To wonder why someone would do a law degree

[ACatCalledColin]

if they had no intention of becoming a lawyer?

A friends daughter is starting university in September, she's going to be reading law. She's going to an ex-poly, not a 'bad' one by any means, it's more in the middle of the league table.

Anyways I was talking to her today and the subject of university came up and I asked her if she was worried about what might happen after university - if she would struggle to get a training contract because she went to an ex poly and she said 'oh, I don't want to be a lawyer, actually, I just like law. I'll probably end up working in PR or something like that anyways'.

Maybe it's just me but I genuinely don't understand why someone would study law if they weren't even slightly interested in a career in law. It's not like it's an interesting subject, is it? It's very boring and dull so it's not like anyone can use the excuse that you simply like the subject.

I would have thought a humanities degree or even a business one would be more relevant for PR anyways (and more interesting too. )

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Do you have a law degree? Some of us did manage to find it interesting

[Descalzada]

For the money I guess? and the status.

[Mrmonkey]

I have a law degree and I'm a primary school teacher. I had no urge to be a lawyer I just really enjoyed the subject, it is very interesting and there are so many different avenues you can go down. At the end of it you have a good degree that shows future employers you can work hard and apply yourself.

[MarthasHarbour]

I studied law and am not a lawyer. I found it fascinating.

(sorry to be pedantic but 'anyway' doesnt have an 's')

HTH

[annabelcaramel]

So if you do a French degree do you have to become French? And pity those poor souls studying Ancient History.......

[Jinsei]

My mother did a law degree without having any intention of becoming a lawyer. She was genuinely interested in learning more about how the system worked, and I think she enjoyed it. I doubt it is any less relevant for many jobs than a humanities degree.

Did you really ask her if she was worried about going to an ex-poly?

[eurochick]

I was advised to do law by my headmistress and head of sixth form as I was an all rounder without an obvious strength and fairly academic. Their view was that it was a well respected degree.

I did end up going into law sort of by default after studying it for so long but that was not my intention when I applied to university!

[NigellasDealer]

I thought law was considered to be a good general degree as mrmonkey said. one of my brothers did it and does not work as a lawyer, nor did he do it for 'the money and the status'

[Casperthefriendlyspook]

My first degree is in law. I've never done the diploma or practiced. My PhD is in an area of international legal policy. It's what I was interested, and continue to be interested, in. I work in Higher Education (but not in legal or teaching) - I'm a senior professional services manager. It's actually pretty useful in distilling information, presenting an argument, etc.

[SlatternMissesherGrumpyCat]

I disagree completely. I would not advise anyone to go into the profession at the moment but I would highly recommend the degree to someone who didn't know what they necessarily wanted to end up doing.

I know a person who did a law degree who went to become a minister. Another who went into tv presenting.

Unless you have a calling for a particular degree, I think a law degree is a good degree to have. It trains you to think a particular way. It provides useful analytical skills that you can use elsewhere.

[SlatternMissesherGrumpyCat]

'I disagree completely' - with the OP.

[Nennypops]

Where do you get the idea that law is 'very boring and dull'? Have you ever done a law degree?

[Misspixietrix]

I actually found my Law Degree interesting too OP .

[sleepyhead]

I have several non-lawyer friends who studied law. They all found it very interesting.

One is now a primary teacher, one is a librarian, one is fairly senior in a bank doing something that's more HR than financial (as far as I can make out), one is an accountant.

Certainly back in the day when we were considering University, Law was considered to be a rigorous and prestigious degree subject and attracted people for that reason rather than love of The Law as such.

[Permanentlyexhausted]

I didn't do a law degree but I did consider it. It seems like a very sensible degree course to me.

Lots of careers/jobs require 'a degree' and law would definitely not be considered a 'mickey-mouse' degree like some subjects are. Knowledge of the law and how it works is never a bad thing. And there is always the possibility of a career in law to fall back on if you can't get a job in PR.

[RevoltingPeasant]

Ha ha ha at worrying about going to an ex poly. Yes, if you fail to get into UCL, Oxbridge or Durham you may as well not bother.

[LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops]

I think it would be fascinating.

Loads of people study subjects that they don't end up working in, it doesn't mean their studies are wasted.

[Ludways]

I have a marketing degree I don't use.

I have a friend who studied astro physics and isn't even an astronaut!! That's just crap!

[uselessidiot]

Yabu. I would have thought you could do lots with a law degree.

[wobblyweebles]

Barack Obama has a law degree.

Maybe she wants to be president?

[ACatCalledColin]

Ha ha ha at worrying about going to an ex poly. Yes, if you fail to get into UCL, Oxbridge or Durham you may as well not bother.

Not at all lol. However Law is one of the most snobbiest professions out there (by that I mean the people who do the hiring, not the people who enter into it - many lawyers are lovely down to earth people). A lot of Law firms won't hire anyone who didn't go to a Russel Group university and will bin applications from ex polys. A lot of top firms won't hire anyone outside of Oxbridge, Durham or UCL.

Of course it's possible to become a lawyer after going to an ex poly however it is harder. That was why I asked her.

FWIW, she did laugh and tell me that pretty much everyone whom she tells she is doing a law degree assumes that she wants to be a lawyer.

[ACatCalledColin]

Do you have a law degree? Some of us did manage to find it interesting hmm

God no, A Level Law was bad enough.

I did English instead.

[dashoflime]

Ahahaha! Law is really interesting! You have to have a certain kind of mind I guess. Its like an enormous kalidascope of different but related concepts that can be fitted together to solve any logic puzzle the world can create. The more you learn, the more you get out of it.
There are more jobs where you use law than just solicitors and barristers as well.

[ACatCalledColin]

I went to an ex-poly myself btw. Hasn't done me any harm neither. So I'm not at all snobby about these things.

[TillyTellTale]

OP, I know just what you mean. My father has a degree in literature and hasn't written a single book. He's not the only one, either. I have two more literature graduates in the family, and none of them have written any literature either.

Why didn't they do something else?