what is law/english lit like at uni?

As someone who is aspiring to do law, what is it like for those who are/have done this course at uni? And english lit is also another (though much less likely to choose) option, and the same question stands for this course too.

Hi @heartz4moushi
In undergrad I studied BA History and Law and thought it might be helpful to share my experience. BA law differs to LLB and so I am not qualified to practice law although the classes I took were the same as the classes that LLB students took and they were my classmates. Doing it the way I did meant I did not always have the overlap learning between all the classes which meant more work on occasion. The Law course is full on and there is a lot of prep work, seminar/class engagement and I had a mix of exams and assignemnts. I did enjoy the course and there is flexibility to choose some classes during your degree to focus on particular areas of interest. It is worth having a look at the applying stage to see what classes watch university offer.

I also have a friend currently studying English Lit and she really enjoys it. Depending on the university there are different modules and classes on offer to cover a wide range of genre and periods. There is a lot of reading and writing involved similar to law and a great emphasis on independent learning because as with most HASS courses your time in taught lectures/seminars is less than more practical degrees.

Best wishes for applying for whatever course you decide on!
Catherine - University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador

As someone who is aspiring to do law, what is it like for those who are/have done this course at uni? And english lit is also another (though much less likely to choose) option, and the same question stands for this course too.

hey if you still want a qualifying law degree (LLB) but are also interested in english lit look at the glasgow course which is common law and english lit! might be of interest.

Hi! Thank you so much, you're experiences have most definitely been useful and thank you for taking your time out to reply to me!
Yes I've head that no Law course is easy and requires a lot of brain power and will! What were your assignments and the prep for them like? A lot of independent study I'm guessing. Also, what kind of books do you guys reads or do research from and how did you find it? And, what kind of law job do you want to get into after graduating? Like lawyer, solicitor, paralegal etc.
Thank you.

as someone who is aspiring to do law, what is it like for those who are/have done this course at uni? And english lit is also another (though much less likely to choose) option, and the same question stands for this course too.

Hi there

It is great to hear that you are looking into your career options. I am currently a third year law student at Kent. Hopefully I can provide some insights on studying a law degree.

Studying law involves a lot of reading (cases, legislations, academic journals etc.) Echoing Catherine's post, it consists of lectures and seminars where you engage in discussions about different topics.

Generally, you will take several different modules each year (some optional, some mandatory depending on the University you choose to go to). There is actually quite a lot of difference between different modules: for example family law and company law are completely different areas of law, yet they are both really interesting. If it is something you are interested in, definitely have a look at what modules Universities offer when deciding your options.

Law involves a lot of independent studying hours. Outside of the lectures and seminars, you are free to organise your schedule, and you are given a lot of responsibility. Given the amounts of reading and coursework, being organised is really important for law, and it is a skill that you develop throughout the degree.
Seminar preparation for me usually includes reading textbooks, understanding cases and legislations and answering questions based off this information. Coursework essentially build on this knowledge and you are expected to read academic journals that will support the main arguments in your essays. Academic journals can usually be found online: LexisNexis (we are given a University log in, so we can access a wide range of resources). Alternatively at our University's library. Personally I find the textbook readings more dull and prefer more opinionated academic journals. However, my friend differs from me in enjoying to learn about cases more, it is really different for everyone!

With a law degree, you can pursue a career as a solicitor or paralegal (more office based), or being a barrister (which is more court based). Of course there are many more law opportunities out there, and for non-law careers, a law qualification would certainly boost your CV.

I hope this helps. If you have any specific questions about studying law I am happy to answer them!
Chloe
University of Kent Student Rep

omgg i also want to be a lawyer in the future.

what do you mean by that? they allow you to do a joint course of english + law?

yes, if you want to be a barrister you need a qualifying law degree or conversion. UofG have a course that combines both and is about 75% law 25% english lit (but this varies and you can pick more or less english modules). especially if you want to be a barrister this may be a good option.

Hi! Thank you so much, you're experiences have most definitely been useful and thank you for taking your time out to reply to me!
Yes I've head that no Law course is easy and requires a lot of brain power and will! What were your assignments and the prep for them like? A lot of independent study I'm guessing. Also, what kind of books do you guys reads or do research from and how did you find it? And, what kind of law job do you want to get into after graduating? Like lawyer, solicitor, paralegal etc.
Thank you.

Thank you so much for this reply!
You explained everything so clearly, and answered all the questions I wanted to ask really😅
If you don't mind me asking, what field of law do you want to get into in the future and which part of the law course is perhaps your favorite to study or you personally find most enjoyable? I want to be a barrister when I'm older!!

As someone who is aspiring to do law, what is it like for those who are/have done this course at uni? And english lit is also another (though much less likely to choose) option, and the same question stands for this course too.

As someone who is aspiring to do law, what is it like for those who are/have done this course at uni? And english lit is also another (though much less likely to choose) option, and the same question stands for this course too.

Hi there

I'm glad to have addressed most of your queries.

For myself, I am interested in becoming a solicitor, though I have not decided what field of law I am interested in yet. Some of my favourite courses have been: criminal law, company law, and succession law. There are many interesting cases that you can learn in criminal law, and it is a very engaging module. I enjoy company law and succession law, as we get to study the content in context of societal developments and any social considerations. Depending on what type of things you are interested, each person will have a different topic that they enjoy.

It is great to hear that you know what you want to do in the future. I would really recommend doing some mooting at University if you get the chance. For my law school, we offer mooting as a module, and many other mooting opportunities throughout the year. So be sure to check whether you have these opportunities in your University.

Chloe
University of Kent Student Rep

Hiya

As everyone has already shared their experiences with you, I think these blogs will also help you know about what it's like to study these courses at Durham:

https://studentblog.webspace.durham.ac.uk/whats-it-like-studying-law-2/
https://studentblog.webspace.durham.ac.uk/whats-it-like-studying-english-3/

-Himieka

Hi there!
As someone who does law, I can give you a good idea of what it is like to study law at uni.
While it may differ from university to university, I feel that a core component of law is how much reading is required. Of course, you may already have an idea of this but it may not be to the level you would have expected.
I feel that law is also a coursework-heavy subject and may not be as exam-based as other subjects. This may be different for other universities but in my experience at Lancaster, I have found that this is the case. This has both its pros and cons, one positive being that you do not have to do as much studying and reading for exams or if you do not as much compared to other degrees. One negative of this is that you may end up being overwhelmed with the amount of deadlines you have during term time. At Lancaster, a lot of courses within law allow some flexibility in the type of assessments students choose and you can end up with a good blend that is not too focused on one style.

I hope this helped. If you have any more questions feel free to ask here. I will also include a link to the Lancaster Ask A Student page so you can have a chat with students studying law and English Lit to get better insight into them.

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/chat/
Best wishes,
Lancaster University Student Ambassador,
Glory.

Yes, I totally agree with you! I feel like every specific sub-field in law has lots of different and unique aspects to it that are interesting, and it's going to be tricky to choose just one area. I heard that corporate and intellectual property jobs are some of the most rewarding but I would definitely say criminal law offers the more interesting side of things as you look at lots of different crimes and cases. I do agree that it just depends of personal preference what a person decides to stick for in the end. Doing law is rewarding no matter what area you go into, as long as you enjoy doing your job and your passionate about it.
If you don't mind me asking, what is mooting? I'm guessing it's something like having 'moots', but I've never heard this term being used in the context of university?
Have a lovely day!