Considering Applying For Law: How Much Would A Lack of Work Experience Hurt Me?

[Tony Stark]

So, my end goal is to be working in corporate law. Originally, I was planning to study a more academic-based undergrad degree in the UK (such as Oxford's PPE or UCL's ESPS), and then study law at graduate level in the USA, however the more I think about it, the more I'd rather do law in the UK and then do an MBA in the States.

However, one thing that's worrying me is the fact that I have no work experience in the legal field. I've heard conflicting reports on this topic, but the general consensus seems to be legal work experience is highly desired for law applicants. Being a November 2012 session candidate, it's impossible for me to undertake legal work experience between now and my UCAS applications, so my question is: how much will this lack of legal work experience hurt my chances?

For reference's sake, the universities I'd be looking to apply at, in no particular order, are as follows:

- Oxbridge (yet to decide which - any opinions on their respective law programs would be appreciated)

- Durham

- LSE

- UCL (hoping to make it into their LLB/JD dual degree - what are my odds like? How many of their students normally apply for this program?)

- Either Warwick or Edinburgh (opinions?)

Advice would be appreciated.

[Peanut Butter Jelly]

I'm not following. Law and then MBA? What's the point? Do the first option. You still end up at Law...

[Award Winning Boss]

I don't think it'll harm your application ... but it won't hurt. You still have a year before applications so you can still get some.

They don't expect you to have a lot of knowledge of law when you start so don't worry on that front, they just expect that you've taken the time and effort to start reading something about it to increase your knowledge. If that made sense.

www.ibsurvival.com/topic/18276-advice-for-law-students/page__fromsearch__1 look through there if you have any more queries about law before making a thread again

Edited February 8, 2012 by Award Winning Boss

[Tony Stark]

I'm not following. Law and then MBA? What's the point? Do the first option. You still end up at Law...

I'm not looking to be a practising lawyer, I'm looking to be a salaried legal advisor to a financial institution, and to eventually go into business myself after accruing some capital. And the first option adds 3-4 years and a few hundred thousand in debt to the equation.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Saurav Das

[dessskris]

I'm not sure if having no experience at all will greatly harm your application, but surely having some experiences would highly advantage you. the problem is that you're applying to the top universities so they are likely to receive applications with grades as amazing as yours, so if you don't have any work experience but others do, then they're more likely to choose those people over you.

[Sandwich]

Agreed with the above poster, you'll be one of the only ones without any work experience as it's pretty standard advice given to students in the UK. So it will disadvantage you in a relative sense - what the admissions department want is evidence of overwhelming keen-ness and dedication to the subject, so having been to see/experience some real 'law' in action is seen as a definite bonus. Especially given that you're applying to some of the top Universities.

Also, depending on why exactly it is that you want to go to the US, you realise that you can do an undergraduate degree in the UK and then do a conversion course in a single year? It's a pretty popular route and would obviously save you a lot of money vs. a whole degree in the US, which I believe takes like 3 years? In this way your whole thing would be 4 years. However you may have other reasons for wanting to migrate to the land of the nasal droners

I don't think that it IS too late to get work experience for Nov 2012 applicants. I mean the next common deadline for Law is January 2013, I think* - or it'll be some time in October 2012 if you do apply to one of the Oxbridge Universities. So you actually have a long time!

*might want to check this, I can't remember if Law is an exception subject where everybody needs to apply early or not

[Tony Stark]

Agreed with the above poster, you'll be one of the only ones without any work experience as it's pretty standard advice given to students in the UK. So it will disadvantage you in a relative sense - what the admissions department want is evidence of overwhelming keen-ness and dedication to the subject, so having been to see/experience some real 'law' in action is seen as a definite bonus. Especially given that you're applying to some of the top Universities.

Also, depending on why exactly it is that you want to go to the US, you realise that you can do an undergraduate degree in the UK and then do a conversion course in a single year? It's a pretty popular route and would obviously save you a lot of money vs. a whole degree in the US, which I believe takes like 3 years? In this way your whole thing would be 4 years. However you may have other reasons for wanting to migrate to the land of the nasal droners

I don't think that it IS too late to get work experience for Nov 2012 applicants. I mean the next common deadline for Law is January 2013, I think* - or it'll be some time in October 2012 if you do apply to one of the Oxbridge Universities. So you actually have a long time!

*might want to check this, I can't remember if Law is an exception subject where everybody needs to apply early or not

I want US qualification because I want to start work in the US (heh, with this job market that's probably easier said than done - though it's not like there are many places better off). I was originally going to do a law degree there, but now I'm considering doing Law in the UK and then going there to do an MBA + conversion course.

I am applying for Oxbridge - Oxford, most likely, so I've got until October 15th. Issue is, as our school doesn't really do, well, anything in IB1; I've got a LOT of stuff to get done this year and very few term breaks - 6 weeks' total, spread out between now and my exams. The last two are too close to exams (less than a month before my first exam), and I'm spending time away from home for another week or two at revision courses held elsewhere. That leaves maybe 2 or 3 weeks to get my EE and the remainder of my IAs done (I've had to scrap quite a few due to our school not knowing/following IBO guidelines). Pretty hard to try to squeeze in a week or two of work experience in that time as well, particularly considering the 'firms' (in inverted commas as many are just one solicitor and his/her spouse) which actually consider work experience placements are generally over an hour away.

I did spend a day sitting in on cases in the Melbourne Magistrate's Court back in '09 through the school, so I have got something. It's not very technical, but then again from what I've heard most cases of high school work experience placements in Law firms involve simply photocopying and making coffee. I'm certainly going to apply, but between the lack of time away from IB I have and the literal thousands of applicants they get for maybe a few dozen spots, I'm not banking on getting a placement. Of course, given that I have 7-8 months between when I sit my exams and the uni year starts in the UK, I'd like my chances of finding a placement then. Too bad it's after applications.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Saurav Das

[dessskris]

or, as you'll have nothing to do from december till september or so, you can say in your personal statement that you plan to do some law-related work after finishing IB. or something like that...