The Student Room Group

Oxbridge law interview process

I tried to put it off, but I just can’t stop thinking about how poorly my interviews went- and how much I tried to prepare for the wrong things!
Thinking about it, I don’t think there’s much they can give me credit for. I’m going to talk about the second one because the first makes me cringe internally whenever I think about it (yes it was that bad). We talked about some difficult questions in my personal statement which I wasn’t expecting at all, and then quickly we moved onto the extract, which I actually had a lot of fun talking about with them, especially when they challenged me. But then, at the end I fumbled again and messed up on a basic logic question (that all my other friends could answer when I asked them afterwards). I felt like once I did so, I was unable to win them over and they clearly seemed quite eager to finish the interview afterwards (well, it was time anyways I am just being pessimistic..)

But I’m not distasteful about my bad interview- I just really wish Oxford outlined overall what they are looking for in a law student, rather than telling them how the interview would work. I found that both the mock interviews on YouTube, as well as the Uni admissions interview book I bought, were both entirely unrealistic and were not similar to my interview at all. In fact, there was nothing that resembled my interview and I found the process quite unfair. But I want to break this cycle for those applying next year- they deserve to know what these interviews are really about. So regardless of whether you’ve gotten accepted/rejected:
1. For anyone who has also had a law interview, how did yours go? (Without reference to details in the extract etc)
2. What would you say the interviewer was looking for in you?
3. What tips would you give for anyone preparing for an interview?

Here’s mine:
1. Already answered
2. I would say they were looking for logical thinking (basically, just reading the extract really carefully, and then thinking about what every single word means in a certain scenario). Also, they were looking for a good comprehension of the extract and ability to apply the law to different scenarios. They want to see someone rational, calm, eloquent, and who isn’t too bothered by their mistakes I would guess.
3. Most important- expect the unexpected. They can literally ask you anything!!! Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think there’s no way one could prepare for ‘logical thinking’ other than reading the extract carefully, (very, very carefully) making sure to outline your thinking process by starting from the very bottom, and not jumping to conclusions. Don’t try to answer the questions after they immediately ask you, even if you think the answer is obvious. And I would say please read the extract in depth before the interview because they use it quite a bit. If you don’t have an extract for your interview, don’t expect to be asked about your personal statement, or even the questions like “if you crossed a red light at night with no one there would it be legal” I literally spent ages preparing for these but instead I was asked about applying a piece of law I had never heard of before to different scenarios (it was hard to say the least). Again, expect anything, and to prepare just do what you enjoy doing and reread your personal statement, nothing more- they like to see well rounded, thoughtful and passionate students, that’s all! Just be yourself- there’s no quota to fill :smile:
Hopefully some more people respond so that there’s a diverse range of opinions on how the interviews work, rather than just the existing resources. If anyone has any more questions, I’m happy to answer them. Good luck :smile:
Totally agree with Point 2!!!
Hi, Don’t give up on it just yet! I think the fact that interviews are conducted by different colleges and professors means that every applicant has a somewhat unique experience. There’s definitely an element of luck involved. If a different professor had interviewed you, they might have asked the questions you had prepared for. That’s probably why Oxbridge doesn’t define exactly what they’re looking for in a law student—different colleges may prioritise slightly different things. It’s a bit like friendships: we all value basic human traits like kindness and honesty in our friends, but not every kind person becomes our friend. Good luck to you, try not to dwell on it too much and I really hope you get some good news in January!
Reply 3
Original post by ticklish_dragon
Hi, Don’t give up on it just yet! I think the fact that interviews are conducted by different colleges and professors means that every applicant has a somewhat unique experience. There’s definitely an element of luck involved. If a different professor had interviewed you, they might have asked the questions you had prepared for. That’s probably why Oxbridge doesn’t define exactly what they’re looking for in a law student—different colleges may prioritise slightly different things. It’s a bit like friendships: we all value basic human traits like kindness and honesty in our friends, but not every kind person becomes our friend. Good luck to you, try not to dwell on it too much and I really hope you get some good news in January!

Thank you so much, this is very kind of you and I hope that if your journey is successful too! I feel as if my mistake was preparing in itself but hey I learnt a lot of new things on the way :biggrin: And hopefully others learn from this post that anything can happen in an interview, I wish I knew that! But you’re right- it’s time to put the thought to bed, stay neutral about it and wait until January :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
I tried to put it off, but I just can’t stop thinking about how poorly my interviews went- and how much I tried to prepare for the wrong things!
Thinking about it, I don’t think there’s much they can give me credit for. I’m going to talk about the second one because the first makes me cringe internally whenever I think about it (yes it was that bad). We talked about some difficult questions in my personal statement which I wasn’t expecting at all, and then quickly we moved onto the extract, which I actually had a lot of fun talking about with them, especially when they challenged me. But then, at the end I fumbled again and messed up on a basic logic question (that all my other friends could answer when I asked them afterwards). I felt like once I did so, I was unable to win them over and they clearly seemed quite eager to finish the interview afterwards (well, it was time anyways I am just being pessimistic..)
But I’m not distasteful about my bad interview- I just really wish Oxford outlined overall what they are looking for in a law student, rather than telling them how the interview would work. I found that both the mock interviews on YouTube, as well as the Uni admissions interview book I bought, were both entirely unrealistic and were not similar to my interview at all. In fact, there was nothing that resembled my interview and I found the process quite unfair. But I want to break this cycle for those applying next year- they deserve to know what these interviews are really about. So regardless of whether you’ve gotten accepted/rejected:
1. For anyone who has also had a law interview, how did yours go? (Without reference to details in the extract etc)
2. What would you say the interviewer was looking for in you?
3. What tips would you give for anyone preparing for an interview?
Here’s mine:
1. Already answered
2. I would say they were looking for logical thinking (basically, just reading the extract really carefully, and then thinking about what every single word means in a certain scenario). Also, they were looking for a good comprehension of the extract and ability to apply the law to different scenarios. They want to see someone rational, calm, eloquent, and who isn’t too bothered by their mistakes I would guess.
3. Most important- expect the unexpected. They can literally ask you anything!!! Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think there’s no way one could prepare for ‘logical thinking’ other than reading the extract carefully, (very, very carefully) making sure to outline your thinking process by starting from the very bottom, and not jumping to conclusions. Don’t try to answer the questions after they immediately ask you, even if you think the answer is obvious. And I would say please read the extract in depth before the interview because they use it quite a bit. If you don’t have an extract for your interview, don’t expect to be asked about your personal statement, or even the questions like “if you crossed a red light at night with no one there would it be legal” I literally spent ages preparing for these but instead I was asked about applying a piece of law I had never heard of before to different scenarios (it was hard to say the least). Again, expect anything, and to prepare just do what you enjoy doing and reread your personal statement, nothing more- they like to see well rounded, thoughtful and passionate students, that’s all! Just be yourself- there’s no quota to fill :smile:
Hopefully some more people respond so that there’s a diverse range of opinions on how the interviews work, rather than just the existing resources. If anyone has any more questions, I’m happy to answer them. Good luck :smile:
I wonder if you read: "Letters to A Law Student" book? Because it has a lot of useful advice?

Reply 5
Original post by thegeek888
I wonder if you read: "Letters to A Law Student" book? Because it has a lot of useful advice?
I have thank you :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
I tried to put it off, but I just can’t stop thinking about how poorly my interviews went- and how much I tried to prepare for the wrong things!
Thinking about it, I don’t think there’s much they can give me credit for. I’m going to talk about the second one because the first makes me cringe internally whenever I think about it (yes it was that bad). We talked about some difficult questions in my personal statement which I wasn’t expecting at all, and then quickly we moved onto the extract, which I actually had a lot of fun talking about with them, especially when they challenged me. But then, at the end I fumbled again and messed up on a basic logic question (that all my other friends could answer when I asked them afterwards). I felt like once I did so, I was unable to win them over and they clearly seemed quite eager to finish the interview afterwards (well, it was time anyways I am just being pessimistic..)
But I’m not distasteful about my bad interview- I just really wish Oxford outlined overall what they are looking for in a law student, rather than telling them how the interview would work. I found that both the mock interviews on YouTube, as well as the Uni admissions interview book I bought, were both entirely unrealistic and were not similar to my interview at all. In fact, there was nothing that resembled my interview and I found the process quite unfair. But I want to break this cycle for those applying next year- they deserve to know what these interviews are really about. So regardless of whether you’ve gotten accepted/rejected:
1. For anyone who has also had a law interview, how did yours go? (Without reference to details in the extract etc)
2. What would you say the interviewer was looking for in you?
3. What tips would you give for anyone preparing for an interview?
Here’s mine:
1. Already answered
2. I would say they were looking for logical thinking (basically, just reading the extract really carefully, and then thinking about what every single word means in a certain scenario). Also, they were looking for a good comprehension of the extract and ability to apply the law to different scenarios. They want to see someone rational, calm, eloquent, and who isn’t too bothered by their mistakes I would guess.
3. Most important- expect the unexpected. They can literally ask you anything!!! Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think there’s no way one could prepare for ‘logical thinking’ other than reading the extract carefully, (very, very carefully) making sure to outline your thinking process by starting from the very bottom, and not jumping to conclusions. Don’t try to answer the questions after they immediately ask you, even if you think the answer is obvious. And I would say please read the extract in depth before the interview because they use it quite a bit. If you don’t have an extract for your interview, don’t expect to be asked about your personal statement, or even the questions like “if you crossed a red light at night with no one there would it be legal” I literally spent ages preparing for these but instead I was asked about applying a piece of law I had never heard of before to different scenarios (it was hard to say the least). Again, expect anything, and to prepare just do what you enjoy doing and reread your personal statement, nothing more- they like to see well rounded, thoughtful and passionate students, that’s all! Just be yourself- there’s no quota to fill :smile:
Hopefully some more people respond so that there’s a diverse range of opinions on how the interviews work, rather than just the existing resources. If anyone has any more questions, I’m happy to answer them. Good luck :smile:

I have a few questions regarding the interview (apologies for arriving to this thread so late, I sure hope I hadn't missed the party completely!):

(1) When you say that the books and videos you watched, compared to your actual interview, were unrealistic- what did you mean by that exactly? Was it the format? The expectation? Or was it the content of the questions?
(2) Which university did you apply for?
(3) What would you advise I look at for my personal statement (as in books, the importance of work experience and more)? And I am trying to ascertain what I should be aiming towards.

PS I get that they're looking for passion towards the subject, but I am really confused as to the specifics. What do they use to measure passion? Or is that question too general to be answered properly?

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this!!! Congratulations for getting an interview from Oxford, I heard that getting an interview from Oxford specifically is a major deal with how difficult the stats are (and I have had a look at a few of their logistics surrounding law, and phew, they sure push away a lot of students...)
Reply 7
1) They will probably ask you to apply a piece of law to ‘real life’ scenarios instead of asking you the questions online (eg. Should it be illegal to watch a person drown). Also make sure you read the given extract before IN DEPTH and that you understand absolutely everything because you’ll be asked to apply it to real life scenarios too! Don’t buy any of those books that claim they can help with interviews+think school admissions officers mock interviews will be the same. Just expect the unexpected!
2) Oxford (got rejected yesterday lol) :banana:
3) I think my personal statement mistake was trying to prove myself through essay competitions and entrepreneurship, losing that essential connection to academic law. Even if you don’t get work experience or anything, read the course offered and tailor your ps to it using books alone. Eg they say they will study contract law in depth. So write something about contract law. Please talk about your passions too- but first show that you are capable of understanding dense law quickly. “Is eating people wrong” and “what about law” are great books to talk about. Also, I’ve got so many more tips about how to find work experience, win essay competitions etc. If you need it just ask. :smile:

And for anyone else reading this- take a moment to think why you’re applying for law. Not only is it a competitive and difficult application process, the course is very hard and the job market is dense. There is a higher chance you’ll get rejected even if you’ve got top scores for everything. You’ve still got time to change your mind- if I could tell younger me anything it would be to prioritise her happiness over getting a good job+reputation. But if you’re going for it, I wish you the best of luck and happiness for the future. :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
1) They will probably ask you to apply a piece of law to ‘real life’ scenarios instead of asking you the questions online (eg. Should it be illegal to watch a person drown). Also make sure you read the given extract before IN DEPTH and that you understand absolutely everything because you’ll be asked to apply it to real life scenarios too! Don’t buy any of those books that claim they can help with interviews+think school admissions officers mock interviews will be the same. Just expect the unexpected!
2) Oxford (got rejected yesterday lol) :banana:
3) I think my personal statement mistake was trying to prove myself through essay competitions and entrepreneurship, losing that essential connection to academic law. Even if you don’t get work experience or anything, read the course offered and tailor your ps to it using books alone. Eg they say they will study contract law in depth. So write something about contract law. Please talk about your passions too- but first show that you are capable of understanding dense law quickly. “Is eating people wrong” and “what about law” are great books to talk about. Also, I’ve got so many more tips about how to find work experience, win essay competitions etc. If you need it just ask. :smile:
And for anyone else reading this- take a moment to think why you’re applying for law. Not only is it a competitive and difficult application process, the course is very hard and the job market is dense. There is a higher chance you’ll get rejected even if you’ve got top scores for everything. You’ve still got time to change your mind- if I could tell younger me anything it would be to prioritise her happiness over getting a good job+reputation. But if you’re going for it, I wish you the best of luck and happiness for the future. :smile:

This was seriously the most helpful tip ever!! I'm so touched you took your time on replying... 😣thank you!!!

I would love some tips on essay competitions!! I've always thought about participating, but I have a crippling fear of not doing well... haha!

I think I understand what you mean by you not making your PS academic enough... I've read about that on reddit lol. They talk about how oxbridge care a surprising amount about academics instead of extracurriculars that other countries (ahem US) care a lot about.

Do you have any tips for LNAT btw? I did my first practice exam and I didn't do too prettily lol (i got 19 i think). What books should I read (*pirate)?

THANK YOU! <3
Reply 9
Original post by tootlesst
This was seriously the most helpful tip ever!! I'm so touched you took your time on replying... 😣thank you!!!
I would love some tips on essay competitions!! I've always thought about participating, but I have a crippling fear of not doing well... haha!
I think I understand what you mean by you not making your PS academic enough... I've read about that on reddit lol. They talk about how oxbridge care a surprising amount about academics instead of extracurriculars that other countries (ahem US) care a lot about.
Do you have any tips for LNAT btw? I did my first practice exam and I didn't do too prettily lol (i got 19 i think). What books should I read (*pirate)?
THANK YOU! <3

No problem, I wish I had any form of support when I was applying. Going to an oxford summer school really messed with my confidence to be honest, which is why I made that mistake with my personal statement. At least I've learnt a lot from the experience:smile:

In terms of essay competitions, enter any competition that has less people applying. Eg. I applied for this St Johns Inspire programme (maybe applications for that have closed by now..) and won a place in their essay competition, because they only had 80ish submissions. Meanwhile, those really big essay comps are much much more difficult to get a place in.
Rather than trying to find a law essay competition, try and find one in another subject that you're doing at school (most definitely one that you can link to law though), eg. an english lit, history, classics essay competition, thats more niche? Many of them are open now, all it needs is a google search.

I'd also say give the big ones like Peter Cane and Robert Walker, as well as the John Locke competition a shot too. Even if you don't get a place, getting used to reading law and coming up with your own ideas from them is very very invalubale, because that's exactly what they'll ask from you in the interviews.

As for the LNAT... I made the mistake of trusting UniAdmissions (would not personally recommend!!) and buying their massive books second hand for £10. They ended up being far too easy and not like the actual thing at all.
Firstly, it is essential that you complete one of the actual tests on the real website BEFORE you start practicing- it looks like you've already done that which is great, and 19 isn't too bad for a starting score well done! :smile: Then, for practice I'd actually recommend LNAT Ninja: https://exams.ninja/lnat/past-papers/ completely free unlike Arbitro and not too bad! If you can afford Arbitro, I'd say go for it (I wouldn't know how good it is though), but this is a cheaper alternative that I personally found to be the most similar to the actual thing. Of course, different people have different opinions so read around!

Hope that helps, and I also like answering these because I honestly wish I had someone helping me through a slightly scary and stress inducing process to be honest. I remember going through reddit and tsr and just wishing that there was more useful advice to be honest hahaha
Original post by Anonymous
1) They will probably ask you to apply a piece of law to ‘real life’ scenarios instead of asking you the questions online (eg. Should it be illegal to watch a person drown). Also make sure you read the given extract before IN DEPTH and that you understand absolutely everything because you’ll be asked to apply it to real life scenarios too! Don’t buy any of those books that claim they can help with interviews+think school admissions officers mock interviews will be the same. Just expect the unexpected!
2) Oxford (got rejected yesterday lol) :banana:
3) I think my personal statement mistake was trying to prove myself through essay competitions and entrepreneurship, losing that essential connection to academic law. Even if you don’t get work experience or anything, read the course offered and tailor your ps to it using books alone. Eg they say they will study contract law in depth. So write something about contract law. Please talk about your passions too- but first show that you are capable of understanding dense law quickly. “Is eating people wrong” and “what about law” are great books to talk about. Also, I’ve got so many more tips about how to find work experience, win essay competitions etc. If you need it just ask. :smile:
And for anyone else reading this- take a moment to think why you’re applying for law. Not only is it a competitive and difficult application process, the course is very hard and the job market is dense. There is a higher chance you’ll get rejected even if you’ve got top scores for everything. You’ve still got time to change your mind- if I could tell younger me anything it would be to prioritise her happiness over getting a good job+reputation. But if you’re going for it, I wish you the best of luck and happiness for the future. :smile:

I hope that many students will read your final paragraph.

Students who focus on careers in the law at an early age because of ideas of money and status may be misled.

The study and practice of law can be wonderful, but there are downsides. The shiny world depicted in TV shows and films is a fiction. The real version of that fictional world has an admission price measured in very hard work and often a lot of stress.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by tootlesst
This was seriously the most helpful tip ever!! I'm so touched you took your time on replying... 😣thank you!!!
I would love some tips on essay competitions!! I've always thought about participating, but I have a crippling fear of not doing well... haha!
I think I understand what you mean by you not making your PS academic enough... I've read about that on reddit lol. They talk about how oxbridge care a surprising amount about academics instead of extracurriculars that other countries (ahem US) care a lot about.
Do you have any tips for LNAT btw? I did my first practice exam and I didn't do too prettily lol (i got 19 i think). What books should I read (*pirate)?
THANK YOU! <3

It should not be surprising that the university which has a reasonable claim to be the best or one of the best universities in the World is focused on academic criteria. Oxford tutors are not interested greatly or at all by the extra-curricular activities of applicants. Tutors may be interested by super-curricular activities.

Rigorous academic study of the law produces brilliant practising lawyers, which is why the Bar, leading law firms, and the judiciary include a lot of graduates of Oxbridge, UCL, LSE, KCL, Durham, and so on. But the law courses at those universities are academic courses.

Oxford teaches the law, not the practice or business of law. Those are learned after Oxford.
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post by tootlesst
This was seriously the most helpful tip ever!! I'm so touched you took your time on replying... 😣thank you!!!
I would love some tips on essay competitions!! I've always thought about participating, but I have a crippling fear of not doing well... haha!
I think I understand what you mean by you not making your PS academic enough... I've read about that on reddit lol. They talk about how oxbridge care a surprising amount about academics instead of extracurriculars that other countries (ahem US) care a lot about.
Do you have any tips for LNAT btw? I did my first practice exam and I didn't do too prettily lol (i got 19 i think). What books should I read (*pirate)?
THANK YOU! <3

For the LNAT, taking practice papers is important. You can obtain some of these free online. You can buy books of practice papers new or second hand. Some people spend money on products such as Arbitio, which strikes me as an expenditure of doubtful utility. Bots and/or shills regularly plug Arbitio on this forum. You can form your own view on that.

For the essay, familiarity with current affairs may assist. I recommend that you read The Economist, the weekend Financial Times, and maybe look at periodicals such as Prospect, The Atlantic, the London Review of Books, New Scientist, and so on. Note in particular the concise and efficient writing style of the non-bylined writers in The Economist.

Many and perhaps most aspirants to study law read The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham. Every sixth former ought to read that book, in my opinion, as it is relevant to citizenship and not just to becoming a lawyer. Other books to consider are Learning The Law by Glanville Williams, and Letters To A Law Student, by Nick McBride. There are also numerous recent books about the experiences of criminal lawyers in the modern UK system, about large international business frauds and kleptocracy, and about human rights, armed conflict, migration, and other important topics.

Those who think that they wish to work in City law firms should, I suggest, gain a basic understanding of the financial markets which those firms largely serve. You can hardly say with a straight face that you are passionate about debt restructuring or securitisation of hybrid derivatives if you have no idea what those things are.

That all comes later, in any event. A law degree is an academic degree, not a course in how to practise law. Some universities say that their courses are more practice-oriented than others, but in reality you learn how to practise law after university. These days legal academics often have no practical legal experience, and many of them don't have a legal professional qualification.

I suggest that you disregard almost all fictional depictions of lawyers and legal processes. Most of those are inaccurate.

Please bear in mind that about half of the lawyers practising in the UK don't have law degrees. A legal career can be approached via postgraduate study as well as via a first degree.
Original post by Anonymous
No problem, I wish I had any form of support when I was applying. Going to an oxford summer school really messed with my confidence to be honest, which is why I made that mistake with my personal statement. At least I've learnt a lot from the experience:smile:
In terms of essay competitions, enter any competition that has less people applying. Eg. I applied for this St Johns Inspire programme (maybe applications for that have closed by now..) and won a place in their essay competition, because they only had 80ish submissions. Meanwhile, those really big essay comps are much much more difficult to get a place in.
Rather than trying to find a law essay competition, try and find one in another subject that you're doing at school (most definitely one that you can link to law though), eg. an english lit, history, classics essay competition, thats more niche? Many of them are open now, all it needs is a google search.
I'd also say give the big ones like Peter Cane and Robert Walker, as well as the John Locke competition a shot too. Even if you don't get a place, getting used to reading law and coming up with your own ideas from them is very very invalubale, because that's exactly what they'll ask from you in the interviews.
As for the LNAT... I made the mistake of trusting UniAdmissions (would not personally recommend!!) and buying their massive books second hand for £10. They ended up being far too easy and not like the actual thing at all.
Firstly, it is essential that you complete one of the actual tests on the real website BEFORE you start practicing- it looks like you've already done that which is great, and 19 isn't too bad for a starting score well done! :smile: Then, for practice I'd actually recommend LNAT Ninja: https://exams.ninja/lnat/past-papers/ completely free unlike Arbitro and not too bad! If you can afford Arbitro, I'd say go for it (I wouldn't know how good it is though), but this is a cheaper alternative that I personally found to be the most similar to the actual thing. Of course, different people have different opinions so read around!
Hope that helps, and I also like answering these because I honestly wish I had someone helping me through a slightly scary and stress inducing process to be honest. I remember going through reddit and tsr and just wishing that there was more useful advice to be honest hahaha

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I've never heard of LNAT Ninja before but I am so grateful!! I have been looking around for papers for so long now!! As for essay competitions, noted!!! I will certainly put your tips to good use!

Thank you so much for your kindness once again!! And yeah you're definitely right, support is definitely crucial for going to schools like Oxbridge... Sometimes I hear new things like how they consider your GCSEs and I go what???? Because I've just never heard of it!! Makes me worried what else will catch me off guard...

Welp!! I suppose that is just apart of life! 😄 Thanks smsmsmsms once again!!!

(Ps: student room is not letting me like your reply,, I think I may have liked posts from your user too much LOL)
Original post by Stiffy Byng
For the LNAT, taking practice papers is important. You can obtain some of these free online. You can buy books of practice papers new or second hand. Some people spend money on products such as Arbitio, which strikes me as an expenditure of doubtful utility. Bots and/or shills regularly plug Arbitio on this forum. You can form your own view on that.
For the essay, familiarity with current affairs may assist. I recommend that you read The Economist, the weekend Financial Times, and maybe look at periodicals such as Prospect, The Atlantic, the London Review of Books, New Scientist, and so on. Note in particular the concise and efficient writing style of the non-bylined writers in The Economist.
Many and perhaps most aspirants to study law read The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham. Every sixth former ought to read that book, in my opinion, as it is relevant to citizenship and not just to becoming a lawyer. Other books to consider are Learning The Law by Glanville Williams, and Letters To A Law Student, by Nick McBride. There are also numerous recent books about the experiences of criminal lawyers in the modern UK system, about large international business frauds and kleptocracy, and about human rights, armed conflict, migration, and other important topics.
Those who think that they wish to work in City law firms should, I suggest, gain a basic understanding of the financial markets which those firms largely serve. You can hardly say with a straight face that you are passionate about debt restructuring or securitisation of hybrid derivatives if you have no idea what those things are.
That all comes later, in any event. A law degree is an academic degree, not a course in how to practise law. Some universities say that their courses are more practice-oriented than others, but in reality you learn how to practise law after university. These days legal academics often have no practical legal experience, and many of them don't have a legal professional qualification.
I suggest that you disregard almost all fictional depictions of lawyers and legal processes. Most of those are inaccurate.
Please bear in mind that about half of the lawyers practising in the UK don't have law degrees. A legal career can be approached via postgraduate study as well as via a first degree.

Thank you very much!! I will put your advice into good use, thankfully I still have nine months before the actual exam... So it should be enough for me to start building a habit with reading current affairs! Thank you so much for all your tips- you sound like you know a lot! I took a screenshot of your reply and will be referencing it every now and then for tips and advice- Thank you!!!
Original post by tootlesst
Thank you very much!! I will put your advice into good use, thankfully I still have nine months before the actual exam... So it should be enough for me to start building a habit with reading current affairs! Thank you so much for all your tips- you sound like you know a lot! I took a screenshot of your reply and will be referencing it every now and then for tips and advice- Thank you!!!

You're welcome. I know a lot about some things and not a lot about others. The main thing which I have is experience, having been a lawyer since the Code of Hammurabi.

Best of luck in your preparations. Remember to take time off and have fun. And please be super realistic about the future. The law is a rigorous and challenging subject, and it's harder than ever to get into the best universities and then into the legal profession. This doesn't mean that's it's not worth trying, if that is what you really wish for.

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