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University Law Application

I’m looking to study law at university, and I’m currently in lower sixth (Year 12), doing Philosophy, English Literature and History as my A-Levels, with an EPQ.

What can I do to boost my application to study law? Any courses, work experience or things I should be doing?

Thanks!

Reply 1

Original post
by lawlucas
I’m looking to study law at university, and I’m currently in lower sixth (Year 12), doing Philosophy, English Literature and History as my A-Levels, with an EPQ.
What can I do to boost my application to study law? Any courses, work experience or things I should be doing?
Thanks!

Follow your interests! Why do you want to study law? If there’s no particular thing you’re really interested in at the moment, introductory reading is always a great idea (i.e. Letters to A Law Student, Eve Was Framed, What About Law, etc.).

Gresham College is a website that has lots of free lectures (and a lot of cool legal ones!).

Over the half term, another fun thing you can do is sit in your local Crown Court and observe cases from the public gallery.

The Law Show is a podcast on Spotify that has some great episodes. There are also a lot of free courses on FutureLearn. Good ones are Introduction to Jurisprudence: Introduction to the Philosophy of Law and Exploring Law (although the latter isn’t open at the moment).

Enter essay competitions! Some good ones are Gwyneth Bebb, Robert Walker and the Doughty Street Chambers essay competition.

Do what you enjoy. This was the most fun part of my Y12 (and I really miss it now as a Y13). Good luck : )
Original post
by lawlucas
I’m looking to study law at university, and I’m currently in lower sixth (Year 12), doing Philosophy, English Literature and History as my A-Levels, with an EPQ.
What can I do to boost my application to study law? Any courses, work experience or things I should be doing?
Thanks!
Hi there,

It’s great that you’re already thinking ahead about your law application—your A-Level choices in Philosophy, English Literature, and History are fantastic for developing critical thinking, analytical skills, and structured argumentation, all of which are key for studying law. Your EPQ is also a great asset, especially if you can tie it to a legal topic like human rights, criminal law, or the philosophy of law to showcase your academic interest in the subject.

To strengthen your application, try to gain legal-related experience where possible. You could attend public court hearings to observe real-life legal proceedings, look for legal webinars or virtual work experience (programs like Forage offer insight into commercial law), or even volunteer with Citizens Advice to develop problem-solving and client-facing skills. If you're unable to secure formal work experience, engaging with legal podcasts, such as "More Perfect" (by Radiolab) or "Law Pod UK", can help you stay informed about legal discussions.

Reading around the subject is also a great way to show your interest. Books like "Eve Was Framed" by Helena Kennedy or "What About Law?" by Barnard, O’Sullivan & Virgo provide accessible insights into different areas of law. Following legal news from sources like The Guardian Law or The Secret Barrister’s blog can also help you build a well-rounded perspective.

If your school has a debating society or law society, joining would be a great way to enhance your argumentation skills. You might also want to explore mooting competitions, essay competitions (like the Bar Council’s or The Times Law Awards), or Model United Nations to demonstrate your ability to construct and defend arguments effectively.

Overall, universities are looking for applicants who show a genuine interest in law, strong reasoning skills, and engagement with legal topics beyond their A-Level studies. You’re already on the right track—keep exploring different opportunities, and you’ll build a strong application.

All the best!

Reply 3

Hey, while I was applying I made sure to do some online work experiences to add to my personal statement. Try out Forage and follow Young Professionals on instagram, they always do stuff with law firms and you can get a certificate when you attend their online insight things!

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