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Law Careers So you want to be a… lawyer


First Eleven looks at degrees that can prepare you for more than one career in life. Oundle’s Head of Careers, Carolyn Gent talks about law


T


he first thing to do is to distinguish between law as an academic discipline and law as a profession.


An aspiration to be a lawyer in the future does not mean that you must or even should read law at university. Equally, reading Law does not mean that you have to practise as a lawyer; there are few more highly regarded disciplines. Many firms, including some of the most prestigious London firms and chambers, recruit non-law graduates or those who combined law with another discipline, such as a European or Oriental language. Not all degrees with “law” in the


title are “qualifying law degrees” exempting would-be practitioners from the Graduate Diploma in Law (the “conversion course”). All qualifying law degrees cover the seven exemption subjects: Constitutional Law, Equity, Contract, Criminal, Tort, Land and European Union Law. If you wish to move straight to the post-graduate professional qualifications, check that your undergraduate course leads to a qualifying law degree. Failure to do so is potentially expensive and adds a year of study.


Which university? This is a matter of personal choice. Open days and informal visits are crucial. There are annual Law Conferences for sixth formers at Oxford, Cambridge and taster courses at London and the University of East Anglia, among others. When it comes to recruitment, firms and chambers tend to mention the Russell Group, but they are also positive about several “new” universities, including the University of the West of


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England (in Bristol), Oxford Brookes, and Nottingham Trent. Admissions Officers are invariably looking for academic rigour and very high grades (typically A*AA – AAA for the top universities). Subjects like English or History are useful for demonstrating skills in analysis and evaluation, in handling large amounts of text, and in structuring clear, reasoned, linear arguments. Subjects like Science and Maths can be equally relevant, however, as they promote problem solving and lateral thinking. Several universities use pre-tests.


Cambridge has its own test, sat at the University, and others use LNAT (the National Admissions Test for Law), sat at test centres nationwide. Sample tests are available on the Cambridge University and LNAT websites respectively. Neither requires any specialist legal knowledge; they are looking for the ability to think in a particular way.


Law requires good communication skills,


How to succeed on paper and at interview Law is a rigorous academic subject. Universities look for application, motivation and the capacity for sustained and intense work. Candidates who have expressed their interest in the subject by shadowing lawyers or visiting court are favourably regarded and if you organised your placement yourself this shows initiative and motivation. Law requires good communication


the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, to listen and to give considered responses


passage, and understand two or more sides of an argument? You will have to demonstrate reasoning ability – can you analyse and solve problems using logical and critical approaches, draw fine distinctions, separate the


relevant from the irrelevant? Do you


have a capacity for accuracy, and for creativity and flexibility of thought? At interview, these skills are often


tested. Commonly a brief law report may be given to the applicant. No legal knowledge will be required, but you may be asked what the case is about. You may then be asked to pick out the main arguments. On which side did the Judge come down and why?


skills, the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, to listen and to give considered responses. Can you formulate, express and defend an opinion? Can you extract the salient points from a written


How can you prepare? Attend court and shadow lawyers. Debate, do a mock trial, use your initiative to build the relevant skills. Above all, start early and be methodical in your approach.


Autumn 2011 FirstEleven 45


Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate





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