Why study Law at University if I want to become a lawyer?

If you are thinking that you might eventually wish to pursue a career as a lawyer, whether a solicitor or a barrister, there are two different ways of getting the necessary qualifications. One is to study any subject at University other than Law, then do a one-year Law conversion course and finally complete the relevant vocational course to become a solicitor or a barrister. The other route is to study Law at University, typically for three years, and then take the relevant vocational course.

Graham Virgo KC, Professor of English Private Law at the University of Cambridge, discusses the benefits of studying a law degree if you wish to progress into the legal professions. Considerations include the breadth and depth of knowledge acquired, the opportunity to learn to think like a lawyer, the opportunities for critical engagement and to develop other legal skills, and the cost.

As Jonathan Hirst KC, a leading barrister and former Chairman of the Bar, has said: "In my view, pupils who have done an undergraduate law degree start with a very considerable advantage over those who have tried to cram in everything in less than a year. A Law degree allows a student to gain a broader and more mature understanding of the subject."

For more information about studying a Law degree at the University of Cambridge, see http://ba.law.cam.ac.uk/

Professor Virgo also engaged in a lively debate with Lord Sumption about the value of a law degree to those wishing to be lawyers, which you can watch at    • 'Those Who Wish to Practise Law Shoul...