Cheap law courses/discounts

sahun

I am wanting to study law at university but the problem is getting the experience of the university course by going on law courses, which is another problem because these cost a lot of money.

What i wanted to know was whether people knew of any reasonably cheap law courses or if there is a way to get any discount on courses, for example i recieve EMA (money from the government) which allows me to take my LNAT exam for free but do not know if it allows me to get discount on available courses.

The courses which i am looking for are to be aimed at 16-18 year olds,


thanks

Raquela

I don't really know why you are looking to do this. or even that there are such things. I wouldn't do it; it would be a *total* waste of money. Courses in London for foundation law are designed for mature students going into a law degree. You could try and do a law a-level, but most law facultys don't like the a-level because it is taught so differently and doesn't prepare you at all.

The best thing you can do, as suggested in the other thread, is try and get work experience, and read up on the law... try getting to grips with a decent paper every day - I know the Times has a law supplement on a Tuesday for example. There are also lots of introductory law books available; if you can't buy they should be in the library; off the top of my head, the Law Machine, Learning the Law (Glanville Williams), Learning Legal Rules. (this last one is also really useful in prep for a law degree).

As long as you do this kind of stuff you are demonstrating that you have an interest. If you want to have some idea of what it might be like on the course itself, try flicking through some of the course books in a bookshop's law bit. In a first year law course you usually do an introductory law course (a great book for this is a Critical Introduction to Law by Wade, Mansell and Meteyard (I think)), Contract Law, Constitutional Law, and Tort law.
Good luck!

sahun

Thank you for these helpful points, and info. on books.

The reason that i am initially looking for the Law course, which are aimed at 6th form students is because our UCAS adviser recommends them to us so we can see what the actual course would entail.

we were recommended not to take A-level law if wanting to read law at uni. and the (private) school i currently go to does not offer law for that reason.

thank you for your help,

sahun

Just a quick question Raquela have you actually been on any Law courses?
i am just wondering because you view will be even more valid if you have experienced the course for yourself and not just via word of mouth.

shimmasok

If your considering being a solicitor or barrister as a result fo your law course don't forget your going to have to do your LPC or BVC which, if you don't get sponsered is going to set you back around £9000 in tuition fees alone on top of whatever it has cost you to go to uni!

pin

With the Training Framework Review that the Law Society is going through at the moment, there is a good chance that the LPC is to be removed, or become something totally different.

To the OP, I would relax now about wanting to be a lawyer. It is good you are showing interest in something, but you may change your mind down the line. Like Raquela has said do some soft reading on the area.

I should also point out studying law and actually being a lawyer are two very different things!!

Also remember, to be a lawyer, you don't need to have read law at university. Most big law firms don't mind what you read at university. What they care about is that you are bright and show an interest in the profession (and naturally got good grades).

I would concentrate on getting good A Level grades at your stage, as law firms and barrister's chambers do require their trainee solicitors / pupils to have good A-Level grades.

sahun

the reason that i am looking for the courses is because it is a good way to see whether the actual reading of law is right for me, and if i am applying for a university and there is someone with the same grades as me and i have shown the interest by going on a course or two then, by rule of thumb i should have more advantage on the placement.

Sorry but what do you mean by 'LPC', 'BVC', and 'OP'

pin

LPC = Legal Practice Course (training course for solicitors)
BVC = Bar Vocational Course (training course for barristers)
OP = Original Poster (nothing to do with law!!)

If you are serious about law I strongly suggest you look at the route to become a lawyer.

The college of law website is a good one to show you routes to become a lawyer (be it solicitor or barrister):

http://www.college-of-law.co.uk/20054.html

Also, research is one of the core skills of a lawyer!!

sahun

thank you for the help,
dont worry i am doing my own research aswell, but thwebsites that people are giving help even more because then i get a better idea of where to be looking.

Moon~Shadow

If you are looking at something for 16-18 years old, you could try starting off with GCSE Law and then going onto A'level both of which are delivered by Local Adult Education. Local colleges do a Paralegal course or Legal Secretary or ILEX do distance learning courses and college courses.
With Adult Education if under 19 I believe courses are free as well as local college but may vary according to authority. Ilex do courses by instalment.

http://www.ilex-tutorial.ac.uk/home.php?id=14
http://www.ilex.org.uk/

I have done GCSE and A level at night school (Adult Education) and one of the ILEX qualifications at college in the evening and I passed them all and I don't work in a Legal environment but still have an interest in it.

Good Luck

sahun

sorry moon but i am in a full time boarding private school so night classes are not very easy for me to attend, and i am taking 4 A-levels at this time so i would not be able to fit it into my timetable anyway, with my study time aswell.

but thank you for the suggestion