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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder why someone would do a law degree

144 replies

ACatCalledColin · 24/03/2014 22:22

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. Smile)

OP posts:
treaclesoda · 26/03/2014 11:59

The OP didn't say the person wasn't going to do anything with it. She said she wasn't planning on following law as a career, not that she wasn't going to do anything. Unless you consider jobs other than law to be doing nothing.

KatnipEvergreen · 26/03/2014 12:03

I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a lawyer and went to an ex-poly near the bottom of the league tables (I only found out subsequently).

I chose it because I enjoyed Communication Studies and Psychology at A-Level, and from the latter was use to looking at case studies - not too dissimilar from looking at cases in legal studies. My friend did A-Level law and it always sounded interesting when we studied together. I thought that if I did a Psychology degree, and then decided not to go into an associated profession, that it wouldn't be so transferable in an employer's eyes as Law, which is more traditional and seen as rigorous and challenging.

As it happens, I did become a lawyer and trained in the City, by some miracle. I would advise anyone to study a subject they enjoy and think they will do well at.

Dinosaursareextinct · 26/03/2014 12:03

English isn't exactly a vocational subject is it OP? Can't really see the point of doing it myself - you can read books in your spare time, after all.

TheArticFunky · 26/03/2014 12:04

It can still be useful in lots of ways crinkle. I'm about to embark on a law degree, it's something I've always wanted to do and I have a great interest in the subject. I don't intend to pursue a career in law because I'm too old and it's extremely competitive.

I already have a career and I think the skills that you acquire studying for law are transferable and will help in my current career. It's also good to have a degree in law as a back up plan in the future. In a few years I intend to study for an unrelated masters degree and consider that a first degree in law will stand me in good stead.

I'm passionate about the subject and will regret it if I don't give it a go. Not everything in life has a financial worth. There are lots of decisions that I have made over the years that have not made good financial sense but were worth it in lots of other ways.

BeCool · 26/03/2014 12:10

I did a law degree (I never intended to be a lawyer).
Professionally other people are very "impressed" by it - yes even though I went to an ex-poly.

I really loved it and I have no regrets at all.

OnlyLovers · 26/03/2014 12:27

Dinosaurs, I did an English degree and I think you get to understand and appreciate the books you read more deeply than just reading them for fun; if you're taught by people with real insight, knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject they will help you see and uncover levels and layers in books you might otherwise never appreciate.

Through the reading, writing and discussions you acquire and improve the ability to think analytically and to express yourself clearly and construct and defend an argument.

You also learn all kinds of stuff about the social/historical/economic/cultural contexts and times of the works you study. Depending on the course, you may well also study more than 'just' books –songs and songwriting, comedy writing, the format of the chatshow, plays, performance generally.

It's a very rich degree course to do, IMO.

Dinosaursareextinct · 26/03/2014 12:29

I'm sure English is an interesting degree and gives you some skills which you can transfer to work situations. But probably less so (certainly not more so) than a law degree. The OP says she did an English degree.

BeattieBow · 26/03/2014 12:32

I don't know why they'd do one if they did want to be a lawyer!

i did one, but wished I'd done English and then the law conversion couse. I didn't find it at all interesting.

But I can see that it is considered an academic degree to have in the way that philosophy, say, isn't.

OnlyLovers · 26/03/2014 12:42

Dinosaurs, I was just addressing your comment about not seeing the point of an English degree. I didn't think we were having a discussion about the merits of English v law.

givemushypeasachance · 26/03/2014 12:48

During my degree they told us that around 50% of law students don't go into a career in the law. I had vague solicitor-intentions but didn't go into practice in the end, and I'm a civil servant now.

superstarheartbreaker · 26/03/2014 12:49

I'm moving into law but am going to do the conversion course after doing an English degree (despite most people on here warning me not too.) I don't necessarily want to be a lawyer but think it would be a great qualification to have. More useful than a masters in literature.

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 26/03/2014 17:55

I found the subject tells you a great deal about how society thinks, considered as an organism.

There are cases in English law that are fundamental to modern Western civilisation, and conversely you can see laws passed that reflect changes in attitudes.

It's also a good toolbox for dealing with officialdom, employers and businesses. A while back DD's year were about to lose their school transport. I helped keep it by tracking the decision making process, and at the right moment using the magic words "judicial review". The LEA folded, because the cost of transport was less than litigation. Which wss nice.

Egusta · 26/03/2014 19:26

Love that, Disgrace. I have just done a foundation subject with a heavy emphasis on judicial review, and found it fascinating. not least because of the blatant examples in the text books of local authorities either willfully or ignorantly misusing their authority to bully people and organisations who think because it is the council or the government saying so, then they 'must' be right.

Stuff to get your teeth into. Grin

HarderThanYouThink · 26/03/2014 21:44

Law is a fascinating subject

fascicle · 27/03/2014 08:50

I agree, Harder. It's also relevant to most people's jobs, and relevant to everybody's lives. And the process of studying for a law degree will be a good foundation for all sorts of occupations. I'm amazed that anybody would be naive enough to expect a law degree to only lead to a career in law.

I don't have a law degree myself, but if I did it would have been fantastically useful for the job I do.

An article on the uses of a law degree:

www.theguardian.com/law/2012/aug/06/studying-law-boring-gary-slapper

PistolAnnies · 27/03/2014 16:02

I'm studying Psychology, but not to be a practising Psychologist...

All kinds of degrees open up many doors to many different careers, bit of a silly, waste of a post imo Hmm

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 27/03/2014 16:34

Gary Slapper is the OU's Law Professor BTW, and I can thoroughly recommend their LL.B as well recognised and actually interesting.

PollyIndia · 27/03/2014 17:25

I studied law at oxford and I work in music. It can be a vocational degree, but like any other degree, can just be about showing you can apply yourself to the rigors of academic study and exams. My favourite subjects were jurisprudence (philosophy) and criminal justice and penology, neither about statute and case law. I knew pretty quickly I would rather stick pins in my eyes than go to one of the big city law firms, which was the primary post oxford-law trajectory, but it's still been a positive thing for me to have a law degree and not work in law.

givemeaclue · 27/03/2014 17:29

Gad zooks ' any harm neither'

BEEwitched · 27/03/2014 18:02

My DH did a law degree as a mature student, before we met - he already had a PhD in his chosen subject/profession, but law was something that really interested him.

He came to a point where he felt he had to try something different for a while. He loved it, but had no real intention of every becoming a lawyer, he finished his degree and is now working back in his original field.

Apart from that, I am a big proponent of learning just for the joy of it - if we had the means right now, I'd go and do a degree in something interesting in a flash, even though I already have a post-grad degree in a different subject. I'm lucky, I'm from a country with no study fees so didn't have a lot of student debt which was paid off a few years ago; I am thinking of going back and doing something different here in the UK in a few years' time.

HarderThanYouThink · 28/03/2014 11:11

I am about to do a law degree with the OU and was slightly worried that it wouldn't be considered as good as a degree from a brick university. I don't want to be a solicitor or barrister either, but do want to work in some area related to law.

givemeaclue · 28/03/2014 13:23

But what does work in some area related to law actually mean?

jonicomelately · 28/03/2014 13:29

There are lots of jobs related to law. Police, prison and probation service for example.
Incidentally, a lot of law firms have now adopted a policy where they now look at the candidate rather than the university they attended. This obviously widens the market to non-RG university graduates. Anecdotal evidence suggests to me that those with the strongest academics records do not necessarily make the best lawyers. You'd also be amazed how many first-rate QCs did not attend first rate universities.

Southeastdweller · 28/03/2014 13:53

I'm sure your friends daughter will be fine when she graduates providing she works on networking and does as much work experience as possible.

Given how competition for training as a solicitor or barrister is so intense - now and back in the day - then I agree with everyone who's saying it's best to have your Law degree from an 'elite' university.

www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jan/21/law-students-hard-graduating