The Student Room Group

HELP PLEASE: Law - Leicester vs Essex?

I've received offers from both but I'm finding it difficult to choose which one is better for me to go to.

Would appreciate it if someone who goes to either of them to tell me about:

The pros & cons of the uni

The pros & cons of the uni/town environment

How difficult it is to get onto the year abroad scheme

How much pro bono programmes are available

How good the library is (if it's 24hrs, had enough resources for law etc)

How diverse the uni/town is



Would really appreciate it if someone could help me out because I need to firm ASAP
Firm Leicester because it's the better uni on academic prestige—the higher entry indicative of that fact.
Reply 2
Original post by callum_law
Firm Leicester because it's the better uni on academic prestige—the higher entry indicative of that fact.


I'd go to a university that I enjoy though, I don't know what the atmosphere at Leicester is like.
Original post by fascinatiion
I'd go to a university that I enjoy though, I don't know what the atmosphere at Leicester is like.

Not to be mean, but if you go to Essex, you'd pretty much need to answer questions as well as the professor could in order to do something with a degree from Essex.

That's something to consider, but yeah, certainly look into the atmosphere but I feel that you can make a life for yourself anywhere. First impressions are nearly always wrong.
Reply 4
Original post by callum_law
Not to be mean, but if you go to Essex, you'd pretty much need to answer questions as well as the professor could in order to do something with a degree from Essex.

That's something to consider, but yeah, certainly look into the atmosphere but I feel that you can make a life for yourself anywhere. First impressions are nearly always wrong.


Alright, thank you :smile:
I may try and call up the uni to arrange a visit day during the week.
Original post by fascinatiion
Alright, thank you :smile:
I may try and call up the uni to arrange a visit day during the week.

Best of luck with it all! You'll have a blast wherever you go.

Essex will be harder to make it into the legal profession with, but it'll still be possible. If you decided it's 100% the place for you, it might be better than living somewhere you'll hate and drop out of 3 months into the first year.
Original post by fascinatiion
I've received offers from both but I'm finding it difficult to choose which one is better for me to go to.

Would appreciate it if someone who goes to either of them to tell me about:

The pros & cons of the uni

The pros & cons of the uni/town environment

How difficult it is to get onto the year abroad scheme

How much pro bono programmes are available

How good the library is (if it's 24hrs, had enough resources for law etc)

How diverse the uni/town is



Would really appreciate it if someone could help me out because I need to firm ASAP


Personally, out of the two, I would go for Leicester over Essex.

Not only is the reputation better, you will be better off as more law firms tend to visit Leicester as opposed to Essex. This would provide you with greater networking opportunities with law firms.

I can't say much about the city itself, but I'm sure others can provide some input on that.

I do know that Leicester is a pretty diverse city. I'm not too sure about the area around the University of Essex.

As for study abroad exchange programs, here are the universities that Leicester offer for law: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/international/overseas-exchange/outgoing/departments-contacts/law.

And here are the universities that Essex offer for law:

Australia - Curtin University of Technology
Australia - Macquarie University
Australia - Monash University
Australia - Queensland University of Technology
Australia - University of Western Australia
Austria - British Council Assistantship - Austria
Austria - Universität Wien
Belgium - British Council Assistantship - Belgium
Canada - British Council Assistantship - Canada
Canada - Brock University
Canada - Queen's University
Canada - University of Lethbridge
Canada - University of Regina
Canada - University of Saskatchewan
Canada - Université Laval
Chile - British Council Assistantship - Latin America
China - British Council Assistantship - China
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
Colombia - Universidad de Los Andes
Cyprus - European University Cyprus
Czech Republic - Univerzita Karlova v Praze
France - British Council Assistantship - France
France - Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3
France - Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense
France - Université Toulouse 1 Capitole
Germany - British Council Assistantship - Germany
Germany - Freie Universität Berlin
Italy - British Council Assistantship - Italy
Italy - Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali (LUISS) 'Guido Carli'
Netherlands - Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
Poland - Uniwersytet Warszawski
Russian Federation - National Research University Higher School of Economics
Spain - British Council Assistantship - Spain
Spain - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Sweden - Stockholms universitet
Switzerland - British Council Assistantship - Switzerland
Turkey - Koc University
United States - Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
United States - Brooklyn Law School
United States - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
United States - Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
United States - Washington College of Law, American University
I couldn't comment on atmosphere etc., but I think Leicester is more commonly seen at law firms.

I know a couple of people from Leicester's Law w/French/Maitrise programmes training at a major firms so presumably they're good, not sure how competitive a year abroad is generally, but usually the destination is a key factor.
Reply 8
Original post by zero_Gravity91
Personally, out of the two, I would go for Leicester over Essex.

Not only is the reputation better, you will be better off as more law firms tend to visit Leicester as opposed to Essex. This would provide you with greater networking opportunities with law firms.

I can't say much about the city itself, but I'm sure others can provide some input on that.

I do know that Leicester is a pretty diverse city. I'm not too sure about the area around the University of Essex.

As for study abroad exchange programs, here are the universities that Leicester offer for law: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/international/overseas-exchange/outgoing/departments-contacts/law.

And here are the universities that Essex offer for law:

Australia - Curtin University of Technology
Australia - Macquarie University
Australia - Monash University
Australia - Queensland University of Technology
Australia - University of Western Australia
Austria - British Council Assistantship - Austria
Austria - Universität Wien
Belgium - British Council Assistantship - Belgium
Canada - British Council Assistantship - Canada
Canada - Brock University
Canada - Queen's University
Canada - University of Lethbridge
Canada - University of Regina
Canada - University of Saskatchewan
Canada - Université Laval
Chile - British Council Assistantship - Latin America
China - British Council Assistantship - China
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
Colombia - Universidad de Los Andes
Cyprus - European University Cyprus
Czech Republic - Univerzita Karlova v Praze
France - British Council Assistantship - France
France - Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3
France - Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense
France - Université Toulouse 1 Capitole
Germany - British Council Assistantship - Germany
Germany - Freie Universität Berlin
Italy - British Council Assistantship - Italy
Italy - Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali (LUISS) 'Guido Carli'
Netherlands - Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
Poland - Uniwersytet Warszawski
Russian Federation - National Research University Higher School of Economics
Spain - British Council Assistantship - Spain
Spain - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Sweden - Stockholms universitet
Switzerland - British Council Assistantship - Switzerland
Turkey - Koc University
United States - Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
United States - Brooklyn Law School
United States - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
United States - Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
United States - Washington College of Law, American University



Thank you! I didn't know more firms tended to visit Leicester than Essex. The list of countries seems more extensive in Essex but Leicester is offering Hong Kong and Singapore so I'm leaning more to that :smile:
Reply 9
Original post by Le Nombre
I couldn't comment on atmosphere etc., but I think Leicester is more commonly seen at law firms.

I know a couple of people from Leicester's Law w/French/Maitrise programmes training at a major firms so presumably they're good, not sure how competitive a year abroad is generally, but usually the destination is a key factor.


Thank you! We're these firms as big as Freshfields and Pinsent Mason's?
Original post by fascinatiion
Thank you! We're these firms as big as Freshfields and Pinsent Mason's?


Yes, though I suspect Freshies would be a bit aggrieved to be lumped in with Pinsents.
Original post by Le Nombre
Yes, though I suspect Freshies would be a bit aggrieved to be lumped in with Pinsents.


Honest mistake :colondollar:
Leicester (as a city anyway) is veeeeeeery diverse, i imagine the uni would be the same?
And imo it has a pretty nice atmosphere, but i guess stuff like that's quite personal, depends on what you want/like

Posted from TSR Mobile
The University of Leicester is better than the University of Essex overall so choose Leicester. Leicester feels more like a Russell Group university.
Original post by Raymat
The University of Leicester is better than the University of Essex overall so choose Leicester. Leicester feels more like a Russell Group university.


Its not! Obsession and marketing techniques of russell group have definitely worked rayyymmaaaaats

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 15
I have the same problem. I've been accepted to both universities for the double degree in English and French Law and I don't know what to choose... Any advice?
(edited 7 years ago)

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