Relevant work experience
If you are applying to study law, the most direct way to strengthen your application is to obtain experience in a law firm. This demonstrates genuine interest in the subject and provides insight into legal practice. Securing legal work experience can be challenging, but persistence is essential. Contact every firm in your area, and further afield if you can travel, and ask whether they can offer a few days of shadowing or administrative work. You do not need to work on cases. Simply being in a legal environment shows commitment.
If you cannot obtain experience in a law firm, contact banks or other organisations and ask whether you may spend time with their legal teams. This also provides valuable experience and transferable skills that you can discuss in your personal statement.
Online courses
Online courses are an excellent way to build experience. Many are free and available on platforms such as FutureLearn, edX and Harvard Online Courses. Completing a course allows you to discuss what you learned and the skills you developed. The course does not need to be directly related to law. If you have an interest in a particular area, choose a course that reflects that interest. This shows universities that you have researched the subject and developed curiosity about specific areas of legal practice.
Other skills and experience
This section should not dominate your personal statement, as universities will focus primarily on evidence of your interest in law. However, skills gained outside academia can demonstrate valuable transferable qualities. If you mention extra‑curricular activities, explain the skills you gained. Volunteering, for example, shows strong interpersonal skills, which are important in legal study and practice.
You may also mention sports or musical instruments. Although not essential, they show that you are a well‑rounded individual with interests beyond academic work. Universities have societies and clubs that reflect a wide range of interests, and they value applicants who will contribute to their wider community.
Events and talks
Many firms offer open days and workshops for students in Years 12 and 13. Attending these events shows that you are proactive, informed and aware of the profession. You can discuss what you learned and how the experience strengthened your desire to study law.
Talks at universities or professional organisations are also valuable. Even if the topic is not strictly legal, you can apply what you learned to law. For example, attending a debate on Brexit may allow you to reflect on argumentation, advocacy and public policy. As long as you can relate the event to law, universities will recognise the relevance.
Books and research
Reading about law shows that you have taken the initiative to build foundational knowledge. Books such as Letters to a Law Student by Nicholas McBride and The Rule of Law by Tom Bingham provide insight into legal study and the role of law in society. Referencing ideas or principles from your reading will strengthen your personal statement and demonstrate intellectual engagement.
Fiction can also be useful. Novels such as Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky raise themes relevant to criminal justice and morality. Discussing why a particular issue interested you can help your application stand out.
Researching cases or legal deals is another effective way to show initiative. For example, studying the O.J. Simpson case demonstrates awareness of how law operates in practice. If a case or deal interests you, research the basic facts and the outcome, and explain why it captured your attention.
Conclusion
Gaining legal work experience is difficult due to the competitiveness of the field. Many applicants do not have formal legal experience, yet still secure offers from their preferred universities. What matters is demonstrating genuine interest, intellectual curiosity and commitment. If you show enthusiasm through events, talks, reading and research, your application will be strong, distinctive and valued.
Not sure how close you are to qualifying?
The path-fit quiz reads your situation and shows you which routes you are ready for, and exactly what to do next. Four minutes, no account needed to start.
Check your readiness