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Significance of a Law degree-

How is a Law degree from a Russell group university perceived by non Law employers?

Does it have higher precedence on a relative scale to say an average arts degree such as History, International relations or Politics?

I ask this because I've applied for various Law degrees but am not necessarily set on law and may pursue a career in a different industry .
Law degrees are just prestigious in general.
Reply 2
As long as its a good university you should have lots of oppurtunities
Original post by T.M. Salamander
Law degrees are just prestigious in general.


At least in the UK there is no reason to think this is the case and a Law degree will be no more highly regarded for non-Law roles than would any similarly academic degree (History, Politics, Classics) awarded by the same institution.

A very minor concern attaching to carrying a Law degree into the search for non-Law jobs is that it might be supposed by employers that doors had closed for you rather than that you had chosen against pursuing a career in the Law.

For me, a Law degree is such hard work, and so very dry, that I can't imagine why anyone would take it except that he was intent on a career in the field.
Original post by cambio wechsel
At least in the UK there is no reason to think this is the case and a Law degree will be no more highly regarded for non-Law roles than would any similarly academic degree (History, Politics, Classics) awarded by the same institution.

Why wouldn't it be the case in the UK? Law degrees are renowned for being difficult. Although the choice of degree subject will never be the deciding factor between 2 applicants, if we're looking purely at the degrees, common knowledge suggests that law degrees garner more respect, whatever advantage that brings.

Original post by cambio wechsel
A very minor concern attaching to carrying a Law degree into the search for non-Law jobs is that it might be supposed by employers that doors had closed for you rather than that you had chosen against pursuing a career in the Law.

It's not a concern at all. Law graduates frequently go into other professional roles. No employers would assume they had doors closed on them in law and had to seek employment elsewhere. Maybe if they had put the LPC/BPTC on their CV, but law at undergrad is academic, not vocational.

Original post by cambio wechsel
For me, a Law degree is such hard work, and so very dry, that I can't imagine why anyone would take it except that he was intent on a career in the field.

The very fact that everyone knows law degrees are hard work means that they are held in slightly higher regards than the other degrees you mentioned.
Original post by T.M. Salamander
Why wouldn't it be the case in the UK?


that was there in case you were posting from the US, where a law degree (because postgraduate) might be understood as more prestigious than here.

Original post by T.M. Salamander

The very fact that everyone knows law degrees are hard work means that they are held in slightly higher regards than the other degrees you mentioned.


we're never going to agree on a metric for determining regard, never mind for calibrating slight differences in degrees of regard, still I would dispute that the LLB is even slightly better regarded than is the BA in Classics or History, all else being equal.
Original post by cambio wechsel
I would dispute that the LLB is even slightly better regarded than is the BA in Classics or History, all else being equal.

But why? You said yourself that law degrees are 'such hard work'. This is the (correct) view of most people.

Even in the UK, law degrees are held in a higher esteem than History, Classics, and the like.
Original post by T.M. Salamander
But why? You said yourself that law degrees are 'such hard work'. This is the (correct) view of most people.

Even in the UK, law degrees are held in a higher esteem than History, Classics, and the like.


we could talk around this all day. As I say, neither of us is ever going to provide any sensible measure for 'esteem'. Yes, I said that a Law degree was hard work, but I wouldn't suggest that e.g. mastering two classicial languages is a walk in the park, is why I chose to bill those named subjects as "similarly academic"

Perhaps agree to disagree? My claim certainly isn't that Law degrees are any less well regarded than these,
I had a friend who went to Essex and graduated and got a job for BT as a commercial lawyer.
Original post by T.M. Salamander
Law degrees are just prestigious in general.



Law is one of the most institution dependent degrees there are.
Original post by l'etranger
Law is one of the most institution dependent degrees there are.

That doesn't change the fact that law degrees are prestigious.

Besides, if you didn't think a law degree from London Met was impressive, you wouldn't think a History degree from London Met is prestigious either.

I believe that the institution is more important than the degree subject, but there's no denying that 'I have a law degree' gets a different response than 'I have a History degree'.

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