Final Year

You have successfully reached the third (/fourth) and final year of your law degree. The ‘harder’ core subjects are out of the way and you now have a proper grounding of the law and what it’s all about. Now the fun but ‘still a bit hard’ subjects /modules can be selected. This is when you get to choose electives that you have the most interest in. A majority of law degrees will offer the same law electives: human rights law, commercial property law, public international law, criminal justice and more.

You can choose a set of electives that relate to a similar area of law, giving you a more specialised programme or choose a range of different ones, giving you a good understanding of a variety of law subjects.

Aside from your studies, revision for your final set of exams and generally enjoying your final year as a student (for some of you), for others, in particular those that wish to continue studying, it’s the time for you to start really thinking about the route you want to take into the profession. With this, it would be a good idea to research legal training providers for the Legal Practice Course (LPC – solicitor route), or for the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC – barrister route.) If you are lucky enough to secure a training contract, you may not have a choice as to where you can undertake the LPC, due to partnerships with specific training providers.

If you know you want to work in the legal profession, but not actually practise, you could also consider taking a Master of Laws course (LLM.) This will give you the opportunity to study a particular area of law, for example maritime law, dispute resolution, EU law, criminal litigation for instance. An LLM degree may also give you the competitive edge over other job applicants, as you would have demonstrated dedication and real interest in a particular area of law.

You may have made the decision to not continue with legal training and go straight into the job market. Your law degree will have taught you many transferable skills to pursue a career in a wide range of areas: in the civil service, finance and banking, in-house legal teams, non-governmental bodies and many more. Take some time to visit your careers department before you leave university, to get as much help and advice you can, as to where your law degree can take you.

See these articles for more helpful guidance on your next steps.

Good luck!

Looking for help with your law degree?  Check out our TSL Tutors page, a directory of the best private law tutors in the country.