Advice for Law Students

[Arrowhead]

OMG! This thread is da bomb! I already know tons more than I did 1 hour ago!!! Arrowhead, you're awesome! AND LSE!!!!!!!!!!

Aww sucks, you're too kind. It's really not a big deal. Gaby's the real celebrity here.

Can you tell me if doing extra certificates after school will help me with universities like Oxford/LSE/UCL/King's/etc? (Subjects in sig)

Honestly, I don't know. I mean you're doing all the traditional subjects and then unconventional ones as well. I can truly say I've never heard of anyone doing what you're doing with 8 IB subjects (and 6 at HL!) Personally, and I should emphasise that this is pure conjecture, I think it can only help you. It shows drive, motivation, a variation of interests, a strong ability to multi-task, etc.

Also, what kind of ECs should I be focusing on? I currently do:

- Theatre

- Dance

- Choir

- Play Handball

- Write for the school newsletter and yearly magazine

- Lots of MUN and debates (I won a national debate tournament last year)

- Lots of teaching rural children over summer (because I love to teach...and the CAS hours are an incentive)

What else can/should I do?

Oh my god you're already doing enough! People get into the top universities with much lesser I assure you. It all comes down to how you phrase things and explain how all of this relates to the study of law and will make you a better law student.

Also (and I swear I'm not a stalker), but why are you doing a Master's when you already have a training contract? With DLA Piper!!

The TC is my back-up. I really want to make it at the Bar but that's 10 times harder, hence the need for the Master's.

How did you get mock trial experience? Is that something your school organised?

Just to add on to Gaby's contributions, you can always try to organise mooting at your school. I'm sure there'll be a local law university nearby. You can ask a current law student (with mooting experience) to come and judge you. If it's a hit, you can have a proper tournament of it all (but again, it depends on how big your school/year group is and how many are interested in doing this). maybe you could collaborate with students across schools? Just something to think about if you really want to do it.

But seeing all the stuff you've done and are doing, I really don't think you should bother, you probably don't have the time!

Did you do a shadowing experience in Britain?

You can do your shadowing experience anywhere, it really doesn't matter. I did my two pre-law school shadowing experiences in India and Singapore, for example.

Ok, quite a random question (as usual, considering it's like midnight ), but how much do you think UK unis would care about your hobbies when applying for law, if they are somewhat related to law? I'm pretty involved in my country's debating scene, and I've represented my country's best uni in some university level debating tournaments etc. Do you think they'd care, if I mentioned it in my personal statement?

I think it's definitely worth mentioning, but as Gaby has already said, it depends on how you spin it. Debating has a lot fo transferrable skills to law: thinking on your feet, analytical skills, being argumentative, etc.

[Erudite]

Thanks, Arrowhead! You're the awesomest!

I think you're right about overreaching with Mock trial court, so I'll just leave that one be.

It's relieving to know that I don't have to hunt for someone to give me work experience in Britain and I can do it back home. Are you (at least part) Indian, Arrowhead? I see you did your ICSEs (I swear, not a stalker). Where'd you do your internship?

[Erudite]

The shadowing I did was in Poland, in an insurance company.

My LNAT score was relatively high for a non native, I got 30/42, with average being a bit over 21 this year.

Did it matter that it was insurance - I mean is it because you like insurance law or something? Or is any kind of legal experience acceptable in terms of shadowing?

Is the actual LNAT like the online practice tests they provide?

[Gaby]

The shadowing I did was in Poland, in an insurance company.

My LNAT score was relatively high for a non native, I got 30/42, with average being a bit over 21 this year.

Did it matter that it was insurance - I mean is it because you like insurance law or something? Or is any kind of legal experience acceptable in terms of shadowing?

Is the actual LNAT like the online practice tests they provide?

Nah, it doesn't matter, just kinda clarified that it wasn't really a law firm, just a law office in the company. I'm not sure I'm crazy about insurance, but I wouldn't mind dealing with it in the future. Any kind of experience would be good.

LNAT is not a practice test, it's an online test that is supposed to check your skills, kinda. If you can think like a lawyer. I'm not sure how much attention they pay to it since a 20 used to be considered a really good score, with the average being around 16 in the past years. Out of 42.

[Arrowhead]

It's relieving to know that I don't have to hunt for someone to give me work experience in Britain and I can do it back home. Are you (at least part) Indian, Arrowhead? I see you did your ICSEs (I swear, not a stalker). Where'd you do your internship?

I'm sure you're not a stalker. I studied in India for a few years among many other places. Yes, I am Indian (partly, anyway). I did my internship at Mehta Solicitors, tiny office, one-man, diverse practice, 10-minutes from Bombay High Court in Town near Fort.

Did it matter that it was insurance - I mean is it because you like insurance law or something? Or is any kind of legal experience acceptable in terms of shadowing?

Is the actual LNAT like the online practice tests they provide?

Any kind of legal experience is fine so long as you can talk about it competently.

The online tests on the LNAT website is what you mean? They're a little easier than the actual test. But the actual test isn't that hard to begin with (imo).

[Gaby]

It's relieving to know that I don't have to hunt for someone to give me work experience in Britain and I can do it back home. Are you (at least part) Indian, Arrowhead? I see you did your ICSEs (I swear, not a stalker). Where'd you do your internship?

I'm sure you're not a stalker. I studied in India for a few years among many other places. Yes, I am Indian (partly, anyway). I did my internship at Mehta Solicitors, tiny office, one-man, diverse practice, 10-minutes from Bombay High Court in Town near Fort.

Did it matter that it was insurance - I mean is it because you like insurance law or something? Or is any kind of legal experience acceptable in terms of shadowing?

Is the actual LNAT like the online practice tests they provide?

Any kind of legal experience is fine so long as you can talk about it competently.

The online tests on the LNAT website is what you mean? They're a little easier than the actual test. But the actual test isn't that hard to begin with (imo).

I think the problem with LNAT is that it's so... weird. I left the room and I seriously couldn't tell if I'd get 5 or 40 points. The essay is rather easy, I'd say. But some of the answers in the test seem identical to each other, so it's hard to decide quickly and you don't have that much time after all. Maybe it's just how I felt.

[Erudite]

I was talking to a friend's older brother today, he's an Associate at Clifford Chance, and he strongly encouraged me to do a non-law degree and then convert to law with the GDL.

He said it's an easier option and much more preferable today as compared to a straight law degree? Do you think that's true? Do you think I'd have a better chance with an MC in the future if I did the GDL following a non-law degree?

Do you think you could do a non-law degree in the US and then convert with the GDL?

[Arrowhead]

I was talking to a friend's older brother today, he's an Associate at Clifford Chance, and he strongly encouraged me to do a non-law degree and then convert to law with the GDL.

He said it's an easier option and much more preferable today as compared to a straight law degree? Do you think that's true?

In my opinion, yes, it's true.

Do you think I'd have a better chance with an MC in the future if I did the GDL following a non-law degree?

Opinions differ on this. An MC intake is roughly divided equally between law and non-law. It's not as simple as saying, "Clifford Chance prefers non-law students." A lot of it depends on your individual profile and whether they like you or not on paper and then in the interview. Some people say that non-law students have a wider background and understanding of the world which they can bring to their legal practice, but I think that depends entirely on the person.

Do you think you could do a non-law degree in the US and then convert with the GDL?

I think that's definitely an option, there's nothing stopping you from going to the US and then going through the GDL. In fact I would think that would make your profile more exotic and interesting. I would, however, fear that you might be a little out of the loop and it would take a lot of extra effort on your part to do the necessary research and get to know the firms you'd like to apply to, etc. But you're not a stranger to hard work, so I don't see why you should have to limit yourself as such.

[bluedino]

Firstly, thank you for posting this wonderful thread, and for providing a lot of really interesting and useful information!

I was originally attracted to the idea of becoming a lawyer due to the supposed high pay that you can potentially earn once you actually get a job as a lawyer. Do you know if people who only do law for the money and aren't actually interested in law are very successful?

I don't really know if I want to do law or not (I'm actually really interested in finance now but my parents think I should do law), but one thing I am really concerned about is English. I'm currently doing English A1 at Higher Level and I am a native English speaker, but I am really quite inferior at writing essays and doing analysis on my own (I'm at a 5). To be more specific, I'm actually really good at writing descriptive essays, but pretty bad at analysing things - for example, I'm really struggling with my EE and English World Lit. I also hate writing essays in general. Forgive me if this has a really obvious answer, but would this seriously hinder if doing a law degree at uni? Is writing essays generally really, really significant in a law degree? is essay writing an absolutely crucial skill?

Thanks in advance!

Edited May 18, 2013 by bluedino

[Arrowhead]

Firstly, thank you for posting this wonderful thread, and for providing a lot of really interesting and useful information!

You're welcome. lad anything helped at all.

I was originally attracted to the idea of becoming a lawyer due to the supposed high pay that you can potentially earn once you actually get a job as a lawyer. Do you know if people who only do law for the money and aren't actually interested in law are very successful?

...Almost everyone I know...including myself. There's nothing wrong in wanting a high-paying salary and that being your motivation to get into a profession.

I don't really know if I want to do law or not (I'm actually really interested in finance now but my parents think I should do law), but one thing I am really concerned about is English. I'm currently doing English A1 at Higher Level and I am a native English speaker, but I am really quite inferior at writing essays and doing analysis on my own (I'm at a 5). To be more specific, I'm actually really good at writing descriptive essays, but pretty bad at analysing things - for example, I'm really struggling with my EE and English World Lit. I also hate writing essays in general. Forgive me if this has a really obvious answer, but would this seriously hinder if doing a law degree at uni? Is writing essays generally really, really significant in a law degree? is essay writing an absolutely crucial skill?

Unfortunately, writing essays is the lifeblood of a law degree and analysis is essentially what you do as a lawyer. Analytical skills is one of your most important assets/skills in a legal career. All I do in law school is write analytical essays...all the time. All my exams involve writing 3 or 4 essays. There is no escaping reading copious amount of information and analysing them in legal essays when it comes to the study of law.

You can always do a non-law degree and then convert to law if you really want to. But then again, I would question whether law would be a good fit for you if analysis and writing/drafting in general is not your forté. Just think about it a little more before you make a definitive decision.

Edited May 18, 2013 by Arrowhead

[flinquinnster]

This may risk sounding like an incredibly stupid question, but is it too late to start considering applying for law in the UK when I'm an Australian student taking exams this November (so 2014 UCAS applications)?

I know that of course technically I've still got months, but in terms of the preparatory groundwork I'm not really sure that my application will be that great. I have decent extra-curricular activities (Debating, Model UN to state/national level, some music, community service in different areas), but I think that what I lack right now is clear evidence on why specifically I would like to study law. In fact, I'm not even sure why I would like to study law, apart from some vague, undefined notion of it being quite erudite and perhaps a more employable skill than arts/international relations.

Also, I would be considering applying for law at Oxford or Cambridge - is it quite unrealistic to be aiming for that without some kind of burning desire to study law in the UK? I'm obviously definitely considering to applying to different universities, including London-based ones (London is just a much cooler place, in my imagination), but if I were to uproot myself from home I would preferably be going to one of the top law programs in the UK.

Frankly though, I might leave my options open for now and keep looking around at different degrees in the UK.

I'd appreciate any and every bit of advice which happens to come my way.

[Arrowhead]

This may risk sounding like an incredibly stupid question, but is it too late to start considering applying for law in the UK when I'm an Australian student taking exams this November (so 2014 UCAS applications)?

I know that of course technically I've still got months, but in terms of the preparatory groundwork I'm not really sure that my application will be that great. I have decent extra-curricular activities (Debating, Model UN to state/national level, some music, community service in different areas), but I think that what I lack right now is clear evidence on why specifically I would like to study law. In fact, I'm not even sure why I would like to study law, apart from some vague, undefined notion of it being quite erudite and perhaps a more employable skill than arts/international relations.

Also, I would be considering applying for law at Oxford or Cambridge - is it quite unrealistic to be aiming for that without some kind of burning desire to study law in the UK? I'm obviously definitely considering to applying to different universities, including London-based ones (London is just a much cooler place, in my imagination), but if I were to uproot myself from home I would preferably be going to one of the top law programs in the UK.

Frankly though, I might leave my options open for now and keep looking around at different degrees in the UK.

I'd appreciate any and every bit of advice which happens to come my way.

I was very much in a similar position to you. I frankly chose law because it seemed like an employable degree. I didn't actually discover any joy or 'passion' for it until well into my second-year.

I will say though that the feedback I got from my interview at Oxford was that they didn't think I was committed to the subject or even cared for it much, which was pretty much true.

As long as you have the grades and the basic extracurriculars I see no reason why you wouldn't at least get an interview with Oxbridge. In terms of discovering a passion for it, I would suggest going to your local high court and sitting in on a few cases. They usually post online the morning off the order of cases and you can decide if there are any interesting ones worth attending in the gallery. You can also write to local solicitor firms and see if they're willing to let you shadow for a day or two to get a feel of the profession.

I'm sure if you google work experience opportunities for high schoolers, there will be some interesting schemes available in your country. You can even demonstrate your enthusiasm by attending law lectures at your local university open to the public.

Moreover, I would suggest doing a little independent reading in your own time to get a basic conceptual understanding of the law. Feel it out as it were. I have a file on IBS which is a collection of legal articles on some specific subjects areas, maybe read some of those.

There's a lot you can do to feel out the profession and the academic subject.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Arrowhead

[flinquinnster]

This may risk sounding like an incredibly stupid question, but is it too late to start considering applying for law in the UK when I'm an Australian student taking exams this November (so 2014 UCAS applications)?

I know that of course technically I've still got months, but in terms of the preparatory groundwork I'm not really sure that my application will be that great. I have decent extra-curricular activities (Debating, Model UN to state/national level, some music, community service in different areas), but I think that what I lack right now is clear evidence on why specifically I would like to study law. In fact, I'm not even sure why I would like to study law, apart from some vague, undefined notion of it being quite erudite and perhaps a more employable skill than arts/international relations.

Also, I would be considering applying for law at Oxford or Cambridge - is it quite unrealistic to be aiming for that without some kind of burning desire to study law in the UK? I'm obviously definitely considering to applying to different universities, including London-based ones (London is just a much cooler place, in my imagination), but if I were to uproot myself from home I would preferably be going to one of the top law programs in the UK.

Frankly though, I might leave my options open for now and keep looking around at different degrees in the UK.

I'd appreciate any and every bit of advice which happens to come my way.

I was very much in a similar position to you. I frankly chose law because it seemed like an employable degree. I didn't actually discover any joy or 'passion' for it until well into my second-year.

I will say though that the feedback I got from my interview at Oxford was that they didn't think I was committed to the subject or even cared for it much, which was pretty much true.

As long as you have the grades and the basic extracurriculars I see no reason why you wouldn't at least get an interview with Oxbridge. In terms of discovering a passion for it, I would suggest going to your local high court and sitting in on a few cases. They usually post online the morning off the order of cases and you can decide if there are any interesting ones worth attending in the gallery. You can also write to local solicitor firms and see if they're willing to let you shadow for a day or two to get a feel of the profession.

I'm sure if you google work experience opportunities for high schoolers, there will be some interesting schemes available in your country. You can even demonstrate your enthusiasm by attending law lectures at your local university open to the public.

Moreover, I would suggest doing a little independent reading in your own time to get a basic conceptual understanding of the law. Feel it out as it were. I have a file on IBS which is a collection of legal articles on some specific subjects areas, maybe read some of those.

There's a lot you can do to feel out the profession and the academic subject.

Umm... Yes, I do think that right now the hardest thing is to create the depth and passion for knowledge that the better unis in the UK will want to see for law. I'm not even sure I want to pursue it, so I am hesitant to invest too much time into trying to get ready for UK law applications - considering the Australian and US applications I will also be making.

I've had a little bit of experience in hearing some of the proceedings in local courts, but nothing much. I might consider going further in order to gain more experience. Our school did have a work experience program, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at a magazine, but I have ended up shifting away from journalism as an aspirational career path. All the recommendations you suggested are good, so thanks for the advice.

I guess I'll just have to try and figure out where to focus my energy for uni applications. I think I'll really need to assess whether I think that it's worth spending quite a bit of time on something that I might not necessarily like - or preparing for applications in a country that I might never actually study at! If anything, these 'real-life' intrusions are actually more stressful than the IB itself...

[Gaby]

This may risk sounding like an incredibly stupid question, but is it too late to start considering applying for law in the UK when I'm an Australian student taking exams this November (so 2014 UCAS applications)?

I know that of course technically I've still got months, but in terms of the preparatory groundwork I'm not really sure that my application will be that great. I have decent extra-curricular activities (Debating, Model UN to state/national level, some music, community service in different areas), but I think that what I lack right now is clear evidence on why specifically I would like to study law. In fact, I'm not even sure why I would like to study law, apart from some vague, undefined notion of it being quite erudite and perhaps a more employable skill than arts/international relations.

Also, I would be considering applying for law at Oxford or Cambridge - is it quite unrealistic to be aiming for that without some kind of burning desire to study law in the UK? I'm obviously definitely considering to applying to different universities, including London-based ones (London is just a much cooler place, in my imagination), but if I were to uproot myself from home I would preferably be going to one of the top law programs in the UK.

Frankly though, I might leave my options open for now and keep looking around at different degrees in the UK.

I'd appreciate any and every bit of advice which happens to come my way.

I was very much in a similar position to you. I frankly chose law because it seemed like an employable degree. I didn't actually discover any joy or 'passion' for it until well into my second-year.

I will say though that the feedback I got from my interview at Oxford was that they didn't think I was committed to the subject or even cared for it much, which was pretty much true.

As long as you have the grades and the basic extracurriculars I see no reason why you wouldn't at least get an interview with Oxbridge. In terms of discovering a passion for it, I would suggest going to your local high court and sitting in on a few cases. They usually post online the morning off the order of cases and you can decide if there are any interesting ones worth attending in the gallery. You can also write to local solicitor firms and see if they're willing to let you shadow for a day or two to get a feel of the profession.

I'm sure if you google work experience opportunities for high schoolers, there will be some interesting schemes available in your country. You can even demonstrate your enthusiasm by attending law lectures at your local university open to the public.

Moreover, I would suggest doing a little independent reading in your own time to get a basic conceptual understanding of the law. Feel it out as it were. I have a file on IBS which is a collection of legal articles on some specific subjects areas, maybe read some of those.

There's a lot you can do to feel out the profession and the academic subject.

Umm... Yes, I do think that right now the hardest thing is to create the depth and passion for knowledge that the better unis in the UK will want to see for law. I'm not even sure I want to pursue it, so I am hesitant to invest too much time into trying to get ready for UK law applications - considering the Australian and US applications I will also be making.

I've had a little bit of experience in hearing some of the proceedings in local courts, but nothing much. I might consider going further in order to gain more experience. Our school did have a work experience program, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at a magazine, but I have ended up shifting away from journalism as an aspirational career path. All the recommendations you suggested are good, so thanks for the advice.

I guess I'll just have to try and figure out where to focus my energy for uni applications. I think I'll really need to assess whether I think that it's worth spending quite a bit of time on something that I might not necessarily like - or preparing for applications in a country that I might never actually study at! If anything, these 'real-life' intrusions are actually more stressful than the IB itself...

Ok, it's not like I advise anyone to do what I did, but it actually worked, for some reason. My whole preparation for applying for Law in the UK, knowledge wise, was to read a few (really few) cases. Literally, that was all. I did well on the LNAT, which certainly did help. I applied to top unis, got an offer from all of them, including Oxford. I think interest is more important than actual knowledge, they didn't really expect me to show any in the interviews, they were more interested in the way I reason. And I was told a few times that I was contradicting myself, so I just went back, reconsidered what I had said and went on.

[bluedino]

Okay, I'm back again with some more hopefully not too silly questions! (I'm still trying to seriously figure out whether I should do a law degree or not at university because from appearances.. it doesn't really seem like something I'll enjoy... except that it might lead to a great paying job..)

I know some of the following questions might be kinda silly, vague or vary according to different circumstances.. and that there are a lot of questions here but.. whatever you know would be really helpful. I'm just trying to get a really, really wide picture of law so I can make my degree choice properly. Thanks

So I want to ask about job opportunities after university. I do plan on studying/working in Australia, but I figure what I want to know about can't be too different in the UK. I feel like after doing a law degree, there would always be more graduates than the number of jobs available? In Australia there are usually graduate positions at mid-tier and top law firms up for grabs, but I'm pretty confident in assuming that they would be highly competitive. Is that the same in your country, and if so, what do people who don't get a graduate position do? Law is an industry where there are more people than jobs available, right?

Also, I'm aware that there are numerous potential careers available for someone with a law degree: lawyer, barrister, law/court clerk, legal assistant/officer, prosecutor, tipstaff, consultant, research assistant, partner.. to name a few. How many years would you expect to work in law before making the big money?

Once you do a law degree in country A, are you not allowed to practice law in any other country without doing that country's tests too?

Lastly, there's a really big association in my head with mooting and debating going hand in hand with law and that if you don't do it whilst at uni, you'll be hindered in your future job prospects. Is that true? Or will just doing more general extra-curriculars like sport be okay? (As sport isn't directly related to law)..

Edited July 5, 2013 by bluedino

[flinquinnster]

Okay, I'm back again with some more hopefully not too silly questions! (I'm still trying to seriously figure out whether I should do a law degree or not at university because from appearances.. it doesn't really seem like something I'll enjoy... except that it might lead to a great paying job..)

I know some of the following questions might be kinda silly, vague or vary according to different circumstances.. and that there are a lot of questions here but.. whatever you know would be really helpful. I'm just trying to get a really, really wide picture of law so I can make my degree choice properly. Thanks

So I want to ask about job opportunities after university. I do plan on studying/working in Australia, but I figure what I want to know about can't be too different in the UK. I feel like after doing a law degree, there would always be more graduates than the number of jobs available? In Australia there are usually graduate positions at mid-tier and top law firms up for grabs, but I'm pretty confident in assuming that they would be highly competitive. Is that the same in your country, and if so, what do people who don't get a graduate position do? Law is an industry where there are more people than jobs available, right?

Also, I'm aware that there are numerous potential careers available for someone with a law degree: lawyer, barrister, law/court clerk, legal assistant/officer, prosecutor, tipstaff, consultant, research assistant, partner.. to name a few. How many years would you expect to work in law before making the big money?

Once you do a law degree in country A, are you not allowed to practice law in any other country without doing that country's tests too?

Lastly, there's a really big association in my head with mooting and debating going hand in hand with law and that if you don't do it whilst at uni, you'll be hindered in your future job prospects. Is that true? Or will just doing more general extra-curriculars like sport be okay? (As sport isn't directly related to law)..

You know, I sort of feel like I'm facing a similar issue with whether I actually want to study law. Allegedly, it's far better than an Arts degree to getting a job - but given the growing ubiquity of law degrees, I get the sense that they are becoming more devalued. Apparently at (I think Sydney Uni?) 50% of graduates with law degrees don't end up working Law - not sure what they do end up, frankly. I'm also feeling ambivalent about whether I do want to end up being involved in figuring out people's legal matters in law.

I think that you can still succeed in law without debating - seriously, I sincerely doubt all lawyers would necessarily want to do debating in that kind of formalised, tournament format. I think that whilst it definitely complements law, it wouldn't necessarily be a prerequisite - and even though sport might be less relevant as an EC, maybe you can find a social-justice or leadership thing.

I'm also considering studying law overseas such as in the UK - but in terms of your query there, I'm not sure how transferrable it is. My impression was that to be either a barrister or solicitor back in Australia, you would still need to do some local exams - not just have an overseas law degree.

[Arrowhead]

So I want to ask about job opportunities after university. I do plan on studying/working in Australia, but I figure what I want to know about can't be too different in the UK. I feel like after doing a law degree, there would always be more graduates than the number of jobs available? In Australia there are usually graduate positions at mid-tier and top law firms up for grabs, but I'm pretty confident in assuming that they would be highly competitive. Is that the same in your country, and if so, what do people who don't get a graduate position do? Law is an industry where there are more people than jobs available, right?

People keep trying until they do get a job. It's really as simple as that. Some people work in the legal sector in a reduced capacity (a paralegal, generally) and keep trying to get in as a Trainee and start a legal career. It's not that uncommon since as you've rightly pointed out, it is highly competitive. Other people, I imagine, give up and try alternative legal paths.

Also, I'm aware that there are numerous potential careers available for someone with a law degree: lawyer, barrister, law/court clerk, legal assistant/officer, prosecutor, tipstaff, consultant, research assistant, partner.. to name a few. How many years would you expect to work in law before making the big money?

That depends entirely on what you qualify as "big money"? A starting trainee at a top law firm earns about £37k-£40k, a second-year trainee between £43k-£45k. A first-year Associate starts at £50k generally, not including bonuses, and that keeps going upwards. It's not rare for a Partner at a law firm to charge £700/hour.

Once you do a law degree in country A, are you not allowed to practice law in any other country without doing that country's tests too?

That depends on the rules of your country and how they treat practitioners from other jurisdictions. A British law degree, for example, is not recognised in Hong Kong without sitting a specific entrance exam. Similarly, in India, it only counts if you've completed 6 years of education, 3 years for your degree and 3 years professional training with a law firm (LPC + training contract). These are rules that should be available with the Bar Council authority of your country.

Lastly, there's a really big association in my head with mooting and debating going hand in hand with law and that if you don't do it whilst at uni, you'll be hindered in your future job prospects. Is that true? Or will just doing more general extra-curriculars like sport be okay? (As sport isn't directly related to law)..

Mooting and debating only matters to law if you want to become a Barrister. Otherwise, it's pretty pointless, really. Sports teams, clubs and societies, volunteer work, all of that makes a lot of difference, as much as mooting and debating, in any case. It's a notion that people have about mooting and debating, but it's an inaccurate one, I assure you.

[bluedino]

Thanks so much for the answers Arrowhead! As I thought, my questions were probably a bit too vague and what I wanted to know was probably too country specific, but the information was really helpful nevertheless! Particularly the part about how mooting and debating only mattering to law if you want to become a barrister - I didn't know that, so thanks!

You know, I sort of feel like I'm facing a similar issue with whether I actually want to study law. Allegedly, it's far better than an Arts degree to getting a job - but given the growing ubiquity of law degrees, I get the sense that they are becoming more devalued. Apparently at (I think Sydney Uni?) 50% of graduates with law degrees don't end up working Law - not sure what they do end up, frankly.

As law is so highly competitive, I'm not too surprised to hear that it's probably becoming more devalued - is that just your assumption or have you talked to people who have said that? Trying to read up on more Australia law industry statistics and career prospects..

[Erudite]

Hey Arrowhead!

Thanks for all your help! I now have a new question: I got accepted into Harvard Single-Choice Early Action ()

While this is awesome, and as I wait for my Oxford Law interview outcome in January, I was just wondering, would going to Harvard decrease my chances of becoming a solicitor in a top firm in the UK? It's what I want to do more than anything and has been my goal for a long time now. Would I even be eligible for the GDL having done my undergrad abroad?

As always, your advice will be hugely appreciated!!!

Edited December 14, 2013 by Erudite

[Arrowhead]

Hey Arrowhead!

Thanks for all your help! I now have a new question: I got accepted into Harvard Single-Choice Early Action ( )

While this is awesome, and as I wait for my Oxford Law interview outcome in January, I was just wondering, would going to Harvard decrease my chances of becoming a solicitor in a top firm in the UK? It's what I want to do more than anything and has been my goal for a long time now. Would I even be eligible for the GDL having done my undergrad abroad?

As always, your advice will be hugely appreciated!!!

Going to Harvard will not decrease your chances at all. I think you will have to get a certificate of academic standing before applying for the GDL, but with a Harvard education, that's really only a formality for you.

Congratulations again! You deserve this!