Non-law at Top Uni or Law at non-russel

You're placing too much stock in the university that you attend. You're acting like you think the name of the university on your applications will move the needle for the person reading the application, when in reality it doesn't. It is becoming increasingly common for training contracts and pupillage applications to be sifted university blind, something which I expect will only become more common over time, so for those firms and sets, it makes literally no difference at all. But even for those that don't, it's not in reality a factor that improves your application. You are the candidate that you are regardless of which university you attend. You should make these decisions based on which is the right approach for you, not because you want to go to a 'better' university.

Hello, so I need some advice on what to do, at the moment I cannot meet the entry requirments for Law at the top Ruseel Group unis, so I was wondering whether it would acutally be better to study lets say Criminology at Durham or Crime & Security Science at UCL instead of doing Law at places like City, Kent, Lancster, Leicester, ect (unis I am might apply to atm). But if my next mock goes well, I might also try to apply to either Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, Exter and maybe even Manchester (I know Manchester asks for A*AA but they don't require the LNAT so).
Anyways so my question is would studying at Durham or UCL and then doing a law conversion, put me in a better position than doing an undergrad Law degree at a lower-ranking uni?

Don't just think about the "name" although let's be real that is a factor for a lot of people, it's not the main thing. Think about a university's ethos and resources what they can offer you that's unique compared to other unis. For the courses you are considering, they can also be very different uni to uni, so read the course pages carefully and find out what you will actually be learning and whether you will enjoy it. Find out what the methods of teaching are and whether you will actually enjoy that. It's all about substance over just the vibes of going to a Russell group uni, because at the end of the day you are the one who has to chase opportunities and make your degree what it is no matter where you go, and that's best done in an environment that is for you rather than in one that you just chose for the name.

I'm not thinking just becuase of the name, I have heard you can make better connection at top universities compared to lowe ranked ones

I'm not thinking just becuase of the name, I have heard you can make better connection at top universities compared to lowe ranked ones

Hello, so I need some advice on what to do, at the moment I cannot meet the entry requirments for Law at the top Ruseel Group unis, so I was wondering whether it would acutally be better to study lets say Criminology at Durham or Crime & Security Science at UCL instead of doing Law at places like City, Kent, Lancster, Leicester, ect (unis I am might apply to atm). But if my next mock goes well, I might also try to apply to either Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, Exter and maybe even Manchester (I know Manchester asks for A*AA but they don't require the LNAT so).
Anyways so my question is would studying at Durham or UCL and then doing a law conversion, put me in a better position than doing an undergrad Law degree at a lower-ranking uni?

Hello,
I would echo what others have said here. Regardless of the university you attend, it has never been easier to attend law-related events (online and in-person) to demonstrate your motivation for the field. You should choose the university that aligns best with what you want and the course that most interests you. It is certainly not a bad route to do a law conversion course (I did this myself), but you should weigh up whether you want to do the extra year of studying this would entail if you are not as interested in the course you would be doing for undergrad. Attend open days, learn more about the teaching style and law societies at the universities you are interested in, and choose what you think will be best for you.
Layla
SQE LLM student

A very good answer to this has already been given, but fundamentally it's a similar point to the one that has been made regarding the name of the university. Your ability to make connections is largely not determined by the university that you go to. Think about it. There will be hundreds of law students in any given cohort at the larger universities. Even if those universities provide you with contact with actual professions who have the time and ability to provide work experience or similar, do you think they'll be able to provide it to everyone in the cohort? Of course not. It will be a tiny minority who can take advantage of that in the majority of cases. By contrast, you'll be making applications for vacation schemes, mini pupillages and similar irrespective of where you study, and those will always form the most important elements of work experience for the purposes of any application. So again, you're putting stock into something that will make, at best, a very small difference, and there's every chance it will make no difference at all. You very much need to focus on the far more significant and important aspects of this decision, and top of that list is whether the course and the university suit you personally as someone who is going to study there for multiple years.

It depends what you mean by "connection". Are you going into a field where networking is especially important? Who do you want to make connections with, what will you do with those connections... These are all important things to consider. I definitely think that league tables and a university's reputation are not something to be disregarded completely, but you should think more deeply about each uni you are interested in and do research based on what will be important in your future career rather than just believing in what you have heard.
Best of luck with everything.

I mean I want to end up as a solicitor possible a barriester and I heard that connections and networking is vital for someone going into the legal profession

I mean I want to end up as a solicitor possible a barriester and I heard that connections and networking is vital for someone going into the legal profession

Speaking from experience, having graduated, done vac schemes, and gone through TC recruitment, the idea that “your university doesn’t matter” really doesn’t apply to commercial law. If you look at intake data, most City firms recruit heavily from RG universities because that’s where their pipelines are.
I also wouldn’t recommend criminology, and honestly even an undergrad law degree isn’t always the best route. I studied economics, and almost all my friends who did law had far more legal experience than me, yet many ended up at local/high-street firms.
If you don't think you will meet the law requirements & you’re interested in another subject, something like economics, geography, history, etc., can actually be a smarter choice. It helps you stand out, builds broader skills, and still keeps the law route open through the conversion courses. Economics in particular is great for commercial awareness.
Plus, doing a non-law degree keeps your options open. I’ve now chosen not to pursue law and move toward something more economics-focused, something I wouldn’t have been able to do as easily with a straight law degree.

Speaking from experience, having graduated, done vac schemes, and gone through TC recruitment, the idea that “your university doesn’t matter” really doesn’t apply to commercial law. If you look at intake data, most City firms recruit heavily from RG universities because that’s where their pipelines are.
I also wouldn’t recommend criminology, and honestly even an undergrad law degree isn’t always the best route. I studied economics, and almost all my friends who did law had far more legal experience than me, yet many ended up at local/high-street firms.
If you don't think you will meet the law requirements & you’re interested in another subject, something like economics, geography, history, etc., can actually be a smarter choice. It helps you stand out, builds broader skills, and still keeps the law route open through the conversion courses. Economics in particular is great for commercial awareness.
Plus, doing a non-law degree keeps your options open. I’ve now chosen not to pursue law and move toward something more economics-focused, something I wouldn’t have been able to do as easily with a straight law degree.

I'd echo Jamie's comments.
I don't think anyone on this thread (or others) is suggesting that "your university doesn't matter". Clearly it does. The problem lies with (a) students trying to find a small distinction between two universities with relatively similar levels of quality and/or (b) students who think that attending a certain university will give them an automatic leg-up because of some perceived reputation or ranking attached to that institution.
I'm not sure what you mean by "pipelines" in relation to law firms and universities? The days are gone where certain firms would only look at applicants from a handful of institutions.

You're right that city firms recruit heavily from RG universities, but correlation and causation are two different things. Firms, including city firms, are now increasingly moving towards assessing applications university blind, as are chambers on the barrister side of things. Better universities take better candidates to begin with. They then do teach them better in the main, but it is that taking the better candidates that does most of the heavy lifting here on a causation perspective.
Your point about doing a non law is perfectly fine. I advise people to do the same if they have an interest in something other than law. But doing a non law degree because you think it will increase your chances of securing a training contract or pupillage without having an interest in that other area, or having a genuine desire to keep your options open as you did, would be a poor choice. There always has been and probably always will be an even split between law undergraduates and non law undergraduates when it comes to securing training contracts and pupillages. Which of those paths is right for the individual candidate depends on their circumstances.