#Different law degrees
your key guide to university options
To law degree or not to law degree
Choosing whether to study law at university or whether to study another subject and convert later is a difficult choice for some. Here we explain conversion courses and offer advice on how to make the decision.
Some people don t know if they want to be a lawyer, but they want to study law because it interests them as an academic subject. For these people, choosing to study a law degree is easy.
For others, while they may wish to practice as a lawyer, they face a choice between studying a law degree or studying a non-law degree and then completing a conversion course (the Graduate Diploma in Law/Common Professional Examination).
2011 Jens Schott Knusden (flickr: pamhule)
The advantages of studying three-year law degrees
- Ability to study niche areas of law in detail. There are certain areas of law everyone needs to study, such as contract law and criminal law. A Graduate Diploma in Law is predominantly made up of these compulsory modules, whereas a law degree is roughly half these modules and half other legal modules. For those hoping to study more niche areas of law in detail, for example family law, criminal evidence, medical law, human rights or intellectual property law, a law degree gives you more opportunity to do so.
- Ability to study double degrees. The conversion course is one size fits all. It is only possible to study combinations of law with another subject such as a language, or US law, or anthropology, or business and so on, by studying a law degree. You may want to read our information on choosing the right law degree for you. However you can, of course study these subjects alone before studying the law on your conversion course.
- It is a shorter and cheaper route. Prices vary for the conversion course depending on where you take it; most courses are at least 5,000. Add living expenses to that, and on top of your university debt and fees for the necessary vocational courses afterwards (the Legal Practice Course for solicitors and the Bar Professional Training Course for barristers), for some the extra expense may not be the most desirable option.
- There are advantages to studying for three years within a law department. You will be surrounded by other future lawyers you share that interest. You will be able to benefit from the department s careers assistance. You may also be better prepared for vocational courses and future practice having more experience of studying law.
- Law degrees are seen by all employers as reputable and transferable you are not tying yourself down to law by studying it.
- World-leading legal academics teach degrees, not conversion courses. If you are capable of going to the top universities, then you can expect to be taught by the top dogs in the world of legal academia, as university is where critical research lives. Teachers on conversion courses are of a different nature. While many are excellent teachers of the course and the things you need to know, they are not at the cutting edge of legal thought.
- Choosing a law degree shows a commitment to law. When applying for further legal education, scholarships, training contracts, pupillages and other legal employment, having chosen to study law at undergraduate level shows a long-standing enthusiasm for law. Applicants who have other degrees will certainly not be disadvantaged by their choice not to study law, but they will need to convincingly explain why they made that decision when asked.
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