Firm and Safety Choice for Law (2025) – Need Advice!
I have received offers from Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, York, and City Law for Law and I’m struggling to decide on my firm and safety choices.
In terms of ranking, I’m torn between Nottingham and Bristol. Bristol has a higher ranking and a better overall reputation, but I really like Nottingham’s vibrant and dynamic environment. If I choose Nottingham, I feel like I might regret not going for Bristol due to its prestige.
I’m also considering York because of its beautiful city, great university environment, and most importantly, problem-based learning (PBL). I find this approach intriguing since I’m not a big fan of exams and tend to perform better in coursework when I have access to materials. Plus, I enjoy group work and discussing legal issues.
Beyond rankings and learning styles, I also want to factor in graduate employability, job prospects at Magic Circle or other top London firms, and dropout rates at these universities. I’d really appreciate insights from people who have studied Law at these universities—how was your experience, and how well did the degree set you up for a legal career?
Given all this, which university do you think I should firm, and which should be my safety? Would love to hear your thoughts—thanks in advance!
In terms of ranking, I’m torn between Nottingham and Bristol. Bristol has a higher ranking and a better overall reputation, but I really like Nottingham’s vibrant and dynamic environment. If I choose Nottingham, I feel like I might regret not going for Bristol due to its prestige.
I’m also considering York because of its beautiful city, great university environment, and most importantly, problem-based learning (PBL). I find this approach intriguing since I’m not a big fan of exams and tend to perform better in coursework when I have access to materials. Plus, I enjoy group work and discussing legal issues.
Beyond rankings and learning styles, I also want to factor in graduate employability, job prospects at Magic Circle or other top London firms, and dropout rates at these universities. I’d really appreciate insights from people who have studied Law at these universities—how was your experience, and how well did the degree set you up for a legal career?
Given all this, which university do you think I should firm, and which should be my safety? Would love to hear your thoughts—thanks in advance!
Reply 1
Ignore rankings and "prestige". Choose based on the course and the vibe.
Reply 2
Hello ,
Congratulations on your offers - you have got a really good selection of universities!
I do not go to any of those universities however I have been to a lot of schemes/insight days hosted by Magic Circle firms and have secured a vacation scheme at a Magic Circle firm so I can provide an insight from that perspective.
A lot of these firms have emphasised that they recruit cv-blind and when you apply the prestige or ranking of your university is unlikely to have an impact. Instead, they will assess other things based off your application such as how well can you write, what experiences/extracurriculars do you have to evidence your stated skills, what are your grades etc, how can you demonstrate your interest in commercial law? Therefore, looking at university rankings and employability statistics may not be useful as it is about the individual applying, not the institution that they studied at.
Instead, I would recommend focusing on other factors such as what the city is like - for example you mentioned that you enjoyed the environment of Nottingham! You will be spending three years living in the city you choose so you want to pick a city that you will enjoy living in. Additionally, it is useful to think about how the course is taught like how you mentioned York's PBL approach. If your aspiration is to get into Magic Circle/top London firm, you will be expected to have high grades. It will be a beneficial choice to pick a university that matches your learning style.
I hope that provides a useful insight!
Claire
Law LLB Student
Congratulations on your offers - you have got a really good selection of universities!
I do not go to any of those universities however I have been to a lot of schemes/insight days hosted by Magic Circle firms and have secured a vacation scheme at a Magic Circle firm so I can provide an insight from that perspective.
A lot of these firms have emphasised that they recruit cv-blind and when you apply the prestige or ranking of your university is unlikely to have an impact. Instead, they will assess other things based off your application such as how well can you write, what experiences/extracurriculars do you have to evidence your stated skills, what are your grades etc, how can you demonstrate your interest in commercial law? Therefore, looking at university rankings and employability statistics may not be useful as it is about the individual applying, not the institution that they studied at.
Instead, I would recommend focusing on other factors such as what the city is like - for example you mentioned that you enjoyed the environment of Nottingham! You will be spending three years living in the city you choose so you want to pick a city that you will enjoy living in. Additionally, it is useful to think about how the course is taught like how you mentioned York's PBL approach. If your aspiration is to get into Magic Circle/top London firm, you will be expected to have high grades. It will be a beneficial choice to pick a university that matches your learning style.
I hope that provides a useful insight!
Claire
Law LLB Student
Original post by Stiffy Byng
Ignore rankings and "prestige". Choose based on the course and the vibe.
I know, but it’s a pain to reject Nottinghama and Bristol for York
Original post by Linh1333
I know, but it’s a pain to reject Nottinghama and Bristol for York
If you haven’t decided just yet- hopefully I can provide some helpful insight-
Besides Oxbridge/ London unis- I really don’t think many( if any) magic circle will have their recruitment decisions influenced in any way by which Russell group uni the graduate is from- tbh even the Oxbridge/ London unis only have a minor advantage if other applicants have strong applications.
Ofc stats( not always 100% reliable) but nonetheless demonstrate Bristol and Nottingham as being two target unis for magic circle firms, although York graduates also making up only half a percentage to 1 percent less than these two unis-
meaning:
Overall, whichever you firm/ insure out of these 3 will make little to most likely no difference-
If a York graduate has a first with a better application they wouldn’t even look to consider a Bristol graduate with worse stats- so choose the university you like the most and think you will perform best at-
you mention PBL suits your learning- if that can get you a first, while the other styles of teaching would get you a 2:1, choose York, as the rankings mean very little-
York is a breath taking city, and you mention you love Nottinghams culture- so these are the real things to consider-
perhaps firm Bristol/ Nott and insure York as I think both Bristol and Nottingham have A*AA entry grade compared to AAA at York- meaning York would actually fulfil the role of an insurance choice- best of luck with your choices, I hope this helped in some way!
Original post by JE9
If you haven’t decided just yet- hopefully I can provide some helpful insight-
Besides Oxbridge/ London unis- I really don’t think many( if any) magic circle will have their recruitment decisions influenced in any way by which Russell group uni the graduate is from- tbh even the Oxbridge/ London unis only have a minor advantage if other applicants have strong applications.
Ofc stats( not always 100% reliable) but nonetheless demonstrate Bristol and Nottingham as being two target unis for magic circle firms, although York graduates also making up only half a percentage to 1 percent less than these two unis-
meaning:
Overall, whichever you firm/ insure out of these 3 will make little to most likely no difference-
If a York graduate has a first with a better application they wouldn’t even look to consider a Bristol graduate with worse stats- so choose the university you like the most and think you will perform best at-
you mention PBL suits your learning- if that can get you a first, while the other styles of teaching would get you a 2:1, choose York, as the rankings mean very little-
York is a breath taking city, and you mention you love Nottinghams culture- so these are the real things to consider-
perhaps firm Bristol/ Nott and insure York as I think both Bristol and Nottingham have A*AA entry grade compared to AAA at York- meaning York would actually fulfil the role of an insurance choice- best of luck with your choices, I hope this helped in some way!
Besides Oxbridge/ London unis- I really don’t think many( if any) magic circle will have their recruitment decisions influenced in any way by which Russell group uni the graduate is from- tbh even the Oxbridge/ London unis only have a minor advantage if other applicants have strong applications.
Ofc stats( not always 100% reliable) but nonetheless demonstrate Bristol and Nottingham as being two target unis for magic circle firms, although York graduates also making up only half a percentage to 1 percent less than these two unis-
meaning:
Overall, whichever you firm/ insure out of these 3 will make little to most likely no difference-
If a York graduate has a first with a better application they wouldn’t even look to consider a Bristol graduate with worse stats- so choose the university you like the most and think you will perform best at-
you mention PBL suits your learning- if that can get you a first, while the other styles of teaching would get you a 2:1, choose York, as the rankings mean very little-
York is a breath taking city, and you mention you love Nottinghams culture- so these are the real things to consider-
perhaps firm Bristol/ Nott and insure York as I think both Bristol and Nottingham have A*AA entry grade compared to AAA at York- meaning York would actually fulfil the role of an insurance choice- best of luck with your choices, I hope this helped in some way!
Thank you!
Reply 6
Original post by Linh1333
I have received offers from Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, York, and City Law for Law and I’m struggling to decide on my firm and safety choices.
In terms of ranking, I’m torn between Nottingham and Bristol. Bristol has a higher ranking and a better overall reputation, but I really like Nottingham’s vibrant and dynamic environment. If I choose Nottingham, I feel like I might regret not going for Bristol due to its prestige.
I’m also considering York because of its beautiful city, great university environment, and most importantly, problem-based learning (PBL). I find this approach intriguing since I’m not a big fan of exams and tend to perform better in coursework when I have access to materials. Plus, I enjoy group work and discussing legal issues.
Beyond rankings and learning styles, I also want to factor in graduate employability, job prospects at Magic Circle or other top London firms, and dropout rates at these universities. I’d really appreciate insights from people who have studied Law at these universities—how was your experience, and how well did the degree set you up for a legal career?
Given all this, which university do you think I should firm, and which should be my safety? Would love to hear your thoughts—thanks in advance!
In terms of ranking, I’m torn between Nottingham and Bristol. Bristol has a higher ranking and a better overall reputation, but I really like Nottingham’s vibrant and dynamic environment. If I choose Nottingham, I feel like I might regret not going for Bristol due to its prestige.
I’m also considering York because of its beautiful city, great university environment, and most importantly, problem-based learning (PBL). I find this approach intriguing since I’m not a big fan of exams and tend to perform better in coursework when I have access to materials. Plus, I enjoy group work and discussing legal issues.
Beyond rankings and learning styles, I also want to factor in graduate employability, job prospects at Magic Circle or other top London firms, and dropout rates at these universities. I’d really appreciate insights from people who have studied Law at these universities—how was your experience, and how well did the degree set you up for a legal career?
Given all this, which university do you think I should firm, and which should be my safety? Would love to hear your thoughts—thanks in advance!
Hi!
You can chat to one of our Law students to find out more about the course! I didn't study Law but I can an amazing time living and studying at York 🙂
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