Clearing

How likely is it that Law courses would be in clearing this year? I’m especially interested in law courses for unis that are highly ranked for law and how likely these would be in clearing.
I know that may be silly as of course the unis with the higher law rankings will be more populated as people will want to go there but does anyone have any ideas on the likelihood of these unis in clearing?
Thank you.

The top top unis are basically never in clearing for law (aka Durham, UCL/KCL/LSE, Bristol, etc) but I'm pretty sure Birmingham and Queens University Belfast were in clearing for law in 2023 and maybe Queen Mary too though I can't quite remember.
Birmingham/Queens University Belfast are thought to be pretty decent for law so definitely watch out for them. It may also be worth phoning up somewhere like Leeds and Nottingham to ask them if they have any spaces on results day even if they don't list them online.
Leicester was also in clearing last year and while not as prestigious as the above, it's definitely one to keep in mind as they have decent connections to commercial law firms. Some other non Russel-Group unis that could be worth considering due to them having lots of events with top commercial law firms (and I imagine this means it's the same for other areas of law too) are Uni of Kent (often in clearing) and University of East Anglia.
Additionally, if you're not necessarily passionate about law as an academic subject but want to be a lawyer remember it is very very possible to become a lawyer without studying law. If you don't like the unis on offer in clearing for law, have a look at other courses as more niche humanities / social science subjects at the top 10 unis have more chance of being in clearing. For example, Durham had anthropology in clearing last year.
Good luck! Try and enjoy the summer even if you don't think you've done as well as you could have on exams. You cannot change them now so you may as well try and forget about them and give yourself the chance to de-stress and rest so you're not burnt out during uni. Also, you may end up doing better than you thought.
Also, don't completely rule out resitting if it's what is best for you. If you have any extenuating circumstances at all for not performing as you could have in your A Levels, you can reapply next year and get your school to give you a new set of predicted grades. I know lots of people who have resat this year and still have managed to get into great unis.

My understanding is that students who have achieved better results than they were projected to achieve can sometimes find a place by contacting universities directly, because places will have become available due to other students not achieving the required grades. You need to get in touch with universities straight after you know your results. Good luck!
PS: There is also the option of a gap year and a second round of applications with achieved grades, but you need a workable plan of what to do in the gap year. My daughter always planned on a gap year and is part way through the year, starting at her first choice university in October. The year has benefitted her enormously as a person. Travel, reading, first job, first vote, and much else besides.

Thank you, this is some really good knowledge and advice. I think I’ve actually done better than I’ve been predicted (well I hope so) and so it’s really about the uni itself. I want to go to a good uni for law but also be in a city I love. I’m just fearing the uni I’ve firmed isn’t the place for me.

I’ll definitely call Leeds and Nottingham and give them a go, thank you!

My understanding is that students who have achieved better results than they were projected to achieve can sometimes find a place by contacting universities directly, because places will have become available due to other students not achieving the required grades. You need to get in touch with universities straight after you know your results. Good luck!
PS: There is also the option of a gap year and a second round of applications with achieved grades, but you need a workable plan of what to do in the gap year. My daughter always planned on a gap year and is part way through the year, starting at her first choice university in October. The year has benefitted her enormously as a person. Travel, reading, first job, first vote, and much else besides.

Decisions about who to accept are made days before you see your results.
Phoning top Unis for Law places on Results Day will be a total waste of your time.

Just one point on this, bear in mind that most universities, especially competitive, oversubscribed ones, will give places to those who firmed offers and just missed out on required grades first* (by one grade or so) over those ringing up on the day. IMO this does seem fair as obviously those people have shown a level of commitment to the university by applying and firming their offer. But of course there may be people who really miss the mark by several grades and so places may be available, so it’s worth a try.
* Universities obviously get the results of their applicants prior to results day, so the places of any near miss applicants they want to take would be allotted first before any potential new student could call up on results day.

OP, what is your current first choice university and what grades do you need to take up an offer there?
The gap year and reapply option might be attractive if you could be looking at a step up from, say, a BBB university to an AAA university, although trading certainty against possibility is always a difficult decision.

This is what I was trying to say politely. These days universities, especially oversubscribed, competitive ones for law, will take near misses and allot their places days before, over randos ringing on the day. That’s not to say it doesn’t ever happen though, but it’ll be rare.
I’m fairly sure some RG unis were in clearing very early on last year. Liverpool, QMUL, Cardiff and maybe Southampton? Then there are places like Lancaster, Bath, Kent, Leicester and Surrey which aren’t shabby for law.
Best thing is to get results as early as possible and act quickly if you do want to try and trade up. But don’t let any offers you’ve firmed go until you have a new offer in writing/have it all agreed.
I have a feeling though, if you really are talking huge differences and really feel you’re under selling yourself then a ‘useful’ gap year and reapplication next year could be best if you can manage it. But don’t be unrealistic, you aren’t going to suddenly get into an A* AA uni with AAA in your hand. Also, do bear in mind that many RG seem to be increasing their entry requirements, so what might be AAA this year could in fact change to A* AA next year. This happened with both Notts & Warwick for this year (although Notts used to be that years ago anyway).

The university I have firmed is York for law with the requirements of AAA.

I think that puts you into "better is the enemy of good" territory. If you obtain AAA or better, taking a gap year with a view to seeking a place at, say, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, or the LSE would involve trading the certainty of a place at a well regarded Russell Group University for the uncertain chance of a place at another well regarded Russell Group University. It would be like holding 18 in Blackjack and asking the dealer for another card.

I think that puts you into "better is the enemy of good" territory. If you obtain AAA or better, taking a gap year with a view to seeking a place at, say, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, or the LSE would involve trading the certainty of a place at a well regarded Russell Group University for the uncertain chance of a place at another well regarded Russell Group University. It would be like holding 18 in Blackjack and asking the dealer for another card.

Okay thank you. Could you explain the clearing process to me in regards to where I’d find the number if the university I’m hoping to go to isn’t in clearing. I’m just wondering how I’d be able to contact a university if they weren’t in clearing for the course I’d hoped for. Thank you.

Reading your posts since, it appears you have firmed York, a respectable university for law, but you think you could aim higher. Nothing wrong with that, but I think you should read the posts since. Harsh reality is even if you end up with 3 x A* there is no guarantee you’ll get a ‘perceived’ better placed through clearing. Assuming you are thinking UCL, KCL and so on? If so, honestly not possible through clearing. The best law universities just do not have places via clearing. They take from their offers and near misses which is decided days before as McGinger says. The other consideration is LNAT, now I have no idea on this as they literally never go into clearing, but in the event they did, would they insist you’d done the LNAT? I don’t know and I don’t know if you sat it, you obviously didn’t need to for York.
Some universities start clearing from 5 July and details on their websites, but they won’t be ones you’re considering. As for procedure on the day, from what I can gather (I went to my firm so little experience), a day or two before results some universities will start publishing their clearing hotline numbers on their websites. You call on the day of results but you simply can’t get to speak to someone in the law department, you’ll be speaking to someone on a clearing line who doesn’t have a clue usually about specific subjects as they cover a multitude. This can be frustrating when you feel desperate! Some high ranking universities only publish their clearing numbers and any vacancy lists (all subjects) on their websites on the morning of results. You can of course call up to ask about law if it’s not listed, but quite honestly it’ll be a wasted call. I wish I could be more positive but in reality the places just aren’t there for those who do better and want to move up to a very competitive, well ranked university for law.
As we’ve already said, your other option is to gap year but again some of us have given opinions on that, it’s a risk given your firm choice is not a shabby university for law. It does have quite a specific learning style which isn’t for all, but you’ll have known that.
Ultimately, see what you get, how you feel and what’s available on results morning, but be prepared for there to be very little, if anything above what you’ve got in-hand and to need to make some decisions.
Ps @McGingermy bad about Bath. Not even sure why I slipped that one in, I was on a roll 🤣