A-Levels for law that don't include History

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DD is predicted all 8/9s at GCSE, she wants to study Law at uni but is having a hard time picking A-Levels.
She is set on English Lit and French (her best subjects by far), her careers advisor is pushing for history, she's expecting an 8 but doesn't enjoy history at all, she says it's among her least favourite.
She likes Religious Studies and Business Studies a lot and is expecting a 9 in Maths but doesn't really love it (very good at it just not her favourite), she hates science with a passion!
Her GCSE subjects are English Lit and Lang, Maths, French, Business, Religious Studies, Combined Science, History and Music. The last 3 are expecting 8,8 , 8 and 8 again, the first are all predicted 9s.
They are encouraged at DDs school to pick 4 A-Levels then drop one if they wish for Y13.
So far she is considering

• Politics
• Religion
• Economics
• Business

She is keen to try economics and Politics but is worried she won't like them as has no experience. She is also worried that compared to History they aren't looked on as fondly by Universities.
She's been encouraged by school to consider Oxbridge when the time comes but in DDs word "that's not my vibe" she is more keen on London Unis (UCL, Kings and LSE) but I know this could change.
Any advice?

SOAS - BA Econ + Law
Warwick - Law and Economics
Edinburgh - Law and Economics

A few examples.

I believe Southampton also offers the combination, as well as Goldsmiths, Strathclyde, Queen Mary's, Kent.

University College Dublin offers Law with Economics.
Trinity College Dublin offers a joint honours option of Law with Business.

You'd need to investigate finances for both of these options.

If she is planning to potentially drop a subject anyway, then giving maths a go to start with to see how she gets along with it would sound to be a very good idea. My DD did English/History/Maths, originally with the idea she might do English and History at uni. I remember a sense of relief back when choosing A levels, that the history options being offered to them were ones she was interested in, as she might have turned the subject down otherwise. Once she actually started looking at university courses the history options were discounted more and more in favour of English.

She enjoyed being able to work on her maths as a break from essay writing, your DD might conceivably find the contrast helpful too.

Is she in a position to mention to the teachers that she'd have considered history if they were offering different options in it?

I once knew someone who went to Oxford to study Law with double Maths and Physics. She'd changed her mind about wanting to be an engineer.

With English lit and French she can have any third tbh. Preferably academic but it doesn’t have to be. She can spin it however she likes. Drama for public speaking. Maths for numeracy. Politics v good for learning about institutions/constitution/how law is made etc. Economics will show some interest in finance and the economy which is required for many law jobs. Geography is all about evidence -based analysis. Honestly she should do whatever she enjoys the most and will get the highest grade in.

I have physics chemistry biology btw.

Strongly consider maths as an option. If she's good at it, then it is a nice option and no coursework which can help alongside other a levels.

I read law and took maths, physics, chemistry and eng lit. A mix of maths and humanities are excellent. Law is a logic degree really.

I didn't like history and loved law. Don't worry about it!

Oh and think about oxbridge. It opens a LOT of doors in law (it's a very hierarchical profession and all about networks) and really worthwhile if you can get in.

Based on my experience (oxbridge graduate, lawyer, married to a law lecturer at oxbridge) I would recommend maths, if she has the ability - unless she really doesn’t want to.

Another angle is, what subjects open up a suitable fallback subject if she decides against undergrad law (which is not essential for a law career).

My law degree taught me to question everything - far more than practically any other subjects.

I agree with this. I'm in the US so it's different. Law is a graduate degree, but there are some similarities in people choosing what to major in as an undergrad in preparation for law school. I majored in history, with a minor in English literature, so my main advice is to choose subjects that help with developing analytical abilities and language skills, which I think most of the ones under consideration by OP's DD, including math, would do.

Yes, and Media Studies helped with that critical thinking aspect as well as forming an argument and essay writing. It makes you question everything!

If I were designing a secondary school curriculum I'd make media studies (including social media now) a core element. Not enough people have a bullshitometer or would even wonder what the political stance of a newspaper is.

Ditto. I've been a lawyer for 20+ years and it never crossed my mind that my work resembles a history class.

Fwiw I did English lit, French and economics and had no issues getting offers from good unis.

They would also teach Irish law. Which is great if that is what you want to practise.

If she's enjoying Maths and is predicted a good grade she should go for it. DS has always lived Maths and yes the A'Level is a jump but she really should study subjects she enjoys not what I've careers advisor tells her to do. I think there's enough examples in this thread of getting into law with a good set of varied A'Levels

Another lawyer who hated history at school. Interested in politics though, and the ethics portion of RE and a voracious reader, and interested in how language is put together and used…. Law is all about language, logic, analysis of text and communication imo., with a large dollop of empathy and common sense thrown in.

Edinburgh and Strathclyde will be doing Scottish law.

It’s a while ago now but my A levels were in Law, English Lit and Religious Studies. I did law at university and got offered places at all the universities I applied to (including KCL but I didn’t choose that one in the end). My advice would be to always do what interests you most. I was never interested in history at school for exactly the same reasons as your DD and didn’t even choose it as a GCSE. I’m sure she’ll succeed whatever she chooses.

I initially read Law on Maths, English Lang and Law. Oxford.
My mother was a history grad.
My favourite subject is history but my mum put me off.
I wouldn't do RE or business studies at A level. Some universities won't accept it.
Best advice is to study what you love.
Both my DC wanted to be lawyers, neither are.
One is in Westminster, the other is a psychology undergrad (so her A level law was useful).
For my sins I start my Masters of Law next month so I have something to do when I retire. A full circle thing.
Most lawyers I know wish their maths was better, it certainly helps with compensation or value awards.
Good luck.

The best option by far is maths. It really marks someone out in a positive way amongst a sea of English / History focussed CVs.

It brings a genuine and useful skill which many other subjects don’t, and pre-empts having to test for numeracy at interview - a surprising number of applicants think they don’t have to be good at maths to be a lawyer and will (stupidly) tell me at interview that they are a words, not a numbers, person.

If she won’t do maths, I’d advise her to do economics which addresses similar issues.

I’d go for business as a third choice but it can be seen as a bit of a soft option.

Most lawyers I know wish their maths was better, it certainly helps with compensation or value awards.

<Recalls Worst Day Ever in court>

Also another lawyer here, to add to the chorus above, who doesn’t see the huge synchronicity between practising law and academic history. My A levels were maths, chemistry and biology.

I agree that good grades should get her a place on a degree course, but looking further ahead she faces much much greater competition to get a pupillage or training contract. Good choices of subject may help to distinguish her.

I wouldn't do RE or business studies at A level. Some universities won't accept it.

I've never heard of any arts/humanities course which wouldn't accept RS, what makes you think that?

Mmm … As mentioned above I was for a while an Oxbridge historian. I had thought I loved History at A’Level - it turned out I was just good at writing essays.

When I switched to Law I absolutely adored both Jurisprudence and Constitutional Law - the most History-adjacent areas possible. There’s no telling how a mind works!

Which universities won't accept RE or Business Studies?