Law at Liverpool University, could I realistically get into a top firm?
Hi guys, I’ve got an offer from the university of Liverpool to study law, if I achieve a 2:1 or even a 1:1 is it likely I could get a training contract at a good firm. I know it’s a Russel group and I know that university choice is far from the only factor but I was wondering if any law experts/graduates could provide me with any additional information or personal experiences, thank you for your time.
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Original post by KingintheNorth31
Hi guys, I’ve got an offer from the university of Liverpool to study law, if I achieve a 2:1 or even a 1:1 is it likely I could get a training contract at a good firm. I know it’s a Russel group and I know that university choice is far from the only factor but I was wondering if any law experts/graduates could provide me with any additional information or personal experiences, thank you for your time.
Hey!
Well done!
I’ll be honest, Liverpool isn’t a target school despite being a Russell Group. It’s often seen as one of the weaker members and it doesn’t have a particularly notable reputation for law. A 2:1 is a must to be able to work in most firms (not just good ones). I presume you want to be a solicitor as you mention firms? If you wanted to be a barrister then you would have to be getting a first and then going to a more reputable university to study for an LLM.
If you want to be a solicitor then there’s no reason you can’t work for a “good firm” if you get a first. Most people who get a 2:1 would work in local or regional firms but graduate with a first and it’s definitely possible. If you’re really worried about Liverpool’s rep, get a first and apply for one of the top unis for an LLM.
It really depends on what you mean by “good firm”. If by that we mean MC, then I’ll be honest you’d have to do a lot of extra things to be competitive. I’m talking a first, lots of work experiences, lots of schemes, team competitions, international placements etc. Some even have requirements for A Level grades. People who go to the likes of King’s or Bristol have a hard time getting into MC even with first class honours. But “good firm” is individual to you, whatever that means. You can have a successful legal career yes but make sure you work hard and stand out.
Good luck!
Original post by josesh
Hey!
Well done!
I’ll be honest, Liverpool isn’t a target school despite being a Russell Group. It’s often seen as one of the weaker members and it doesn’t have a particularly notable reputation for law. A 2:1 is a must to be able to work in most firms (not just good ones). I presume you want to be a solicitor as you mention firms? If you wanted to be a barrister then you would have to be getting a first and then going to a more reputable university to study for an LLM.
If you want to be a solicitor then there’s no reason you can’t work for a “good firm” if you get a first. Most people who get a 2:1 would work in local or regional firms but graduate with a first and it’s definitely possible. If you’re really worried about Liverpool’s rep, get a first and apply for one of the top unis for an LLM.
It really depends on what you mean by “good firm”. If by that we mean MC, then I’ll be honest you’d have to do a lot of extra things to be competitive. I’m talking a first, lots of work experiences, lots of schemes, team competitions, international placements etc. Some even have requirements for A Level grades. People who go to the likes of King’s or Bristol have a hard time getting into MC even with first class honours. But “good firm” is individual to you, whatever that means. You can have a successful legal career yes but make sure you work hard and stand out.
Good luck!
Well done!
I’ll be honest, Liverpool isn’t a target school despite being a Russell Group. It’s often seen as one of the weaker members and it doesn’t have a particularly notable reputation for law. A 2:1 is a must to be able to work in most firms (not just good ones). I presume you want to be a solicitor as you mention firms? If you wanted to be a barrister then you would have to be getting a first and then going to a more reputable university to study for an LLM.
If you want to be a solicitor then there’s no reason you can’t work for a “good firm” if you get a first. Most people who get a 2:1 would work in local or regional firms but graduate with a first and it’s definitely possible. If you’re really worried about Liverpool’s rep, get a first and apply for one of the top unis for an LLM.
It really depends on what you mean by “good firm”. If by that we mean MC, then I’ll be honest you’d have to do a lot of extra things to be competitive. I’m talking a first, lots of work experiences, lots of schemes, team competitions, international placements etc. Some even have requirements for A Level grades. People who go to the likes of King’s or Bristol have a hard time getting into MC even with first class honours. But “good firm” is individual to you, whatever that means. You can have a successful legal career yes but make sure you work hard and stand out.
Good luck!
Hi thank you so much for your detailed answer, to be honest I’m aiming to become a solicitor at a firm with a decent reputation locally to me something more akin to a regional firm or a city firm, the magic circle looks great, but as you’ve mentioned it’s ridiculously competitive and according to the research I’ve conducted it seems to be quite stressful and a lifestyle in its self rather than just a career, and with the cost of living in London and the insecurity of the modern job market, I think I’ll give it a miss! The main reason I asked this question was because when I’ve looked online I’ve noticed that Liverpool isn’t the strongest Russel group university out there and I was concerned that this might cause issues in the future, I was predicted ABB at AS level with an A in EPQ (though Liverpool don’t accept it anyway for law), so may grades where decent but perhaps not to the level of universities like Bristol or the London Russel Groups, and as my username magic suggest I wanted to stay local to were I live for my studies! Thanks again for your response, are you involved in law yourself?
Just be careful with those A-levels, it won’t be so bad regionally but I’d say they’re on the low side for TCs etc with some UK firms with regional offices, eg likes of Womble Bond etc.
Hopefully your exams will go better than you imagine and you’ll get above that anyway. AAB or above would be safer. It’s crazy to think firms look at quals you do when you’re 18 and then have a degree but as someone said to me, once they’re faced with 1000s of 2:1 or Firsts they use it to differentiate.
Take any opportunities to network and do law based supers at Uni as well.
Hopefully your exams will go better than you imagine and you’ll get above that anyway. AAB or above would be safer. It’s crazy to think firms look at quals you do when you’re 18 and then have a degree but as someone said to me, once they’re faced with 1000s of 2:1 or Firsts they use it to differentiate.
Take any opportunities to network and do law based supers at Uni as well.
OP - Liverpool is a good university and with very limited exceptions (some of the stuffier US law firms in particular) won't be a barrier at all to getting a training contract at a good firm either in London or the regions.
To maximise your chances of getting that TC what's much more important is over the next 3 years for you to:
1) - Get the best A level grades you can - push hard to try and get AAB if possible, ABB is OK but agree with poster above its *slightly* on the lower side for the firms you're wanting to look at.
2) - Ensure you get a solid 2.1 for your degree in due course. A first is a nice bonus but not needed at all.
3) - This is really important - get as much work experience as you can over the holidays throughout your degree - this can be formal vac schemes, open days, any local high street firms you can do informal work experience for. Any friends or family work for companies with an in-house legal team that you can shadow for a day or a week?
To maximise your chances of getting that TC what's much more important is over the next 3 years for you to:
1) - Get the best A level grades you can - push hard to try and get AAB if possible, ABB is OK but agree with poster above its *slightly* on the lower side for the firms you're wanting to look at.
2) - Ensure you get a solid 2.1 for your degree in due course. A first is a nice bonus but not needed at all.
3) - This is really important - get as much work experience as you can over the holidays throughout your degree - this can be formal vac schemes, open days, any local high street firms you can do informal work experience for. Any friends or family work for companies with an in-house legal team that you can shadow for a day or a week?
I don't go to a Russell Group, and know two people who secured TCs at magic circles.
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