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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

University of Law

50 replies

Blushingm · 16/08/2024 21:46

DD has confirmed her place for UoL in Bristol but I've never met anyone who has been. Has anyone else?

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 16/08/2024 22:06

@Blushingm Did you visit? Most lawyers go as post grad for professional qualifications. It’s not really a university in the standard way we think of a uni. Why did she like it? It seems low tariff entry.

Secondstart1001 · 16/08/2024 22:15

What is the entry requirement for Bristol for Law?

Original poster
Blushingm · 16/08/2024 22:18

Tariff entry was BBB

She visited twice - an applicant day and an offer day. She liked it because the lecturers are almost all practicing law whereas other universities a lot had never actually practiced and been academics their whole career

They did some sample teaching sessions which she really enjoyed.

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burnoutbabe · 16/08/2024 22:20

I picked it as one of my 5 as it was local.

But I see it very much as a professional training college. Very good at the professional exams/what you need to pass those but not somewhere I'd go for an actual degree where you think for yourself.

Campus is small/non existent. You won't get the full university experience with all the clubs/societies on offer.

burnoutbabe · 16/08/2024 22:23

And yes the teaching was very professional at my taster. As it's by people who are good lecturers rather than academics )who may or may not be good lecturers)

But it's bbb. It's probably a good choice if you are bbb. But not if you are aaa.

PangolinPan · 16/08/2024 22:23

I went for post grad about ten years ago. As a PP has said, I don't think it's going to be the full 'uni' experience and when I went it was very much turn up, study and go home. It's more or less an office block, no union, bar or social area really at all. It may have changed since then of course but definitely a small college compared to Bristol uni or UWE.

Jazzicatz · 16/08/2024 22:23

Blushingm · 16/08/2024 21:46

DD has confirmed her place for UoL in Bristol but I've never met anyone who has been. Has anyone else?

I wouldn’t want to go there, having practicing lawyers dont necessarily make good lecturers.

Secondstart1001 · 16/08/2024 22:29

@Blushingm my daughter got into Southampton uni yesterday to read Law. She might not go this year as her school predicted her too low so she missed out on all the prestigious places yesterday to get into Law or Dentistry.

Original poster
Blushingm · 16/08/2024 22:51

burnoutbabe · 16/08/2024 22:23

And yes the teaching was very professional at my taster. As it's by people who are good lecturers rather than academics )who may or may not be good lecturers)

But it's bbb. It's probably a good choice if you are bbb. But not if you are aaa.

Her RG 1st choice offer was ABB which she just missed

OP posts:
Original poster
Blushingm · 16/08/2024 22:54

@Jazzicatz but they are experienced at practicing law which is what she liked as they could pass on their experience of being in court etc whereas those who have only ever been in academia can't

She had offers for Keele and Plymouth but didn't like them when she went. She did a summer school last year at Warwick which she enjoyed but it was a campus uni and she would prefer something closer to a city. We live in a small village so a city really appealed to her

OP posts:
Original poster
Blushingm · 16/08/2024 22:55

Secondstart1001 · 16/08/2024 22:29

@Blushingm my daughter got into Southampton uni yesterday to read Law. She might not go this year as her school predicted her too low so she missed out on all the prestigious places yesterday to get into Law or Dentistry.

Where does she think she would like to go?

OP posts:
Original poster
Blushingm · 16/08/2024 22:57

burnoutbabe · 16/08/2024 22:20

I picked it as one of my 5 as it was local.

But I see it very much as a professional training college. Very good at the professional exams/what you need to pass those but not somewhere I'd go for an actual degree where you think for yourself.

Campus is small/non existent. You won't get the full university experience with all the clubs/societies on offer.

She will be in halls which I think will give her the uni experience. I know lots of people who made lifelong friends who they met in their halls in 1st year who were all from different courses so apart from sporting clubs wouldn't have been in the same societies

OP posts:
titchy · 16/08/2024 22:58

@Jazzicatz but they are experienced at practicing law which is what she liked as they could pass on their experience of being in court etc whereas those who have only ever been in academia can't

No point being taught how to be brilliant in court if you can't pass contract law, torts etc because the lecturers have no idea about teaching....

No33 · 16/08/2024 23:00

My niece goes in Manchester. She loves it!

Original poster
Blushingm · 16/08/2024 23:11

titchy · 16/08/2024 22:58

@Jazzicatz but they are experienced at practicing law which is what she liked as they could pass on their experience of being in court etc whereas those who have only ever been in academia can't

No point being taught how to be brilliant in court if you can't pass contract law, torts etc because the lecturers have no idea about teaching....

People can be good at both.......and being able to present in court etc is skill people need to learn

OP posts:
Original poster
Blushingm · 16/08/2024 23:12

No33 · 16/08/2024 23:00

My niece goes in Manchester. She loves it!

Is she doing Law? What year is she in (if you don't mind me asking?)

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 16/08/2024 23:34

@Blushingm My DD is a barrister. She’s in the family court. She did MFL for a degree. Then the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Barristers (Professional) Training Course. Being in court is what she actually did when she got pupillage. Obviously never during undergrad and not during GDL. Not sure about BPTC. I suspect not but the course has a lot of topics. Lecturers in law degrees usually teach academic law. Hence they are academics but not exclusively. Many will research and then advise on legal matters in which they are expert, eg to the government. Going into a court at undergrad or being taught by barristers makes no difference if you have poor analytical or reasoning skills.

However the big issue facing your DD is that she has BBB at A level. She’s already behind the curve on qualifications. Becoming a barrister is ludicrously competitive. It will
matter not one jot whether lecturers have been in a court themselves or not. Law at undergrad is not about this aspect of being a “lawyer”. DC build up their knowledge of law and then eventually specialise.

I would be concerned that BBB is unlikely to be competitive for a pupilage or training contract. She will need to think very hard about how she builds up a cv in order to compete. 50% of lawyers don’t have law degrees however there are jobs in business that require law and she should look at these too.

She will meet people in the halls. I didn’t think Bristol had a strong Union when DD was there but there’s lots of socialising in the city. So she should aim to get to know people in the hall.

UoL is very popular for law qualifications post grad in London and trains lots of solicitors and barristers.

TizerorFizz · 16/08/2024 23:36

@Blushingm You might like to know my DDs Inn of Court got RADA lecturers in to help barristers with speaking in court. Vast numbers of solicitors never get near a court.

HowIrresponsible · 16/08/2024 23:39

Blushingm · 16/08/2024 23:11

People can be good at both.......and being able to present in court etc is skill people need to learn

Show quote history

Tell me you know nothing about the legal profession without telling me you know nothing about the legal profession. 😂

Being able to present in court is something no amount of study prepared me for.

It's something I developed when I was a trainee and beyond. Also sitting behind counsel and learning from that.

University is for the academic bit - reading cases in detail, etc.

Court presentation is the postgraduate part and to be done in practice whilst training.

TizerorFizz · 16/08/2024 23:57

@HowIrresponsible Ive actually commented on MN before about students being persuaded they can be barristers by doing low tariff law degrees that depict students in wigs and dummy courtrooms. They clearly suggest their students willl be trained for this profession which is largely untrue. They even say you can “stand up for the issues you care about”. I think DD would say she advocates for the issues her clients care about! They pay. At what stage do you become a campaigning barrister - I have no idea! A pretty senior one I think. It’s wholly wrong to gather in students on promises like this,

No33 · 17/08/2024 00:02

Blushingm · 16/08/2024 23:12

Is she doing Law? What year is she in (if you don't mind me asking?)

Show quote history

Yep, and she's just going into second year!
She got in via clearing. Managed to find a house share etc

She certainly doesn't feel like she's missing any part of uni life

SurpriseOzzy · 17/08/2024 00:03

Hi OP how much research did your DD do into a legal career? Have you anyone in the family who is a lawyer or in your network?

The University of Law’s LLB is ‘new’ it won’t be respected as such as much as other universities when she is seeking Training Contracts or Pupillages. I know very very few good lawyers with grades such as BBB. Please do some research before accepting this place. It’s not a proper university as such, it’s definitely a place post grads would go, not undergrads.

I was taught by academics at a RG uni, yes they’re not practicing lawyers but a law degree isn’t about practice. It’s very theoretical more akin to History, English Lit etc.

Original poster
Blushingm · 17/08/2024 04:43

TizerorFizz · 16/08/2024 23:57

@HowIrresponsible Ive actually commented on MN before about students being persuaded they can be barristers by doing low tariff law degrees that depict students in wigs and dummy courtrooms. They clearly suggest their students willl be trained for this profession which is largely untrue. They even say you can “stand up for the issues you care about”. I think DD would say she advocates for the issues her clients care about! They pay. At what stage do you become a campaigning barrister - I have no idea! A pretty senior one I think. It’s wholly wrong to gather in students on promises like this,

Where did I say she wanted to be a barrister? I didn't!?

OP posts:
Original poster
Blushingm · 17/08/2024 04:45

@No33 - thank you. It's good to hear something positive as it seems some posters without experience of this institution are giving opinions.

I'm glad your niece is enjoying her course and looking forward to year 2

OP posts:
plumcup · 17/08/2024 09:04

Blushingm · 17/08/2024 04:45

@No33 - thank you. It's good to hear something positive as it seems some posters without experience of this institution are giving opinions.

I'm glad your niece is enjoying her course and looking forward to year 2

I’m sorry that you are not getting responses that you might have liked to hear.

I did a post grad degree there (GDL) a few of years ago (2021). It’s very much focussed on post graduate legal education rather than it being a proper university that caters for undergrads.

I would really quite strongly advise your dd to consider elsewhere. Has she considered a law degree with a foundation year at an RG university? Law firms will give her more leeway for the A level results as I infer she’s come from a less privileged background. Law firms won’t give leeway for going to a bad uni, and to be perfectly frank, ULaw is a bad uni for undergrad.

Your dd has many good options open to her and you must be very proud of her. But I really would advise her to take a step back and think a little more long term. 😊