How can I get into law? (1 Viewer)

[kablam]

I finished my HSC in 2003 having absolutely no idea what type of career or further study I might like to pursue after high school. As a result I didn't put in a lot of effort and was awarded the (deservedly) shitty UAI of 78. In March 2004 I landed a two month temporary job with the NSW Office of Fair Trading. The two months has been extended and extended and I now expect to remain until October this year. As a customer service officer a large part of my job is answering people's questions about their rights/responsibilities under consumer and other various laws. Shockingly, I have found that I genuinely enjoy this type of work. I love the research, searching through acts, regulations, amendments, for some obscure bit of information, and the satisfaction that comes from finding it and being able to use it to help resolve a dispute or just answer a customer's question.

All of this has fostered in me a fascination with the legal system and a desire to go further and learn more about it. I want to enrol in a law degree. I am convinced that I am able to handle any of the workload and I seem to have a 'natural' understanding of the legal concepts I have come across to date. Of course I realise that no university is going to accept me into a law degree based on any of the above.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the best path to take from here? Has anyone been in a similar situation? I would love to hear...

 

[AsyLum]

Perhaps a paralegal or legal secratary?

 

[Frigid]

LPAB's Diploma in Law.

 

[theone123]

you could end up in a combined law degree in either at UWS or MACQ, but obviously it will take some time and need you be enrol in a course you may dislike and you should try your best in it and you will eventually be guaranteed a spot in a law degree in the respective law degrees.

 

[hello99999]

as a side note, I think it's strange that you say that you got a "shitty" uai of 78 because you didn't know what career you wanted to pursue- a lot of people who get 99+ UAIs don't know what career they want either so it's not really an excuse. I wouldn't say that 78 is a shitty UAI though- it will still get you into uni.

your best bet is to either do the LPAB diploma in law if you want to start doing law straight away, or do something like arts at UWS and go for a transfer. i'm pretty sure uws has some sort of guaranteed transfer scheme where you can transfer after a year if you maintain a certain average.

also you can do paralegel/ legal adminsitrative type stuff at tafe
http://www.tafe.com.au/howex/servlet/Course?Command=GetCourse&CourseNo=9769

 

[santaslayer]

I finished my HSC in 2003 having absolutely no idea what type of career or further study I might like to pursue after high school. As a result I didn't put in a lot of effort and was awarded the (deservedly) shitty UAI of 78. In March 2004 I landed a two month temporary job with the NSW Office of Fair Trading. The two months has been extended and extended and I now expect to remain until October this year. As a customer service officer a large part of my job is answering people's questions about their rights/responsibilities under consumer and other various laws. Shockingly, I have found that I genuinely enjoy this type of work. I love the research, searching through acts, regulations, amendments, for some obscure bit of information, and the satisfaction that comes from finding it and being able to use it to help resolve a dispute or just answer a customer's question.

All of this has fostered in me a fascination with the legal system and a desire to go further and learn more about it. I want to enrol in a law degree. I am convinced that I am able to handle any of the workload and I seem to have a 'natural' understanding of the legal concepts I have come across to date. Of course I realise that no university is going to accept me into a law degree based on any of the above.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the best path to take from here? Has anyone been in a similar situation? I would love to hear...

Tutor had a student who got 73.00 UAI, did a business course @ TAFE for one or two years, transferred to a real business course at UWS and then went for a internal transfer to B Bus/LLB.

Alternatively, you could just take the Diploma in Law at the Legal Practicioner's Admission Board.

 

[xeuyrawp]

LPAB's Diploma in Law.

Yah, that's a good way to go if you're certain you have a passion for it. If you're not certain, it's not the way to go, as you pay outright (would you also like my leg, ma'am?), and there's no help with the work.

 

[kablam]

Thanks everyone. I hadn't even heard of the LPAB Diploma so I will definitely keep looking into that. From what I've gathered it only offers part-time study though, is that right? I think I would prefer the regular uni set up but this is something to keep in mind for sure.

If I enrolled in a B Arts for example, what would I need to do to transfer into combined Arts/Law? Is this common at all?

 

[xeuyrawp]

Thanks everyone. I hadn't even heard of the LPAB Diploma so I will definitely keep looking into that. From what I've gathered it only offers part-time study though, is that right?

Yes, you do only 1-3 subjects a semester, and they are at night. This makes things much more difficult, logistically, and practically.

I think I would prefer the regular uni set up but this is something to keep in mind for sure.

You might not have a choice, all things considered.

If I enrolled in a B Arts for example, what would I need to do to transfer into combined Arts/Law? Is this common at all?

Best to ask this in the "Transfers" sub-forum, but. At Sydney, I believe, your UAI will be looked at at even a very late stage. This is even so for graduate law, where you do your LLB after another Bachelor degree.

At macquarie (I know for sure), they will only look at your tertiary records and a letter you submit them. What you could do to get into macquarie:

1. Apply outright, through either NRSL (non-recent school leaver) or the normal UAC way.

If that fails- 2. Non-award. Essentially, non-award is paying for your subjects on the outright, and then transferring into the arts degree. You can't transfer directly into law from here, though. You'll need to spend a year in non-award, a year in arts, and would then be eligable for a combined law degree. The upside is that your units would count, so you're not really "wasting time" per se.

 

[Meldrum]

Will doing the LPAB increase your chances of being accepted into a law course?

 

[xeuyrawp]

Will doing the LPAB increase your chances of being accepted into a law course?

At Macquarie- yes, a completed year will.

 

[kablam]

At macquarie (I know for sure), they will only look at your tertiary records and a letter you submit them. What you could do to get into macquarie:

1. Apply outright, through either NRSL (non-recent school leaver) or the normal UAC way.

If that fails- 2. Non-award. Essentially, non-award is paying for your subjects on the outright, and then transferring into the arts degree. You can't transfer directly into law from here, though. You'll need to spend a year in non-award, a year in arts, and would then be eligable for a combined law degree. The upside is that your units would count, so you're not really "wasting time" per se.

If I completed a year of arts at USYD (last year's UAI cutoff was 78) would I be able to transfer to Arts/Law at Macquarie?

 

[xeuyrawp]

If I completed a year of arts at USYD (last year's UAI cutoff was 78) would I be able to transfer to Arts/Law at Macquarie?

I would say to go into Macquarie straight away, it would make things much easier.

In answer to your question; it totally depends on what marks you got. You would need somewhere around high credits (72ish) and low distinctions (78ish), not to mention a good letter

At macquarie, you need to get a GPA (grade point average) of around 3.5 to transfer from BA to LLB. 2 is a pass, 3 is a credit, 4 is a Distinction and High Distinction. Since HDs are also worth 4, it kinda makes an average requirement of transferring to Macq law around a low distinction/high credit range.

But yeh, like I said, going straight into mac would be preferencial, I think... Probably better to ask someone at the uni?

 

[kablam]

I would say to go into Macquarie straight away, it would make things much easier.

In answer to your question; it totally depends on what marks you got. You would need somewhere around high credits (72ish) and low distinctions (78ish), not to mention a good letter

At macquarie, you need to get a GPA (grade point average) of around 3.5 to transfer from BA to LLB. 2 is a pass, 3 is a credit, 4 is a Distinction and High Distinction. Since HDs are also worth 4, it kinda makes an average requirement of transferring to Macq law around a low distinction/high credit range.

But yeh, like I said, going straight into mac would be preferencial, I think... Probably better to ask someone at the uni?

I don't know if I'd get into MQ straight away through UAC. If I follow the non award method, do I have to do 2 years of just Arts before starting law, or do I have that wrong?

Thanks for all your answers by the way.

 

[xeuyrawp]

1. I don't know if I'd get into MQ straight away through UAC.
2. If I follow the non award method, do I have to do 2 years of just Arts before starting law, or do I have that wrong?

Thanks for all your answers by the way.

1. No, you woudn't get straight into law. I mean straight into the arts degree.
2. Ok- one year of non-award (you have to pay upfront), one year of arts (attempt to transfer with 3.5+ marks), then into law the next year.

But, like I said, the non-award year isn't wasted, as the units that you do still count.

 

[kablam]

1. No, you woudn't get straight into law. I mean straight into the arts degree.

I meant Arts as well, sorry I wasn't clear. I don't think I'd get straight into Arts at MQ (based on the 2005 cutoff 85.10). My next thought was getting into Arts anywhere (USYD appealed), and making sure I do well enough to have a shot at transferring to Law at MQ. Assuming this is possible?

Anyway I'm glad it seems I can get there eventually, even if the exact path isn't totally clear.

 

[xeuyrawp]

I meant Arts as well, sorry I wasn't clear. I don't think I'd get straight into Arts at MQ (based on the 2005 cutoff 85.10). My next thought was getting into Arts anywhere (USYD appealed), and making sure I do well enough to have a shot at transferring to Law at MQ. Assuming this is possible?

Anyway I'm glad it seems I can get there eventually, even if the exact path isn't totally clear.

That would save you a year, if you could do it (rather than doing non-award), but you have to decide whether that year of waiting for law is worth it. I think it isn't, I'd go straight for macq via non-award:

- You'll get settled into the library, the scenery, ect.
- You'll have a chance to move forward in your arts subjects (not a bad thing) before you tackle law.

I don't know what my point is, , but just don't try to rush straight into law... (I think that was the point)

Although there is the matter of money. You'd be doing 3 or 4 subjects a semester costing around $500 each.

 

[hello99999]

you can do grad law @ unsw part-time after your first degree and from what i can see they don't take UAI into account. it's a long way of going about it however.
http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2005/4791.html

 

[santaslayer]

No really, since a standard degree is 3 years and grad law is either 3 or 4 years. (usually 3 i think)

 

[Frigid]

*hijacks thread for whinge*: why would you want to get into law anyway? they're the harshest-marking faculty... every semester result burns your ego like a kick in the balls