Law degree low rank unis getting job as lawyer
Basically I’m meant to start uni in September to do a law degree, I really want to be a barrister/lawyer. I was unaware until recently that there is like a thing where some law degrees from unis aren’t respected by law firms and I’ve seen people say that law degrees are useless for becoming a lawyer unless they’re from like the top 10. My firm choice is Uni of Law and second is Bath Spa, neither of these are law schools and i’m worried I’m going to waste time and money there and not get what I want (to be a lawyer) out of it. I’m panicking as it feels like that’s what’s going to happen and I don’t know what to do about it.
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do you know if i’m able to wait till after results day to decide i don’t want to go to them? If get the results for a more prestige uni then obviously i’d rather go there but I won’t know that till after my results
Original post by dingding1234
do you know if i’m able to wait till after results day to decide i don’t want to go to them? If get the results for a more prestige uni then obviously i’d rather go there but I won’t know that till after my results
You can wait til after results day and "trade up" via Adjustment/Clearing if you get better grades.
If you don't get great grades but think you could improve, it may be better to retake than go this year as poor grades will make it harder to get a good job in Law further down the line.
Original post by dingding1234
Basically I’m meant to start uni in September to do a law degree, I really want to be a barrister/lawyer. I was unaware until recently that there is like a thing where some law degrees from unis aren’t respected by law firms and I’ve seen people say that law degrees are useless for becoming a lawyer unless they’re from like the top 10. My firm choice is Uni of Law and second is Bath Spa, neither of these are law schools and i’m worried I’m going to waste time and money there and not get what I want (to be a lawyer) out of it. I’m panicking as it feels like that’s what’s going to happen and I don’t know what to do about it.
Hi!
I know Uni decisions can be stressful, especially when it comes to law! I'm on the BPTC at ULaw and quite a few of my classmates have done their undergrad with ULaw then gone on to the BPTC with ULaw and quite a few have pupillage already (although most people do get pupillage post-BPTC rather than obtaining pupillage before or during the BPTC).
Of course there are some chambers that tend to recruit from Oxbridge but if you aren't aiming for a uni like that (or indeed such a chambers) then as long as you get a 2:1 (1st class preferably) I don't think it really matters where you've done your undergraduate. Applications for pupillage on the gateway are also blind marked so they don't know where you studied, this was implemented a couple years ago now.
I haven't found my undergraduate university held me back when it came to getting a BPTC place/scholarship/other opportunities etc. and I didn't go to a Russell group uni or the like, but it's a personal choice
Go to all the virtual open days and events that you can, research the chambers you think you may want to apply to in the future and good luck!
Mercedes- Student Ambassador
Original post by harrysbar
Oh so would I
hi someone above mentioned you had a list? would you mind sharing it is as i have a similar concern too
i have offers from york, lancaster, kent and dundee and ive only now realised by uni choices aren't that good
Hi Johnny,
I'm referencing people in my year who have not yet started pupillage due to the pandemic delaying their start date but they do have pupillage and studied with ULaw at both undergraduate and vocational level. I would therefore not be able to link their profiles as they don't yet have one. I would also add that ULaw's pupillage rate for 2018 graduates was 59% which is very good. However, if you go on to chambers websites and I'm sure law firms as well, you can very easily see where people have studied both at undergraduate level and postgraduate/vocational level.
If there is a particular chambers or firm you're interested in I would suggest tallying where people did their undergraduate, if they then went on to do an LLM, if they have a PhD etc. and you will then see if there's a particular 'type' of person that that chambers or firm tends to take on as their new recruits. That is exactly what I did and realised for the area of law that I wanted to go into 73% of people had an LLM. So tallying is a really great way to tailor your CV and make it comparable to those that are already in your chosen chambers or firm.
Hope that helps and best of luck with choosing,
Mercedes- Student Ambassador
I'm referencing people in my year who have not yet started pupillage due to the pandemic delaying their start date but they do have pupillage and studied with ULaw at both undergraduate and vocational level. I would therefore not be able to link their profiles as they don't yet have one. I would also add that ULaw's pupillage rate for 2018 graduates was 59% which is very good. However, if you go on to chambers websites and I'm sure law firms as well, you can very easily see where people have studied both at undergraduate level and postgraduate/vocational level.
If there is a particular chambers or firm you're interested in I would suggest tallying where people did their undergraduate, if they then went on to do an LLM, if they have a PhD etc. and you will then see if there's a particular 'type' of person that that chambers or firm tends to take on as their new recruits. That is exactly what I did and realised for the area of law that I wanted to go into 73% of people had an LLM. So tallying is a really great way to tailor your CV and make it comparable to those that are already in your chosen chambers or firm.
Hope that helps and best of luck with choosing,
Mercedes- Student Ambassador
Original post by dingding1234
Basically I’m meant to start uni in September to do a law degree, I really want to be a barrister/lawyer. I was unaware until recently that there is like a thing where some law degrees from unis aren’t respected by law firms and I’ve seen people say that law degrees are useless for becoming a lawyer unless they’re from like the top 10. My firm choice is Uni of Law and second is Bath Spa, neither of these are law schools and i’m worried I’m going to waste time and money there and not get what I want (to be a lawyer) out of it. I’m panicking as it feels like that’s what’s going to happen and I don’t know what to do about it.
what ive heard about uni of law is that its better to do your lpc there
Original post by harrysbar
Oh so would I
Narrator: there were no such people.
Original post by camapplicant530
Narrator: there were no such people.
Not sure sure - but they might not be what you expect:
- people doing law conversion courses after a very strong first degree
- people doing second undergrad courses as part of a career change.
Addendum: I think it's really wrong that ULaw is allowed to represent itself as a legitimate destination for undergrads, both on here and in a legal sense. Mods, you should really do something about it.
It's a profit machine whose only real function is to educate future trainees in the electives a firm wants; that's the extent of its usefulness.
It's a profit machine whose only real function is to educate future trainees in the electives a firm wants; that's the extent of its usefulness.
Original post by dingding1234
Basically I’m meant to start uni in September to do a law degree, I really want to be a barrister/lawyer. I was unaware until recently that there is like a thing where some law degrees from unis aren’t respected by law firms and I’ve seen people say that law degrees are useless for becoming a lawyer unless they’re from like the top 10. My firm choice is Uni of Law and second is Bath Spa, neither of these are law schools and i’m worried I’m going to waste time and money there and not get what I want (to be a lawyer) out of it. I’m panicking as it feels like that’s what’s going to happen and I don’t know what to do about it.
You have three options:
1) Reject your offers and apply somewhere else through UCAS Extra (you can apply to one university at the time)
2) Wait till you get your results and try applying through Clearing or Adjustment
3) Take a year off and reapply next year (probably the best option if you want to get into a top 10 uni cause it's unlikely these will have places in Extra/Clearing/Adjustment).
Original post by bethanny_g
You have three options:
1) Reject your offers and apply somewhere else through UCAS Extra (you can apply to one university at the time)
2) Wait till you get your results and try applying through Clearing or Adjustment
3) Take a year off and reapply next year (probably the best option if you want to get into a top 10 uni cause it's unlikely these will have places in Extra/Clearing/Adjustment).
1) Reject your offers and apply somewhere else through UCAS Extra (you can apply to one university at the time)
2) Wait till you get your results and try applying through Clearing or Adjustment
3) Take a year off and reapply next year (probably the best option if you want to get into a top 10 uni cause it's unlikely these will have places in Extra/Clearing/Adjustment).
I’ve already accepted my offers, can I go back on that after results day? My sixth form haven’t been helpful throughout this process at all, I have no clue what I’m doing
Ok so basically, should I definitely not go ULaw?
What if it’s the only way i’m going to be able to do law though? I put it as my firm choice and even if I do decide to try for University of Bristol instead, it’s not guaranteed I’m going to get in as you need A*AA and probably be in like the top 5% with the laws admission test, I also don’t want to be a whole year behind on my life that’s what’s really worrying me. Is it really really u likely I can be a lawyer from ULaw? What if I was to do my degree there and my postgrad somewhere else? Honestly I feel like it’s either that or I’m going to be unable to do law at all but I can’t imagine myself doing anything else
Original post by ajj2000
What A level grades might you get? Are you eligible for contextual offers?
It’s super hard to say as I’m not doing my A levels, unfortunately I did awful in my mocks, my sixth form decided it was a good idea to make our mocks, our personal statement due date and our NEA (history coursework essay) all in the same week and 2 weeks before all this I had been off school for 2 weeks with COVID symptoms so I got CDD, however in all my essays I’ve been doing for homework and also timed essays in class I have been getting As and A*s, so it’s really hard to say what I’m going to get
A massive thing for me thought is staying at home for uni, I don’t want to go away so the only options I have are Uni of Law, Uni of Bristol and Bath Spa
Original post by harrysbar
Oh so would I
Is there any benefit of going to Manchester for law over Leeds or are these two similar?
Original post by dingding1234
It’s super hard to say as I’m not doing my A levels, unfortunately I did awful in my mocks, my sixth form decided it was a good idea to make our mocks, our personal statement due date and our NEA (history coursework essay) all in the same week and 2 weeks before all this I had been off school for 2 weeks with COVID symptoms so I got CDD, however in all my essays I’ve been doing for homework and also timed essays in class I have been getting As and A*s, so it’s really hard to say what I’m going to get
You should wait until you see your results and then decide. Taking a year out does not waste a year - lots of top law grads spend a year or two in low paid work to get experience. If you want to be a lawyer deferring pleasure and playing the long game are important attitudes to develop.
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