Law applicant 2016 conferences and courses

[Sadusername]

Hi,
My dd who has just started year 12 has not got a place on Pathways to law programme which would have a entailed a summer school. So I am looking around for an equivalent. Has anyone had a DC who has done one of the Debate Chamber law courses?
www.debatechamber.com/summerschools/
They are really expensive, so I am wondering how worth it they are. Are there any other courses that you would recommend? I am presuming that these courses do confer some benefit to a law application. Does anyone know what would be covered in a Pathways to Law summer school?

[Molio]

OP I don't think you need to stress at all about any conferences or courses, least of all ones which have to be paid for - they'll add remarkably little, if anything, to an application. Some might be positively negative in fact.

[patterkiller]

Goodness. Dd has had an early conditional offer to a RG university law course. She hasn't done anything other than show an interest in law and worked hard at AS they infact steered her away from law courses before entry.

[Sadusername]

Negative in what way? Although I would be happy to save the money, I am just thinking ahead to personal statement.

[Molio]

I don't think expensive courses are likely to enthuse any law tutor worth his or her salt, tbh.

[Dustylaw]

Please don't. These courses are expensive -£464 to around £1200. They purport to teach some law on these courses - that is a big NoNo for most law tutors in my view as in not necessary, not helpful and just gets in the way of the in depth teaching the students are going to get at university. I cannot believe that attending such courses will be a plus point in any way. Far better to get hold of a copy of The Concept of Law by HLA Hart (might even be in the local library) and spend two weeks reading it and thinking about it. Mention that on the application instead.

[hellsbells99]

www.uea.ac.uk/study/info-for/young-people/post-16/university-tasters-enrichment/summer-schools/law-summer-school - link to last year's.
The University of East Anglia do a selection of summer schools - my DD did a Stem one which she found very good

[Molio]

yes, the proper university led summer schools are a different kettle of fish - although there are some cunningly named courses out there, so beware!

[Sadusername]

I have seen a couple that are thousand of pounds a week! I suppose that I felt that if the Pathways to Law course held summer schools in universities that they must give some benefit to the students. I have a sneaky feeling she won't qualify for the university ones, which usually stipulate that parents haven't attended university, or free school meals. Although having said that they do all vary slightly.
She did apply to cambridge 6th form law conference which I think might be run by students but I think the chance of getting a place is probably quite remote.

Thanks for the suggestions, both book and courses. Will look them up.

[patterkiller]

We were advised to contact local solicitors for work experience which would carry far more weight. Not that she has managed so far.

[Sadusername]

My daughter hasn't been able to either. I did find a law long list of law firms which take 6th form students for work experience but I would imagine that is extremely competitive too.

[Dustylaw]

I often feel hopelessly out of date when it comes to to GCSEs and A but I do know people who now make decisions at a university level. I do not believe that they value the spending of money on commercial courses (carve out for those which are legit university outreach attempts) over genuine efforts to engage with the subject with whatever resources you have. Are you genuinely interested in this subject, can you think, and are you interested in thinking about this subject still seem to be the main requirements. Nice to have a spell at a law firm, say, but pretty useless if it doesn't give you an insight into what law, as an academic subject, is about eg competing rights. I hope that most law tutors are still more interested in what you will be like to teach as opposed to whether you have the money or connections to fill a puedo-CV at age 17 or 18. By the way, I also would say that stacking shelves over a summer and still finding the time to read a few good books would go down a treat.

[Molio]

OP what is it that attracts your DD to law?

[Molio]

Also, I doubt going for a week to a local solicitor would do much to help an application either. Even given a super helpful firm and mentor, it really wouldn't give any insight into the study of academic law. Tutors mind about aptitude for that, not what a student wants to do as a career - indeed they can be rather sniffy about their colleagues in the profession.

[sassymuffin]

DD has just started university studying Law, she was told by an admissions tutor that showing a passion for law is what matters most. When she had her interview one of the things that impressed the admissions most was the fact she used to go during school holidays to our local crown court and sit in on various trials. There are a few good books that she read that were recommended to her and she mentioned them on her personal statement, Letters to a Law student and Eve was framed were the two I can remember.

[Molio]

My two girls just had a very clear aptitude for law demonstrated by their academic record and an interest demonstrated by each winning the same national law competition in their respective years and by sitting in on various cases. Both read law books they selected themselves, rather than from the usual prescribed list. Neither went on any course and even had I been in a position to pay for one I wouldn't have done, since I'm not that gullible. Any student applying for law needs aptitude first and a genuine interest in academic law second, then the rest will follow.

[sassymuffin]

Molio has summed it up perfectly

[Carriemac]

would anyone be prepared to share their tips for personal statement for law with my DD we have no experience of applying for law and she is really keen. she has had work experience in a criminal solicitors, a family law practice and been to crown court and the coroners court.

[HereIAm20]

Carriemac - I think the work experience she has done will be sufficient if she describes what she did and what she enjoyed about it. Again rather than focussing on the career side of things she should say why she enjoys the academic side of law - eg. the mental challenge etc.

The personal statements are not very long and it would appear that she has already done enough to get a decent paragraph in it about why she is interested in law. Just make sure the personal statement is proof read and grammatically correct because they will be looking at her attention to detail!