a charity shop, helped me secure payed employment whilst at College and University.

I also received a scholarship whilst at Uni and I've no doubt that my voluntary work helped to secure it because you basically had to sell yourself, once you had secured the hardship critera i.e. from a poor family.

Fast forward to 2008 and I've graduated from Uni. Because I only decided to pursue a career in Law at the last minute, I missed my chance to enroll on the LPC so again, I had to take a gap year, which I'm currently on. In fact I'm going to have to take two years because I applied to do the LPC this year, however my application has been lost in the post and there were some other problems, so I can't start it this year now.

Again I haven't really planned anything but like my previous gap year, I suspect everything will just fall into place. I'm currently working full time to provide me with a bit of income and I've got a Skydive and Abseil for charity lined up, which I'm currently fund-raising for. I'm basically just going to try and fill the next two years with little ad hoc projects like that, just small things and experiences to add to my CV and to show that my two years in the wilderness weren't a complete waste. Good Luck!