Level of interest advised to undertake Law? / JD or LLB?

[MrCommerce]

In terms of reading - I probably read a couple of pages a week Probably not even that. You realise after a while that reading cases and textbooks adds very little knowledge; I spend more time reading notes from previous semesters. A lot of people overstate the amount of reading that you need to do in law. It's all relative to the mark that you're aiming for: e.g. if you want a HD, you will have to put in a fair few hours and read more widely (e.g. journal articles and the like), whereas you could probably get a D by just reading notes.

Hahaha that's interesting, most people have 'warned' me of the excessive levels of reading - even the new Dean  . Do you think you've developed that capability to read less as time progressed with your law degree?

[ninwa]

Hahaha that's interesting, most people have 'warned' me of the excessive levels of reading - even the new Dean  . Do you think you've developed that capability to read less as time progressed with your law degree?

The thing is, academics (like the Dean) have to do that - they're hardly gonna say "hey new students, you can still do decently well without ever reading any of the cases on the reading guide"

I'm hardly the pinnacle of excellent marks but I'm not a total failure either. I haven't read a case since first year lol! IMO, law exams are maybe 10% intelligence, 30% hard work, 10% luck and 50% knowing how to actually write a law exam answer, because you could know the course back to front but still fail because you regurgitated everything you knew instead of actually analysing the problem.

[Sah123]

Congrats on the offer! Do you want to be a lawyer? If so, the market is pretty tough, but like you said so is journalism.

It's hardly no reward! Your reward is a qualification which is recognised internationally (I'm assuming you're doing the JD not the LLB). A law degree opens a lot of doors into other careers as well, not just practising law.

If you've been interested in it since VCE then I think you should give it a shot. You could always quit after a trimester if you don't like it

Thank you! I am considering becoming a lawyer one day, my main interests are family and criminal law, but I am excited to just give it a go and see what piques my interest.

Yes, I'll be doing the JD at Monash which was my first choice. I think I'll take your advice and give it a go. I'm prepared to give it a year and take the plunge! At the end of the day, at least I'll satisfy my curiosity. Plus, I'll change if I have to I think that path is easier than trying to get into law again...

[MrCommerce]

The thing is, academics (like the Dean) have to do that - they're hardly gonna say "hey new students, you can still do decently well without ever reading any of the cases on the reading guide"

I'm hardly the pinnacle of excellent marks but I'm not a total failure either. I haven't read a case since first year lol! IMO, law exams are maybe 10% intelligence, 30% hard work, 10% luck and 50% knowing how to actually write a law exam answer, because you could know the course back to front but still fail because you regurgitated everything you knew instead of actually analysing the problem.

Hahaha - just wondering though, if you haven't read a case since first year, how do you quote them in your exams? Do you just use the ones you study in class?

[ninwa]

Thank you! I am considering becoming a lawyer one day, my main interests are family and criminal law, but I am excited to just give it a go and see what piques my interest.

Yes, I'll be doing the JD at Monash which was my first choice. I think I'll take your advice and give it a go. I'm prepared to give it a year and take the plunge! At the end of the day, at least I'll satisfy my curiosity. Plus, I'll change if I have to I think that path is easier than trying to get into law again...

Ooh, those are tough (as in, emotionally, not necessarily job prospects) career paths! But infinitely more rewarding than working for big corporations.

Yep, that's a good attitude to have. You're (statistically) going to change careers 3 or 4 times in your lifetime anyway, so why not give everything a shot while you're still young!

Hahaha - just wondering though, if you haven't read a case since first year, how do you quote them in your exams? Do you just use the ones you study in class?

Lecturers go through every case on the reading guide anyway. And all you really need to know are the salient facts of each case and what legal principles they represent. If you read the cases yourself you might be able to quote some obscure passage on the exam and impress your examiner, that's all (but you can still do well without that).

[lynt.br]

Some of my highest marks for law subjects are for those where I never read a single case. Some of my lowest marks for law subjects are from ones where I read everything on the reading guide and then some.

Law exams are about being efficient and comprehensive, not about showcasing your depth of knowledge. I have heard directly from examiners that have told me all they care about in problem style questions is issue spotting and that the best answers are those which are 'consistently average'.

Reading cases is an important skill for almost everything law related, but it really is a case of diminishing returns when it comes to law exams (at least for issue spotting type questions). There is a danger of knowing too much and consequently running out of time.

Obviously reading cases is critical for research essays or things like mooting, which is why these things are infinitely better from an academic standpoint than law exams are. Law exams are more about testing your work ethic (i.e. ability to grind practice exams) more than anything else (in my opinion at least...)

[MrCommerce]

Some of my highest marks for law subjects are for those where I never read a single case. Some of my lowest marks for law subjects are from ones where I read everything on the reading guide and then some.

Law exams are about being efficient and comprehensive, not about showcasing your depth of knowledge. I have heard directly from examiners that have told me all they care about in problem style questions is issue spotting and that the best answers are those which are 'consistently average'.

Reading cases is an important skill for almost everything law related, but it really is a case of diminishing returns when it comes to law exams (at least for issue spotting type questions). There is a danger of knowing too much and consequently running out of time.

Obviously reading cases is critical for research essays or things like mooting, which is why these things are infinitely better from an academic standpoint than law exams are. Law exams are more about testing your work ethic (i.e. ability to grind practice exams) more than anything else (in my opinion at least...)

Hmm, seems completely different from VCE where it's all about depth of knowledge! Guess it's going to take some getting used to...


Another question for you guys (sorry lol) - regarding the quassi-compulsory subjects, do students that do not initially intend to practise law usually take these anyway?

[sam.utute]

Hmm, seems completely different from VCE where it's all about depth of knowledge! Guess it's going to take some getting used to...


Another question for you guys (sorry lol) - regarding the quassi-compulsory subjects, do students that do not initially intend to practise law usually take these anyway?

Almost always.

[MrCommerce]

Almost always.

Ah okay~ yeah, should've guessed haha.

[zhenzhenzhen]

 

Thank you! I am considering becoming a lawyer one day, my main interests are family and criminal law, but I am excited to just give it a go and see what piques my interest.

Yes, I'll be doing the JD at Monash which was my first choice. I think I'll take your advice and give it a go. I'm prepared to give it a year and take the plunge! At the end of the day, at least I'll satisfy my curiosity. Plus, I'll change if I have to I think that path is easier than trying to get into law again...

Exactly what my thoughts are, though I want to be a prosecutor - a really really long road though.. but I'll give it a shot! Got accepted into the JD at Monash too, see you at orientation?

[ComBoy]

Hey Mr. Commerce,
I think most people have answered your question, I thought I'd add my 2 cents though! Investment Banking is a very lucrative but demanding career, most of my friends who graduated are working close to 10-12 hour shifts but are getting paid very handsomely for a fresh grad! Definitely focus on maximising your finance grades and apply for Internships, either at the big 4 for some basic industry experience and then into more specialised banking fields e.g. Bank of America.

Commerce degrees are particularly fun, you get a wide breadth of subjects to find out what you truly are passionate about and enjoy. I changed from a finance nerd to a law orientated student by experiencing new classes

All the best!