Graduate diploma in law ?

[Firsttimemum892]

Has anybody done one or know much about them ? I graduated with a 2:1 criminology degree in 2010 and have since been working in IT I’ve worked myself up to a decent poistion and my salary is ok but it’s not my passion at all. Criminology was very interesting to me but it has qualified me for no career without further study. I am really interested in doing the Gdl but I fear I will end up in the same boat with another qualification that doesn’t mean much.

I didn't do the GDL route but I did an LLB, LLM and LPC. Never got a training contract and took an entirely different career path. I felt like I just didn't know how to get that training contract. I must have applied for 200. I had great work experience, glowing references, but only a 2:2 at undergrad. I do think that was a factor, which was why I did the LLM. It worked out much better for me in the end, but I've always been surprised at just how difficult it was to get that training contract. If I was doing it again, I would have done the LPC part time whilst working at a law firm. That's the only extra step I can think of that would have made it a safer bet to get employment afterwards.

The GDL on its own is a pretty useless qualification (and dull and expensive). What do you want to do with it?

My dh did pgdl at Chester college of law many years ago- then did Bar vocational course at Manchester Met - he’s been qualified as a barrister for 15 yrs now- specialises in a VERY niche area of law ( to do with his original degree subject)so does quite well.... if you have an idea of what you want to specialise in it will help- although there are far too many law graduates now - many of whom do nothing whatsoever to do with law!