Law modules with a non-law degree

Hi,

I'm currently choosing my modules for my Government and History degree at LSE. I'm looking at external modules and considering doing a Law module - probably either Criminal or Public law.

I am considering doing a GDL conversion after my degree. Would doing a Law module help me in any way and would doing something specific like Criminal Law be okay?

Thanks

Bear in mind that criminal law and public law are both mandatory modules on the GDL and so unless you were able to get an exemption (from either the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board) you would have to study them again in order to qualify for the vocational stage of training (i.e. either the LPC or the BPTC).

You might consider doing a law module which is related to your degree but is not a GDL module so that you don't end up doing the same thing twice.

Would doing the module beforehand help with securing training contracts? I'll probably be doing a GDL at a lower ranked university than LSE so would this have an impact?

Plus I'm also considering that if I despise this module during my first year, perhaps the GDL may not be for me and I can decide another career path.

Thanks!

I have never really looked into training contract applications, but I doubt very much that any firm of solicitors care much whether you have done a law module when applying (if you have done a non-law degree) It doesn't matter where you do the GDL.

There is something in your second point but I expect it would be better to get experience of what law is like in other ways (vac schemes and so on). My point still stands that you could do some other law module which is not a mandatory GDL module (if your university allows this, and you will need to check which ones require prior knowledge).

Hi,

I'm currently choosing my modules for my Government and History degree at LSE. I'm looking at external modules and considering doing a Law module - probably either Criminal or Public law.

I am considering doing a GDL conversion after my degree. Would doing a Law module help me in any way and would doing something specific like Criminal Law be okay?

Thanks

I'm going to do Law with History at QMUL LLB

If you're looking for a template read through the QMUL Law with History one for an idea.

Hi,

I'm currently choosing my modules for my Government and History degree at LSE. I'm looking at external modules and considering doing a Law module - probably either Criminal or Public law.

I am considering doing a GDL conversion after my degree. Would doing a Law module help me in any way and would doing something specific like Criminal Law be okay?

Thanks

Would doing the module beforehand help with securing training contracts? I'll probably be doing a GDL at a lower ranked university than LSE so would this have an impact?

Plus I'm also considering that if I despise this module during my first year, perhaps the GDL may not be for me and I can decide another career path.

Thanks!

If the LSE will let you do a Law module, that's fantastic, I'd take them up on that because it will be part of your course that your student loan is paying for. This won't make your Bachelors a Qualifying Law Degree however.

The GDL is very expensive, and assumes you have no legal knowledge so you are caught up pretty quickly.

Crime is HARD and you need a good grasp of the legal and justice system before you can even understand the questions! Public Law might be more suitable, but it's dull, but might be the only module you could reasonably do since it doesn't contain any substantive Law.

Think carefully about the GDL, it isn't cheap, and are you wanting a career in Law? Look into that too, and what could you do with the GDL if you can't get a training contract/pupillage?

Sorry to dampen it, but you could very well do better to have another module more relevant to your degree than making it harder for yourself!

No it wouldn't.

Where you do the GDL doesn't matter. The best providers are the BPP University and University of Law (they're private institutions and also do the LPC/BPTC).

You need to get a 2:i in your undergraduate degree, that really matters for training contracts.

Go see your careers department, attend a couple of law fairs, read into the profession (Roll on Friday, Chambers Student, Legal Cheek, and other forums on TSR are a good start). Don't worry about all the vacation scheme nonsense until you understand a little more what you are letting yourself in for, you want to do well at interview for them!

The extra module in Law might give you something to talk about, such as it confirmed your desire to study Law, but otherwise it's pretty irrelevant.

As an ex-Law student, I would suggest doing Public Law, as that is one of the modules that most people struggle with / don't like. It will give you a better idea on whether a career in Law is for you, than Criminal Law would. Criminal Law is a lot different from other Law modules, so it might not be the best to check that Law is what you want to do.

Public Law will tie in a lot better to Government and History as well, so it might be way more up your alley.