Criminal Law Degree, Part Time LLB Degree ?
Q: I was wondering if someone can offer me some advice. I'm thinking of
doing a part time LLB Law degree, and am worried about will the course
suit me etc.
I'll be doing it as a mature student 2 eve's a week. Can anyone give
me some advise on how they found the course, workload etc - also if
there is any books people could recommend before I sign up, so I can
learn a bit more and make sure I'm making the right choice.
A:Ask yourself why you want to do the law degree? It is a means to a
particular end?
If you are looking to enter the legal profession then you may find the
legal executive exams more relevant.
I did the law degree full time over three years. The degree can be
very tough - particularly if you opt to do a more specialist law
degree. I decided to do a business law degree instead of the standard
law degree so I had to do 24 modules over three years. Some unis only
require 16 modules for a standard law degree.
There are many specialist law degrees these days - european law,
business law, european business law, criminal law, computer law.
Books - if you want to get a flavour for law try Smith and Hogan on
Criminal Law, Dias on Tort. Ball on Environmental Law. These are three
completely different areas for starters.
Just don't assume that a law degree will automatically improve your
job prospects. I have known friends who found it difficult to get a
job. They had a law degree but did not wish to go into the legal
profession. Employers would say "we would offer you the job, but you
have a law degree - obviously you are going to go into the legal
profession one day - you will not stick around" or "because you have a
law degree you will not stay with us very long - you will soon be off
working for another employer on a really high wage." Neither is
necessarily the case.
I took a part-time law degree and found it quite hard work especially
as I was holding down another job at the same time. One of the main
downsides of any part-time degree is the lack of contact with other
students.
I did mine over 5 years at 2 evenings a week. It meant getting to the
class at 6pm and finishing at 9 when we all went home, so little time
for intercourse with fellow students. When I did my first degree as a
full-time student, I found discussions with fellow classmates was an
invaluable part of the course.
I entirely endorse what Graham says "Ask yourself why you want to do
the law degree? It is a means to a particular end?" It is relatively
easy to get a place on a law degree course but you may find when you
graduate that getting on to a LPC course more difficult and, finally,
getting articles (or whatever they're called these days) more
difficult still. If you are already a graduate in another discipline,
consider the CPC route since people who go that route are more or less
guaranteed a place on the LPC when they pass.
We don't know how old you are but the big law firms can be quite
ageist when it comes to taking on trainees. It is best to get the LPC
place and a training place sorted out as early as possible.
I don't entirely endorse Graham's view when he says "Just don't assume
that a law degree will automatically improve your job prospects. I
have known friends who found it difficult to get