Rewind two years, I was leaving sixth form with mediocre grades and a severe lack of confidence in my academic abilities.
Fast forward to now, and I’m sleeping, eating, and breathing law. And I love it. You’re only three sentences in, and I bet you’ve already pictured the long black gown and funny-looking wigs; but law is so much more than that. It’s studying how the different societal disciplines overlap: the law behind politics, the sociology behind crime, and the history behind each statute. It’s recognising that the world is full of real people with real emotions, and a good lawyer (and law student, for that matter) acknowledges that different approaches are taken in each case.
There is also more than just criminal law. I’ve been studying for just one year and I’ve already explored the law behind land and property, political law and contracts, and these are just some of the compulsory topics. You could choose to study anything from medical law to employment law, or explore the cross-border relations of international law. You could work with families or with businesses, and you could defend a client or be the one prosecuting them. The world is your gavel.
But when you’re drowning in case law during your eighth hour at the library, it doesn’t feel quite as exciting as it did when you first applied. Your brain is about to explode, and if you see the words ‘reasonable person’ one more time, you’ll throw your books across the room and hope you don’t get charged with the assault of the librarian. But then you remember why you’re doing it. For some, it’s the thought of a £90,000 starting salary at a top city firm. For others, it’s being part of the evolution of a company. But for me, it was the idea of being able to change someone’s life. Whether it be something seemingly small, such as the sale of a house to a young family within property law, or using your human rights knowledge to free a prisoner of war. Whatever area of law I end up practicing, I know that I’ll be leaving my mark in the real world.
Choosing what to study at university is a huge decision, and it’s okay to not have your life together by the time you submit your UCAS application. But law is an incredible subject to study, even if you don’t want to become a lawyer. The skills you’ll gain will be invaluable in any profession, and it’s such a well-respected degree that it will look impressive to any employer.