What Grades Do I Need for a Law Degree?
Law is one of the oldest degree subjects and well respected amongst employers for all industries, so you don’t need to worry that your degree will only lead to a career in Law.
The law plays a part in almost every aspect of society from human rights to economics and international trade. This means you’ll get an insight into many spheres of life and combine academic study with the exploration of human interest.
Courses are taught with a combination of lectures, seminars, group work, class debates, presentations, and “mooting sessions” which is practical law training in a courtroom environment.
Many universities also offer students the chance to partake in work experience, either in the UK or abroad, and also give the chance for students to undertake pro bono (voluntary) legal work to gain invaluable experience before graduating.
Law is one of the most popular degree courses, with students recognising the great employment prospects that a degree in Law brings. You’ll find the course challenging and intellectually stimulating, with plenty of opportunity to build skills you’ll use later on in your career.
This means that you’ll need to be on the ball with your application and have a strong academic record if you’re going to be a successful candidate.
Here’s more about what you’ll need to do to impress the admissions tutors and become a Law student:
What kind of Law degrees are there?
The majority of universities offer an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) which is the first of the two-part qualification you’ll need if you want to become a solicitor or barrister after graduation.
If this is your career plan, you’ll need to take the Legal Practice Course (LPC) if you want to be a solicitor or the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) if you want to be a barrister.
Some universities also offer BA or BSc degrees in Law, but research these carefully as they may not lead to the same level of qualification so you might not be able to progress on to the postgraduate study you need to practice law.
What A Levels will I need to study Law?
Surprisingly, most universities don’t ask for an A Level in Law from prospective students and there’s some debate between universities about whether an A Level in Law puts you at an advantage or disadvantage.
However, what they do agree on is that you’ll need a strong set of grades to be considered because of the academic demands of a Law degree.
Essay based subjects are desirable as they show your communication skills and analytical abilities. If you’re still choosing your A Levels, the following subjects might be interesting to you:
- Law
- English
- English Literature
- History
- Politics
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Critical Thinking
Depending on your future career plans, you might also want to take subjects such as Economics, Maths, Modern Languages, or Geography to keep your options open.
What grades do I need for a Law degree?
Entry requirements vary between universities, so it’s important to thoroughly research each course you’re interested in before applying. However, because of the academic and intellectual demands of a Law degree, you can expect universities will want high grades from potential students.
Typically grade requirements range from AAA to BBC or 250-280 UCAS Tariff Points. As we said above, some universities will accept you regardless of the A Level subjects you take, others will want you to have taken at least one essay based subject such as English Literature or History.
Are there any other entry requirements for a Law degree?
Many universities don’t interview prospective Law students, but there are always exceptions, so check the application process of each university.
What admission tutors are really looking for is a well-rounded individual who is curious about the world, committed, determined, and capable of coping with the academic rigours of a Law course.
You can demonstrate that you fulfil this criteria in your personal statement which should cover why you want to study Law, what interests you about the legal system, and what you have done to follow up your interest in Law.
This should include work experience – previous applicants have volunteered at police stations, become volunteer advocates for vulnerable people, and had part-time administration jobs in a law firm.
It’s also important to stay up to date with current affairs and legal cases in the news. Read a good quality newspaper and other relevant publications so that you’re well-informed about what’s going on in the media.
