Info on Law Degree (LLB)

[hjr]

This is pretty specifically for people who are in or have taken a law degree (LLB). Basically I'm looking for an idea of what the program is/was like (readings, essays, exams, projects, workloads, free time, extra-curriculars, etc.) for you. I know things change depending on school/specialization, so I'm looking for general perceptions if you can along with any information you feel pertinent.

[shakalaka]

I am going into 3rd year law this september. There is absolutely no free time (unless you don't care and don't bother about good scores obviously). There are tons of essays to be done, and same goes for research and reading. Exams are quite competitive in the sense that you must know all the cases by their names and know what principle of law they developed. Also know different sections of different statutes and know what they say. You might be allowed Statute books in exams though, some exams we are and others not. We do get lots of projects, especially now in third year there are going to be tons presentations and mock trials.

It's just that, you can't expect to get decent scores if you leave everything to the last day which I did in the first year, and learned that the hard way. Some courses tend to get really boring like Constitutional Law and Administration Law, and some are quite interesting on the other hand.

Anyway if you need anymore information just give me a PM and I will be glad to help with whatever I can.

[cressida_pimpin]

Originally posted by shakalaka
I am going into 3rd year law this september. There is absolutely no free time (unless you don't care and don't bother about good scores obviously). There are tons of essays to be done, and same goes for research and reading. Exams are quite competitive in the sense that you must know all the cases by their names and know what principle of law they developed. Also know different sections of different statutes and know what they say. You might be allowed Statute books in exams though, some exams we are and others not. We do get lots of projects, especially now in third year there are going to be tons presentations and mock trials.

It's just that, you can't expect to get decent scores if you leave everything to the last day which I did in the first year, and learned that the hard way. Some courses tend to get really boring like Constitutional Law and Administration Law, and some are quite interesting on the other hand.

Anyway if you need anymore information just give me a PM and I will be glad to help with whatever I can.

Did you do a year of common law before you went to law school? Where do you do that and also what GPA and LSAT score did you get admitted with?

Thanks

[shakalaka]

Give me a pm if anyone requires any more information. I am not studying in canada so the way I am
doing this is a bit different.

[De Dutch]

I was under the impression that Scotland/Ireland/Uk would be a pass/fail law program?

[bobby_lu]

^I think you can also go directly into it without first doing a Bachelor's like you need to here. You need the bankroll though.

[redbaron303]

In the UK and most British commonwealth countries... It's 'easy' to become a Lawyer.

For instance in the UK, where I'll be studying upon completion of my program here.

- You can start right out of their highschools. For direct entrance you have to have basically a AAA, AAB type average (it's a set of exams much like our diploma's and is basically top grades - this is my understanding from communication to various British schools).
- There is no preprofessional degree or first year, but you can top up your law degree with a Masters in Law.
- They do not have the LSAT program as we do here, and many schools do not even require a standardized entrance exam for entrance. This is a recent trend. They do have a similar program to the LSAT which is beneficial, memory of what it is, is escaping me currently. Sorry.
- Cost at most schools there is much like here. CHEAP for local students HELLA expensive for foreign students. (Tuition at Sheffield is roughly 5,000GBP for locals and about 12,000GBP per year for foreigns - for us that is roughly $25,000 cad for tuition + living + books + life).
- Having a British law degree is not the same as having a Canadian law degree, it'll take some work to bring it home though is apparently more transferable than a US law degree here for reasons of commonality.

For studying locally.
- LSAT exam score 160-180. 180 is really good, you can have mediocre grades for some institutions with this. 160 and a high GPA you'll probably still get a few offer letters. Shitty GPA and less than 160... goodluck.



There is a lot of information through the Canadian bar association with respect to law degrees and their "worthiness" in the context of Canadian society.

There are also some good resources online that rank schools based on their program and such and will give you an average of what the marks for LSAT and GPA are sitting at for entrance.

Locally, to study at a school like Queen's or Dalhousie you'll be paying a lot more than if you study in your home city... so weigh your options.


Also realize that getting your LLB here isnt' a cake walk, your first degree was probably hard enough even if it was a cake walk for you... the LLB gives you professional status and if you want to make good coin and be somebody with more than the letters on a business card, bust your ass! You're only going to get what you put into it, out of it.

:-)

[redbaron303]

Oops, I forgot to add... Check the school's admissions pages to see what standards you have to meet - overseas or locally. It's the easiest way rather than speculating and assuming, potentially incorrectly at that.

[shakalaka]

^This guy pretty much said it all. Once you get a British Law degree it takes about a year to convert it into Canadian Law degree. It was much easier before, but the law has been changed around litttle bit.

It isn't easy to become a lawyer in Britain, getting into Law school is easier but it gets harder once you get your degree, cauz you don't really become a lawyer after your degree. It's easier to become a solicitor there, but much harder to be a barrister. Only the best get placed in different firms, most law graduates end up going into careers other then lawyers.

In Canada it's harder to get in, but easier once you are in the system. So I sorta works out itself out.