Do you regret taking Law or are you glad you did?

I took Law for A-Level and was pretty good at it, which is the primary reason for me taking law. I did enjoy it and it seemed that a career as a lawyer did tempt me in that it had all the challenges, was a great career in itself and had the money in it. Above all, it was a "law degree" which will be impressive to anyone who hears it.

My first year at University was one of the best years I had. It was just how I expected it to be, however I think I was somewhat ill-founded on just how easy it would be to find a job afterwards. Of course, at 18, no one tells you about training contracts and even if you've read about it, it doesn't carry the same conviction on just how hard it's going to be (and that was before the whole recession thing...). I honestly knew that getting a Law Degree would be difficult but that didn't stop me because I had the motivation.
My second year at University was a bit of a turning point. Despite putting in so much effort, I didn't quite get the grades I was hoping for although I did manage to pass every module, just barely! I knew I had to somehow try harder in my final year which ultimately led me to sacrifice not looking for a work placement. I'm quite glad though because my final year ended up being quite smooth and I ended up with a good comfortable 2:1. Now, I can't really start on a Training Contract until 2012 and it's not like I have one anyway...

The only thing I regret is not really knowing how difficult it would be to enter into the profession. My A-Level teacher's advice didn't carry enough conviction and neither did the things I had read (you usually need someone to tell you properly how hard it's going to be and at age 17/18 it's difficult to find a real contact). Even at University, most people didn't realise just how difficult it would be, not at least until half way through the second year.

I didn't like law - so much so I quit. I think I picked it for the wrong reasons - I did well in school, so it was kind of expected of me, and I was really only thinking about a career afterwards.

I now do politics, which I picked because I'm actually interested in it. It's difficult to force yourself to do independent work in a subject you don't enjoy.

I'm starting Law at Durham in October, just wondering what the general consensus on here is about Law. Did you enjoy it, and do you still enjoy it? Would you change it for another subject? Is the workload too high/the work to hard etc etc. I'm sure this has been asked before in a slightly different fashion, just want to know what I'm getting myself into

If you don't mind me asking, which university did you go to?

I'm just curious.

If you don't mind me asking, which university did you go to?

I'm just curious.

Ive really enjoyed the study itself on the LLB course...but now ive come to find a job/training contract ive found that law is only for the elite....if you come from a working class background like me then theres no chance. So yes, i do regret it now.

Ive really enjoyed the study itself on the LLB course...but now ive come to find a job/training contract ive found that law is only for the elite....if you come from a working class background like me then theres no chance. So yes, i do regret it now.

Ive really enjoyed the study itself on the LLB course...but now ive come to find a job/training contract ive found that law is only for the elite....if you come from a working class background like me then theres no chance. So yes, i do regret it now.

Im not saying it is like this for everyone...this is just my personal experience.Put it like this I have applied for 53 TCs altogether (over a 12 month period) and so far the rejections are rolling in fast :-( Not even an interview :-( and didnt even manage to secure a VC in my 1st or 2nd year either :-(

My TC applications range from small highstreet firms to MC firms.

My careers advisor and my mum (a HR manager) said my applications/CV are good quality. I got 4 As 2 Bs and 4 Cs at GCSE and BBB at Alevel. I suppose people on here would say that is average but that was the very best I could do considering I went to a a rough state school. Im on track for a 2:1 LLB (in my final year now) at Wolverhampton Uni (again people slate it) and have plenty of EC like work experience, mooting etc.

I feel that if I had gone to a private school and a top Uni I would not be in this situation.
The Legal profession is still for the 'elite' in my eyes... you only have to look at the statistics to see this. For example, 80% of Barristers in the UK are from Oxford & Cambridge...there is no way a working class girl like me could have got in somewhere like that.

Im not saying it is like this for everyone...this is just my personal experience.Put it like this I have applied for 53 TCs altogether (over a 12 month period) and so far the rejections are rolling in fast :-( Not even an interview :-( and didnt even manage to secure a VC in my 1st or 2nd year either :-(

My TC applications range from small highstreet firms to MC firms.

My careers advisor and my mum (a HR manager) said my applications/CV are good quality. I got 4 As 2 Bs and 4 Cs at GCSE and BBB at Alevel. I suppose people on here would say that is average but that was the very best I could do considering I went to a a rough state school. Im on track for a 2:1 LLB (in my final year now) at Wolverhampton Uni (again people slate it) and have plenty of EC like work experience, mooting etc.

I feel that if I had gone to a private school and a top Uni I would not be in this situation.
The Legal profession is still for the 'elite' in my eyes... you only have to look at the statistics to see this. For example, 80% of Barristers in the UK are from Oxford & Cambridge...there is no way a working class girl like me could have got in somewhere like that.

My TC applications range from small highstreet firms to MC firms

brokenheroes is being very harsh, BBB is a great set of results. One problem may be in what I have quoted. Small highstreet firms and MC firms are a competely different kettle of fish. They require you to have a different focus, and the applications for both will look completely different. Also remember that a lot of high street firms don't recruit as far in advance as the MC firms, and often recruit people who have completed or are nearing the end of the LPC.

I'm afraid it is a sad fact of life that if you went to a private school you would almost certainly have done better, and would have been more likely to get into a highly rated uni. We still live in a society with massive inequalities stemming from the distribution of land and use of force in ages past - though hopefully this will change. But it is something that you will have to live with - at least be grateful that you were not brought up when your parents and grandparents were alive, when life chances were completely determined by class.

In your position, I would be tempted to forget about TCs for now and do something else. Perhaps gain some experience in another sector and reapply in a year or a few years time if becoming a solicitor is still a goal. You can pick up important commercial experience and demonstrate your employability by doing well at another job; and you could always volunteer somewhere like the CAB. At the end of the day, there are quite a lot of people who don't get TCs - there are not enough TCs to go around everybody who does the LPC; and this is far worse for pupillages. You might have better luck once you have a little more life experience under your belt. I know quite a lot of people who didn't get a TC first time around, worked somewhere else and are now becoming solicitors. Probably the majority of people on my LPC are 24+ (if you go straight from uni it would be 21 for law 22 for non-law), and there are quite a lot of people 27+: they've done other stuff before getting their TC.

Honestly, don't put this down to class, I'm actually pretty offended.

I was born and raised in Tower Hamlets, East London, you don't really get more common than that. I went to crappy local comprehensives throughout my schooling through to college, yet I still ended up with 3As at A level and a place at UCL.

At the end of the day, it's nothing to do with class, you're just not good enough. If you are looking at top firms, many would have just seen your a level results and university and moved on. Harsh but true.

Would I have any chance of securing work experience before uni, or a TC or mini-pupillage, with 3 A-levels (Maths, Further Maths, and Physics, all As) but no GCSEs?

I took Law for A-Level and was pretty good at it, which is the primary reason for me taking law. I did enjoy it and it seemed that a career as a lawyer did tempt me in that it had all the challenges, was a great career in itself and had the money in it. Above all, it was a "law degree" which will be impressive to anyone who hears it.

My first year at University was one of the best years I had. It was just how I expected it to be, however I think I was somewhat ill-founded on just how easy it would be to find a job afterwards. Of course, at 18, no one tells you about training contracts and even if you've read about it, it doesn't carry the same conviction on just how hard it's going to be (and that was before the whole recession thing...). I honestly knew that getting a Law Degree would be difficult but that didn't stop me because I had the motivation.
My second year at University was a bit of a turning point. Despite putting in so much effort, I didn't quite get the grades I was hoping for although I did manage to pass every module, just barely! I knew I had to somehow try harder in my final year which ultimately led me to sacrifice not looking for a work placement. I'm quite glad though because my final year ended up being quite smooth and I ended up with a good comfortable 2:1. Now, I can't really start on a Training Contract until 2012 and it's not like I have one anyway...

The only thing I regret is not really knowing how difficult it would be to enter into the profession. My A-Level teacher's advice didn't carry enough conviction and neither did the things I had read (you usually need someone to tell you properly how hard it's going to be and at age 17/18 it's difficult to find a real contact). Even at University, most people didn't realise just how difficult it would be, not at least until half way through the second year.

The Alevel interested me too, but I've heard a law degree is nothing like the A level course. Is this true?

You only take two modules in relation to your actual A-Level topics. If I'm not mistake, at A-Level, you have the choice of doing either Contract or Criminal Law after studying the English Legal System for AS.
I did Criminal Law for A-Level and to be honest, it wasn't all that different from my Criminal Law module during my second year, albeit a little more expanded with more cases to learn (especially seeing as a number of legalties have been updated and changed etc...). You will also study The English Legal System during your first year at University but that differs from what you study at AS level. Of course, sound understanding of the English Legal System is required (court procedures etc) but you're not required to learn about the professions in general - this was a main core area of the AS level in Law, which I did and I'm pretty sure it still is. Instead, the module is vastly about civil recommendations and criticisms - the bulk of it required a thorough reading of the Civil Procedure Rules and the reports written criticising it. This was touched upon at AS level but not in detail.

Hope this helps.