Studying Law
Thinking of doing law?
Feeling inspired having finished the last season of Ally McBeal? Simply bedazzled by the glamourous Elle in "Legally Blonde"? Do not, and I repeat do not be carried away with the dramatic scenes in the movies. In real life, the legal profession is not a soap drama. Far from that, this is a profession that requires you to be alert at all times, have the ability to juggle hundreds of files at any one time and the burning desire to absorb voluminous amounts of information. Having said that, reading law opens up a lot of opportunities.
What does LL.B stand for?
Unlike other degree courses which specify the title of your course on your certificate (e.g. BSc Eng, BA Bus, etc), law graduates are conferred the title of LL.B/ LL.B(Hons). LL.B (Legum Baccalaureus) means Bachelor of Laws in Latin. Taking into consideration that you will be using these three letters upon graduation, it is imperative that you know what these three letters stand for. (For all you know, your client may ask what it means) Similarly, LL.M stands for Legum Magister which means Master of Laws in Latin.
Pre-requisites for entry into the law degree
Normally a full time law degree would take three years. The only exception is Buckingham University where a student obtains his Bachelor of Laws Degree within 2 years of full time study.
1) Three full years of study at an English University
The standard entry requirement would be "A" Levels. You can study for your "A" Levels locally, which would save you some money. And if you do score good grades, chances are you might be offered scholarships by your college or the university concerned to read law at one of the prestigious universities in England. Bear in mind, competition is fierce, and not many scholarships are awarded to students intending to do law (sadly, society seems to view science related fields as more crucial fields in comparison to law).
Choosing your university
You should bear in mind that although most universities in England offer LL.B as one of their undergraduate courses, not all law degrees are recognised by the Bar Council of Malaysia for purposes of entry on the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP), an examination which must be passed in order to commence pupillage and later on, admitted to the High Court of Malaya. Log on to http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/membership/admission.asp#unis for the latest guidelines on qualifications recognised by the Bar Council for admission as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.
Pros and Cons
If you do study for three years at an English University,you will gain exposure in terms of the culture of fellow Britons. You will have time to explore and discover for yourself what life is like in a foreign country. You will be able to mingle with students from all over the world, and broaden your horizons. On the other hand,cost is an important factor. The current exchange rate is RM7 to one pound. (approximate). Therefore make sure you have sufficient funds to last you throughout your years of study. Although you may be able to supplement your pocket money by taking up a part time job, if you overdo it, you will sacrifice your studies and defeat the original purpose what you were initially there for.
2) Twinning Programmes-1 year locally and 2 years abroad, or 2 years locally and 1 year abroad
Entry prerequisites: "A" levels/SPM/STPM/UEC
This is an arrangement between local private colleges and foreign universities where a student completes part of his/her degree subjects at a local university and then proceeds to the second or final year of study at the university concerned. This is a very popular mode of study mainly because it is easier on one's budget. The probable disadvantage is that given that a student only has a year or two at the university, you will need to get used to the weather, food and to top it all, to get a good degree within the same academic year.
3) External Degree Programmes-studying locally full time or vide independent/distance learning
Entry Prerequisites: "A" Levels/ Mature Students Entry/Graduate Access Route
This is a flexible mode of study which has proved to be very popular among both mature students and working professionals. You can obtain your degree without having to leave your job. However, studying independently also means that you will have to be very disciplined, and you must allocate a large portion of your after office hours to your studies. Currently, the University of London External LL.B Degree is the only external law degree which is recognised in Malaysia. A large number of local private institutions offer tuition to students who are enrolled on the course.
Subjects studied on the law degree
During your first year, you will study the following subjects:
1. English Legal System
2. Law of Contract
3. Criminal Law
4. Constitutional Law
During your second year, you will study the following subjects:
1. Equity and Trusts
2. Law of Tort
3. Administrative Law
4. Land Law
5. European Union Law (compulsory for those intending to do the BVC)
During your third year, depending on the institution that you attend, you will choose from the
following subjects, some of which are compulsory.
1. Company Law
2. Law of Succession
3. Jurisprudence
4. Intellectual Property
5. Family Law
6. Crime and Punishment
7. Law of International Trade
8. Employment Law
The list is not exhaustive. I have just included some of the more common
subjects. Check with the institution you are attending for details.
In your final year you are also expected to complete a dissertation of
not more than 10,000 words.
In my next update I will include some of the books which are helpful during your years of study.Make sure you make full use of your university library.
Useful Books
The following are some books which may be useful during your undergraduate years:
1.English Legal Process (by Michael Zandler)
2.Smith and Hogan on Criminal Law
3.Cheshire, Firfoot and Furmstone, Law of Contract
4.Trietel on Contract
5.Bradley and Ewing, Constitutional Law
6.Hanbury and Martin, Equity and Trusts
7.Winfield and Jolowiz on Tort
8.Cross on Evidence
9.Murphy on Evidence
10.J.G. Riddall, Land Law
11.Gower's Principles of Company Law
12.Farrar on Company Law
13.Bromley's Family Law
14.Schmithoff's Law of International Trade
The above are core textbooks. I will add on to the list as soon as possible.
What you should attempt to achieve during your first and second year of your studies
The following information are intended as suggestions to students who are studying on a full time degree at an English University. For those who are doing twinning programmes, you might find it useful as a general guide.
a)Academic Goals
As I have mentioned above, the subjects that you would study are Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Law of Contract, English Legal System and in some cases, Law of Property. You will need to get accustomed to a lot of reading, in particular, law reports, commentaries, articles, newspaper reports etc. You need to train your mind to absorb a large volume of information, digest it in a short period of time so that you have time to move on to the other areas in your subjects. It is not easy, and most of the time you have been reading and reading the same report all over and you do not even understand what it means. This is where your personal tutor comes in. Your personal tutor is one of the lecturers at the University who is assigned to look after you in terms of academic and other concerns. Where you have tried to read a particular article or law report and you find that you are unable to make sense out of it, try talking to your personal tutor or the lecturer who is teaching the subject. The most important thing is that you must have tried to comprehend the particular article and that you are seeking clarification on your understanding of that particular issue. Do not ever expect to be spoon fed, as lecturers tend to be put off with this kind of attitude. Most of your evenings will be spent in the library, trying to complete the long list of reading required to be done. You will come to realise, in time, that the large amount of reading that you are required to do, is in fact a way of training you to think in the eyes of the law. To appreciate law like a form of literature. To make you feel comfortable using legal jargon and stuff. And hopefully, to make you fall in love with law and stick to it for a lifetime.
One of the common pitfalls of first year students are looking for shortcuts to cut down the amount of reading that you need to do. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to understand the law. You have to do the directed reading in order to appreciate the law. For many of us who have just finished our "A" Levels or Diplomas etc, the prospect of having to do even more reading is absolutely daunting. However, in order to progress further in this field, you do not have much choices except to dedicate your time to reading. And because everybody in your faculty will be doing the same, you will not feel isolated.
What you should aim to achieve academically at this stage, is a sound grounding in the subjects that you are studying. Clarify your doubts at the earliest opportunity. Make use of your tutorials to interact with other students and not just jot down the answers. You need to put on your thinking cap at all times and keep track of your study developments. Make your own notes and do not just rely on the handouts given by the lecturers. Writing your own notes is a learning process by itself whereby the information will be fed into your brain. You will find that you can remember the facts easily once you have made your own notes.
(b) Work experience
This is entirely up to you really, but if you are considering a career in England, you need to obtain some work experience. Some universities provide for placements in local law firms as part of your degree course. In the event no such arrangements are available, you can check with your university's career service centre, which should have an updated list of firms and chambers which offer mini-pupillages and vacation schemes. Places for such schemes are competitive and you need to apply early. Mini-pupillages usually last for about a week. Vacation placements will take about three weeks. Of course, if you do intend to do placements, they would take place during summer, and you may have to give up your holiday plans. But the work experience gained will be worth it.
Alternatively, if you cannot get a place in the firms in England, you can also utilise your time by coming back to Malaysia and look for student attachments. Usually large firms in KL would be able to accommodate student attachments. Although what you would be dealing with is related to Malaysian law, a student attachment would give you an insight of the practical side of the law. Make sure you are appropriately dressed, especially for your interview. What you wear and how you wear your clothes reflect on your character, which is the first impression you are going to give the person who interviews you.
(c) Joining an Inns of Court
You may also want to consider joining an Inns of Court during your first year. Most people would advise otherwise, the reason being the purpose of joining an Inns of Court is if you ultimately want to study the Bar Vocational Course in England and subsequently get called to the Bar of England and Wales. However, if financial circumstances permit, it would be good if you could join an Inns of Court as a student member. You do not need to be doing your Bar Course in order to be a member. This is because, experience has proved that during your Bar course, you would be studying frantically for your exams and the dining requirements only add to the high stress levels you are already in. Therefore you are most likely to eat and leave, rather than mingle around, making new friends and contacts, which is the whole idea of dining at the Inns of Court. Hence, if you join as a member, you could spread out your dining requirements throughout your degree and leave probably one or two sessions for your Bar Course. A lot of the Caribbean students have done it and their year at the Bar was less stressful. If you are in an institution within London, its not that bad. But when you are studying in an institution outside London, all that travelling on cattle truck trains, buses, and tubes are enough to drive you nuts. :) And as students,we are always pressed for time.
(d) Participating in Mooting Competitions/Debates
Again, this is entirely up to the individual.It would be a good idea to hone your advocacy skills by participating in mooting competitions. Mooting is essentially a mock court case where two sets of students present their case to a "judge" sitting in front. The "judge" is usually your lecturer. This is where you polish your oratorial skills and your presentation skills. You need to be coherent in your arguments.
Basically, the above are some of the things you should attempt to achieve during your first and second year of your studies. But your priority should always be your academic development, as you will need your degree certificate to earn your dough. And you do not want to be just another statistic, right?
In my next update I will deal with common problems faced by third year students and direct entrant students (i.e. students on twinning programmes who transfer to an English university for their final year of study)
Common problems faced by direct entrant students
1. Entering an English university at the most crucial year of your degree (usually the final year) can have both its pros and cons. On one hand, you are inclined to sample an alternative way of life which the university and the town has to offer. On the other hand, you need to get used to the unpredictable weather, food and different culture within a 9 month period, and on top of that, ace your subjects in order to earn a degree which would be the passport to the job of your dreams.
2. With regards to assignments and written examinations, it goes without saying that you need to know what the lecturer demands from his students in order for you to score higher marks. Home students would have the added advantage of knowing what is required of them during examinations. At the risk of being labelled kiasu, you would need to work twice as hard as the other home students--understanding what is being taught in lectures and gauging what answers are expected of you during examinations. Speaking from experience, (and although this goes without saying) answer the question. If asked to "discuss", take your stand in the issue. You can only agree or disagree, and then proceed to present your arguments and supporting authorities in a coherent manner. Basics of the subject must be included in your answer. Treat your answer as you would build a house-- solid foundation comes first, followed by supplementals and incidentals. Do not go trigger happy with the wealth of information which you acquired from the internet and dump them all in your answer. As a rule of thumb, always start with the recommended texts (especially the core textbook) and build up your authorities with the help of electronic databases in the university library as well as internet legal databases.
3. For students who are required to do dissertations, it may well be the case that the more popular topics have been hand picked by the home students, leaving you with very little or sometimes, no choice at all. Fret not, for the topics given for purposes of dissertation are there for a reason. And if you do pour your heart and soul into your dissertation, you could even use it as evidence of your written work, should you decide to commence on a research degree after you have obtained your LL.B.
(updated 6.3.2006)