Are you fascinated by people? Are you passionate about the legal system and determined to make a difference? If so, the Legal Studies may be the perfect course for you.

However, Legal Studies is a particularly tough subject to study and in order to be successful, students need to have a logical mind with extremely strong analytical skills in order to interpret case studies and legal theory.

Most Legal Studied courses will demand a significant number of contact hours from students. Despite this under-graduates will be expected to conduct extra-critical research during their free time. The students who are more successful tend to be hard workers, self-motivated with excellent time management skills.

The majority of students that take Legal Studies do so with the intention of pursuing a career in law. While some opt to continue their studies in order to train as a solicitor or barrister, many others work as legal secretaries or take up research positions.

Similarly, a degree in Legal Studies can also lead to careers outside of the Legal Industry, but where knowledge of the law is beneficial. Government organisations such as Social Services and Benefits services often look for graduates with an in depth knowledge of public sector law and civil law.

Yet not every Legal Studies graduate decides to pursue a career that uses their legal skills. Many graduates will find that the transferable skills learnt throughout the course of study will make them appealing to potential employers. Business and finance, human resources, accountancy and journalism are all popular fields of work for legal graduates.

There is a lot of competition for places on a legal studies degree, and this is reflected by the entry level requirements of most courses. The majority of undergraduate degrees expect potential students to have 3 top grade A-levels (or equivalent) and post-graduate courses will expect prospective students to have a strong degree before starting the programme of study.

The majority of law courses are predominantly lecture based with students learning about legal theories and how this applies to various case studies. Most modules will be assessed by written examination and assignments however some courses will include more vocational elements such as work training programmes.

Depending upon your course and your level of experience, your programme of study may last from 1 – 4 years (for an undergraduate degree). If you are a non-native speaker of English, then you will need to sit an IELTS test and score a minimum of 6.0-6.5 in order to demonstrate your language fluency.

One of the most important things you will need to consider when choosing where to study is the opportunities available to you as a student of the university. As a career path, working in the legal sector isn’t solely about how talented you are, it is also about who you’ve worked for. You should attempt to find a University that has forged a relationship with reputable legal companies within the local area to maximise your opportunities of finding relevant experience. Even if a work placement isn’t a compulsory part of your course, you should still try and find some extra-curricular experience. It looks amazing on the CV.

However, it is also vital that you choose somewhere that appeals to your personality. After all, you won’t remain a student forever, so it is important that you enjoy your time of study while it lasts. Most universities have open days, so you should attend these where possible and investigate the local area. Does it have enough of a social scene? Does it have too much?

The cost of your course will also have a significant impact upon when, where and what you decide to study. So too will the entry requirements, Most undergraduate courses will only accept students with A’s and B’s at A-level (or equivelant) with most post-graduate courses requiring applicants to have a 2:1 degree. Before deciding that law is for you double check that you meet these entry requirements.

For those who can’t afford the fees there are a number of grants and scholarships available.