7 reasons to study law at university

What do Barack and Michelle Obama, Mahatma Ghandi, Rebel Wilson and David Stern all have in common? They each have a law degree, but have all used it in different ways.

A law degree opens doors to many different opportunities. You’ll gain the skills to become a successful lawyer, but you’ll also gain valuable skills and knowledge you can apply to a range of industries – preparing you for almost any profession.

Here are 7 reasons we think you should study Law

1. Law gives you the power to make a difference

Do you want to tackle the social or environmental issues in our society? Studying Law can help you fulfil that calling to make a difference. If you feel strongly about issues such as inequality and discrimination, then a law degree will teach you about our human rights, and how to protect them.

2. Law is fun!

Can you get compensation if you are hit by a cricket ball whilst sunbathing in your garden? What is your legal position if you find a worm in your can of tinned peas? Is it theft if you find a diamond ring and decide to keep it? These are just some of the many questions you’ll answer studying Law. Each of these scenarios may be a bit of fun, but each involves an important legal principle. 

3. Law is useful

Studying law is relevant in so many ways to our everyday lives. Law applies in all our daily transactions, from buying your morning coffee to negotiating a pay rise with your employer. Those land law lectures will suddenly become extremely handy when you come to buy or rent your first property!

4. Law provides you with vital skills.

With a law degree, you’ll develop a number of skills which are key to employability in legal and non-legal industries. These skills include an ability to interpret complex information, research skills, forming sound arguments, negotiation skills, the ability to write concisely and accurately, and to communicate with confidence.

5. A law degree prepares you for the SQE

From September 2021, the new Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE) will change the way all solicitors qualify. This qualification will still require you to have knowledge of the law and legal practice, and a degree in Law will help candidates prepare for this new route to becoming a solicitor.

Find out more about this change from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

6. A law degree is impressive

There is no doubt that a law degree is prestigious. You only have to see how many books, films and television programmes there are on the legal system to see the important position lawyers hold in our society. A law degree also carries weight in non-legal professions, with many industries looking for people with the skills a law degree gives you.

7. A law degree opens the door to many careers.

You can progress into the legal profession with a law degree, but it can open so many other doors to employment too. Law degrees are academically rigorous and provide graduates with numerous transferable skills, making law graduates attractive to many employers. Law graduates often go into areas such as banking, finance, marketing and management positions in a range of industries such as insurance and retail.