Law degree (LLB) query

[Jshaz]

Hey guys, pretty new here, so please be welcoming

Pretty much wanted to know people's opinion on what would be more appealing to law firms (a Law degree (LLB) bachelor):


1) Mediocre scores from a prestigious university (monash/melb)

2) High scores from a mediocre uni (rmit/deakin)

Obviously it would be more difficult to maintain a consistent mediocre average at a prestigious uni, as the competition is higher......

excuse the syntax.........its really late, or early depending on your perspective

cheers

[Eriny]

It depends what you mean by 'mediocre grades', I think.

[pip]

Hey,
I have spoken about this to lots of law firms and lawyers. 10 years ago- yes prestige played a role. 2010? Not at all. These days it is all about performance and extra curricular involvement. My friend who is a barrister said when she was working in NYC know one had even heard of melb uni/monash/deakin anyway, so try not to get consumed by pretension. Also not trying to alarm you but your vce subjects do not really fit the llb/ba at all. Most of the law kids i know who struggle are the ones who studied mostly maths and science at vce level and obtained their high enter this way. You need exceptional english skills and analytical ability. Maybe go for the llb/commerce or science or something...
I am currently doing the llb/ba at monash btw so i am not just being biased! good luck

[ninwa]

Welcome to VN!

I wouldn't entirely say "not at all". I think university does play a role still, though obviously it wouldn't in the USA where nobody knows anything about Australia

However, I don't have much evidence for this - I don't really know any lawyers. I only say this because I've been to a few group shortlist interviews for legal volunteering work, and every time, out of on average 15 shortlisted people, at most one would be from Deakin - the rest were from UoM or Monash, and there was never anybody from RMIT or VU.

That said, university is mostly about your first legal job - that's when recruiters would care most, because they don't really have much else to go by. But once you get some experience, ANY experience, doesn't necessarily have to be at a top or mid tier firm, then your university (and even marks) become pretty much irrelevant.

I would also disagree with the subjects comment. I think you just need to be excellent at English. My top 6 was English, methods, chemistry, German, music and business management and I'm not finding law exceptionally difficult.

[tram]

I would also disagree with the subjects comment. I think you just need to be excellent at English. My top 6 was English, methods, chemistry, German, music and business management and I'm not finding law exceptionally difficult.

*insert expletive here* >.<

and yea.....according to the ppl i did work experience with(and they srsly knew their stuff, ninwa will agree with me ) they said that it was significantly harder to get into the top top law firms with a degree that was not from UoM/Monash. However, between the two, the're really not much difference, and again i'm pretty sure that ninwa will back me up again. Having said that, everyone that went to monash said GO TO MONASH IT'S THE BEST, and rather unpredictably, the same went with ppl from UoM.

So yea, basically, not impossible, but a deal harder.

[Jshaz]

1)So in that case i guess it comes down to either arts/law at monash or UoM JD. Is the risk of not getting into the JD really worth it?
Also, i recently heard that Monash has decreased the transfer rate (internal) into law from 25% to 5% (reliable source).
2)What type of scores would i be looking at in the top 5%?

[tram]

1)So in that case i guess it comes down to either arts/law at monash or UoM JD. Is the risk of not getting into the JD really worth it?
Also, i recently heard that Monash has decreased the transfer rate (internal) into law from 25% to 5% (reliable source).
2)What type of scores would i be looking at in the top 5%?

As ninwa would say 'all law degrees are fundementally the same so doing a JD gives you no real advantage over doing a LLB' and she would be correct. But there are other reason for going to melbourne. E.g. i'm planning on going to UoM cos 1) I'm not entirely sure i wanna do law, 2) Act stud is not really offered at monash and 3) it a hell of a lot more convinient to get to. Fighting for my place in the JD (if i am gonna do it) is no doubt going to be a bitch tho so you should keep that in mind when deciding, also only 50% of places are CSP places, i.e. a full  fee place is ~$90 grand and  CSP palce is ~$24.

If you are super set on doing law, go to monash, if there are other reason how ever  and UoM has more advantages for you, go to Uom, but do keep in mind that you will have to work pretty hard to get ur place in the JD. Unless of couse you get a guranteed place in the JD (i.e. get 99+ for a full fee place, or 99.90+ for a CSP place).

Alternatively, go interstate??? ANU have got a decent law course from what i hear....

[ninwa]

Damnit, thanks to tram I am no longer useful in the law forum

*leaves*

[tram]

LOL....soz ninwa....

[tram]

Most of the law kids i know who struggle are the ones who studied mostly maths and science at vce level and obtained their high enter this way.

*cough*azn nerds who's parents have pushed them into law*cough*

yes, i do realise the hypcrocy given my subjects

[Jshaz]

Also, i recently heard that Monash has decreased the transfer rate (internal) into law from 25% to 5% (reliable source).
What type of scores would i be looking at in the top 5%?

[tram]

NINWA.............WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU?

[tram]

Also, i recently heard that Monash has decreased the transfer rate (internal) into law from 25% to 5% (reliable source).
What type of scores would i be looking at in the top 5%?

Screw it, i'm gonna have a crack. I'm not sure about the 25%-->5% thing, ninwa should b able to confirm that, but if you wanna get into the top 5%, you would at the VERY LEAST need HDs, i.e. minumum 80%??

[ninwa]

HELLO!

http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,23471.0.html

However it doesn't say anything about actual percentages, just that it's becoming more competitive.

The law faculty says you need at least a distinction average to transfer into law, but there are so many people wanting to do that I'd aim for a high distinction average to be on the safe side.

NINWA.............WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU?

I fell asleep okay!!!!!!!!!

[tram]

NINWA.............WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU?

I fell asleep okay!!!!!!!!!

nope, not good enough, isn't there some rule that bcs ur a mod you have you give up sleeping so that you can be on vn 24/7???