r/UKLawStudents

Hey guys, as the title suggests, I am starting a Access to HE course next week and I’m hoping to get any and all advice that can aid me in getting to 45 distinction.

My course will be through Distance Learning Centre.

Thank you all!

my_qualifications are that i am a final year BBA LLB student. I have good relationship with all my teachers and hence i will not have any trouble in getting any kind of LOR.

For my first LOR: I was planning to get an academic LOR from the head of the department. Since my grades are average, the LOR will fill that spot. I was also VP of two separate committees, so my LOR will highlight that as well.

For my second LOR: It will be a research LOR. But do all colleges value research equally? instead, should i get another academic or general LOR?

I am confused, so please help me with it :)

Hi, I want to go into corporate law but am extremely worried about the LNAT as it highly affects whether I can get into top unis like LSE or Durham. I was wondering if it was worth applying to PPE at Durham or Warwick and doing a conversion course, or if it would be better to go to Bristol law as it is more lenient with the LNAT, and which one is more likely to land me a training contract at a Magic Circle firm.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently starting my bar course and I’ve been told civil litigation is one of the hardest and biggest hurdles I’m going to face, and that is the first module that I am currently starting in the next few weeks.

Does anyone have any tips?, Any sites that have past papers?, MCQ questions etc.

Anything at all that can help me pass this module as I know this module is gonna be the hardest, I’ve been told the reading is easier than criminal practice, but it’s the questions that kind of Trip you up.

Any advice helps 🫂

Hi guys, I have graduated this summer from UoNottingham LLB with a 2:2. I could tell you about all the ways I struggled with my mental health and learning difficulties during uni, but does that really change much when trying to progress? I go back and forth with feeling like it is the end of my legal career. But I just truly do not see the space for myself in the UK's legal industry, especially in the Bar route, which is what I want to pursue. I am okay with the idea of it taking it a little longer to get there which I'm sure is easier to say than it feels. What concerns me most is securing pupillage after my BTC (which I will v likely end up self-funding/pursuing alongside LLM to receive SFE loan), as I can see and hear how difficult it is for 2:1 and 1st class grads itself, never mind a 2:2 grad. If I am shown even the slightest glimpse of hope, I will stay persistent in my journey to the Bar of England & Wales. However, with how difficult it is to pick myself up each time I feel demotivated or ashamed about my 2:2 classification, I am really not interested in spending my life (my 20s lol) trying to prove myself to just anyone and everyone to show them I deserve to be in the same spaces. I haven't done much research into the foreign Bar (e.g. Aus, NZ, Singapore) and I imagine they are massively competitive too, but again, all I am looking for is some hope that my route to the Bar is not over. If you are a 2:2 grad yourself, someone who is making your way to the Bar atm, or you just know the space well, please just be honest- is it over? Insight, advice, tips to compensate, anything?

Hello. I am an aspiring international student hoping to study law at a prestigious uk university. I intend on to becoming a barrister and at the same time I am keen to explore other fields. I have a comfortable budget and at the same time I need insight for the quality of education , cost of living across England , living standards, neighborhood safety, job prospects and money worth the investment in the following universities. I am open for further suggestions about different universities from locals and foreign students who have studied law in the uk ! I am not applying to Oxbridge and do not prefer London unis.My current considerations are :

1. Durham
2. Bristol
   3.warwick
3. Nottingham
4. LSE ( if I get the scholarship)

Thanks 🙏

My overall aim is to study for a JD at a top-tier US uni. I was wondering whether getting a degree at a top uk uni (like oxbridge) would give me a higher chance or whether doing my undergraduate degree at a us uni would help more to get into a us law school.

also any ideas for a good subject to do my degree in would be helpful.

For clarification I live in the uk, and my predicted a levels r A*A*A*A*

Thank so much you in advance for any help or advice given.

Ill be starting my 2nd year of Law LLB at University of Westminster this sept with hopes to do a masters in Law at a better Uni such as KCL after graduation in 2028.

However, through clearing i have received an offer from University of Leicester to study Business and Law BA
starting this September at Leicester with graduation in 2029.

Westminster is 82/113 for University Law rankings UK.
Leicester is 29/113 for Law on the rankings.

My goal is to become a commercial lawyer and hopefully secure a training contract for a Silver Circle/Magic Circle firm.

Which option should i go with?
LAW LLB AT UOW + MASTERS AT GOOD UNI
or BUSINESS AND LAW BA at Uni of Leicester?

curious about what people feel about doing law in cardiff! currently choosing from my uni offers with cardiff being one of them but all my options are pretty similarly ranked! makes the decision a bit daunting so I'd appreciate some first hand experience of people who've done law here! I'm also an international student from Malaysia if that provides any useful context lol

I applied to many law firms that did degree apprenticeships but I didn’t get accepted to any, I didn’t even pass the first stage I WANT TO REAPPLY NEXT YEAR AND ACC GET IN SO ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Got BCC at alevels (not great) but got an offer from the University of Leicester (where the normal cutoff is AAB). I heard its good for law I want to work at top firms. I already have previous work experience at Baker Mckenzie, Freshfields, PwC, EY, Addleshaw Goddard etc. Ik some vacation schemes don't look at Alevel grade cutoffs. I only need a few vacation schemes for university. Is it better to continue at Leicester and gain as much experience as I can + First class degree or resit and apply to better unis?

Ok so I need to get some work experience for law or anything to help me out in the future I got BBB in my A levels and I’m still debating whether to take a gap year and retake or just go to the Russel group unis that I got offers from and try to switch to a law LLB law course BUT IF I TAKE A GAP YEAR IMMA NEED TO GET SOME EXPERIENCE and I feel like I need it in general ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED

I’m studying law and I don’t know where to apply to, so any help would be nice

I have to choose between two similar degrees - classical archeology at ucl and classics at kings - with an aim of converting to law post completion of either one.

The unis excel in the respective field of each degree and I know I will enjoy both too (although I would focus the archeology degree less on the practical aspects, to align closer with relevant transferable skills).

The legal extracurricular opportunites provided seem on par with each other so this is also not a deciding factor.

Therefore to decide, I wanted to know if any current lawyers think one uni is at all better than the other for somone wanting to convert down the line!

Also any other advice would be greatly appreciated in regards to if one degree might be more useful than the other for a career as a barrister or solicitor (perspectives on both would be valuable).

Hi, I got my results and I got BCC. I had an offer at Manchester (AAB) and Liverpool (ABB), I was unsuccessful though. I’ve gotten SOAS for clearing, is it worth to stay at SOAS with my low grades or resit my a-levels and reapply for top universities.
I really want to go far in my law career and be at top law firms in the future, so I need to what I should do?

Just to show how dire my situation is: I got BDE in my A-Level exams, with the B in English Lit, the D in biology and the E in Chemistry.

To provide some context for my results, I’ve suffered with depression for a lot of my life, but it grew especially worse during the ends of year 12 and for the majority of year 13. Study leave was when it was at its worst, with no more going to school, and having to spend the majority of my time at home studying, or trying to. More context, I have CPTSD from my environment (that I’m still in), I live in a hoarder home with a parent that has serious untreated mental health issues. This has been the case for me even since my GCSEs, though my grades were alright, but I could’ve done better had things been better (think all A*s except for one A). Basically long story short, I’m completely unmedicated and unsupported for all of my struggles and I am struggling!!! Though I am staying positive and hoping everything improves once I move out for uni in a month or so.

I applied for a law degree, and initially I wanted to go the law degree, SQE, vac scheme, training contract route into law. I somehow managed to get into a mediocre non-Russell group uni for law llb despite my god awful a level results (I was a contextual applicant). I’ll forever be grateful to my uni. I know most law firms look at A-Level results, so I need to get better A-Level grades no matter what (whether it be in 1st year uni, or during a gap year before postgrad). Even though I guess I have extenuating circumstances (?), my grades are awful even for that. However, with my current situation at home, taking a gap year (where I stay at home) to retake probably wouldn’t make any real difference to my grades (I would probably get even worse, grade wise and mentally), as I NEED to move out for my own mental health. I’m also from a poor background so I have no option to move out or go abroad or do anything like that for a gap year. I’ve secured a great accommodation at my uni, that I’m rather happy about. I also plan to do a law postgraduate at a better uni, to make up for attending a non rg uni for law (and also for my A-Level grades). A gap year where I retake is basically out of the question.

Realistically, if I wanted to retake my A-Levels at uni during 1st year, how possible would it be? Or alternatively, would it be better to just privately take a whole new A-Level (let’s say, law or English language) rather than biochem since it’s so different from my uni course? If i do end up retaking, I would probably only resit 1 A level in 1st year so I don’t overwhelm myself. I don’t plan on retaking for a uni transfer, it’s mainly so I don’t have BDE as my results for future companies. I’ve never been too much of a social person, so most of my uni time will probably be spent in my room, or in the libraries. I really do plan on working really hard at uni! Sorry if this post is badly formatted, it’s my first post on Reddit and I desperately need advice. Thanks!! ✌️✌️

Heyy, I come from a low income background so earning potential means a lot to me, due to mitigating circumstances I ended up with A*BB and even after attempting to clear into a different course I was unsuccessful but I do have a place a Qmul which is very good but I can’t help but feel I can do better and have a better future if I just retake my two BB grades, someone please help me what did I do.

Sorry if this isn’t the right place — I’m mainly hoping to hear from people involved in City/BigLaw recruitment.
My academics are messy on paper because of pretty extreme disruption. In my first year of sixth form in the UK I was predicted A* A* Dist* (Politics, Business, CTEC IT), with Distinctions already achieved in two IT components.

I then had to move back to Pakistan because of family circumstances/bereavement, change subjects, and had repeated UK/Pakistan moves because of residency issues. I ended up having roughly 4 months to prepare for three A-levels, including subjects I hadn’t originally planned to take, and finished with BDE.

I’m now going to Durham’s International Foundation Year via International Study Centre, progressing to Durham Law LLB if I meet the required grades/LNAT. My aim is to score in the 80s on foundation and then get a First/high 2:1 on the LLB.
Long term I’m targeting corporate law at major City/US firms. I also have business experience: I ran a small business at 15 doing around $12k/year revenue, now work as a partner in a marketing agency, and have B2B sales/business development experience. At Durham I’ll also be pursuing legal experience, societies, first-year schemes, vac schemes, etc.

My concern is firms that still show AAB/AAA A-level requirements.

If an application sees BDE, will some firms simply auto-reject regardless of a strong Durham record and mitigating circumstances? Or do recruiters actually consider the full academic trajectory?

I’ve considered resitting two A-levels later to get something like AAB/AAA, but I assume firms asking for full education history would still see the original BDE anyway.

So, if you were in my position, would you:
1. Resit A-levels to clear formal cut-offs, or
2. Forget them, focus entirely on smashing Durham and building the strongest possible legal/commercial CV?

Also, if an application only asks for your most recent pre-university qualification, would listing the Durham Foundation be acceptable, or should the original A-levels still be disclosed?

I’m not looking to hide anything, I’m just trying to work out whether one very disrupted year can realistically keep blocking me even if I perform strongly afterwards.