Study groups are an invaluable way for students to review course material and understand complex concepts more easily – this can be especially beneficial during your first year!
Law schools vary considerably in their curriculums; most students take foundation courses such as administrative law, family law, criminal law, evidence collection and taxation as well as corporations and taxation. Each law school also offers various electives.
1. The United States
Becoming a lawyer requires both time and dedication as well as significant financial investment. Before embarking on your law school journey, it’s essential that you fully comprehend both its job market environment and desired career goals before making the leap.
Most attorneys work in private practice, such as law firms and corporate legal departments. About 8% work for the federal government while less than one work as public defenders or in state courts – most frequently found in New York and California.
A Juris Doctor degree (JD), is the standard path to becoming a lawyer. As it’s a graduate degree that takes four years full-time study to earn, and is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), many law students pursue it to enter this industry.
In 2022, students seeking their JD comprised 35% of first-year enrollment at ABA-accredited law schools – marking a substantial rise from the past four decades, when representation remained around 9%. Student populations continue to diversify with 55.7% identifying as female while male students have decreased from 78,516 in 2010 to 50,969 today – marking six consecutive years where most JD candidates have been women.
2. The United Kingdom
Students from around the globe choose the United Kingdom as their chosen study destination for many reasons, including its high quality instruction at top-ranked UK universities and being able to earn their law degree without taking the LSAT exam, saving both time and money in doing so.
The UK offers an accelerated path to becoming a lawyer, making the transition easy for students who wish to begin their legal careers quickly. Furthermore, being one of the main centres of legal activity means there are plenty of job opportunities for graduates upon graduating.
Attracting so many law students into the UK has caused some concerns. Increased competition for training contracts (the first step to becoming a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales). Micro-placements that enable law students to gain experience in different fields. Over saturation which may reduce employment rates of law graduates. Many of these issues can be solved by selecting an appropriate law school;
3. The European Union
Gaining a law degree in Europe opens doors for you all over the globe, from human rights law and international negotiations, to developing innovative solutions to complex global problems.
Law is one of the most sought-after subjects at university. Studying it provides an exciting blend of intellectual and practical abilities that makes it ideal for those aspiring to make positive change in the world.
At European Law School, legal studies bachelor degree students develop critical analysis of legislative choices from different countries around the globe. You will examine how social factors have an influence over law-making processes while exploring global issues like sustainability, migration, security, and technology.
Qualification as a lawyer (jurist in Dutch), public prosecutor or judge requires professional training after graduation in your home country. Furthermore, at least one language from your host country should be spoken fluently as well as meeting other national requirements.
4. Canada
An intellectually challenging, rewarding and well-respected profession in Canada, law practice is often seen as the embodiment of excellence and respectability. To become an attorney in this country requires intense law school training as well as passing an intensive licensing process which means applicants for law schools across Canada face stiff competition for admissions.
Not every Canadian law school requires the same admissions requirements; therefore, it’s wise to research each institution individually before making your application. Some may require higher LSAT scores while others have different deadlines for admissions. As such, it’s wise to contact each law school directly regarding its individual admissions criteria prior to applying.
Western’s JD program boasts an inclusive community that welcomes students from across the country and globe. Students gain hands-on experience through for-credit externships, two term-long practicums, leadership training programs and various legal clinics, community outreach initiatives and an internal advocacy program.
This law school also offers an innovative dual degree program whereby students can simultaneously earn both a common-law (JD) and civil-law degree (LLB), in a one-stop effort. Furthermore, four dual degrees with French universities Universite Pantheon-Sorbonne or Universite de Bordeaux give students the opportunity to spend a semester focusing on issues like environmental and food safety concerns, international economic governance practices, intellectual property rights as well as other matters relevant to law.
5. Australia
Since the 1970s, law has become one of Australia’s most sought-after study options. Unfortunately, many graduates are leaving without becoming lawyers; according to some experts, this represents a growing problem; unfortunately, Australian legal profession is too small to absorb so many newcomers, prompting fears that valuable study has been wasted.
But this needn’t be all bad news – opportunities exist for students who don’t wish to enter the legal industry, according to research conducted at the University of Canberra which revealed that older students may have better chances of finding employment post graduation than their younger peers.
Simply put, older students often bring more experience to the job market than their younger counterparts do, whether from working in other industries or government roles. According to one Melbourne specialist legal recruiter, hybrid legal eagles who possess both in-depth knowledge and a fresh viewpoint are amongst the most sought after candidates for legal roles; this category includes individuals who previously held financial or insurance industry jobs before returning to study for legal degrees – giving them an edge when applying for roles.
6. New Zealand
New Zealand law schools provide some of the finest legal degrees available worldwide. Graduates of New Zealand’s law schools enjoy an advantage in finding employment compared to graduates from other nations; some of its top law schools include Auckland University, Victoria University and Otago University.
Though the results were positive, participants in this study reported varied experiences post-law school. Most reported finding employment that they found fulfilling, with many using skills learned at law school in their jobs. A large proportion also mentioned how law school helped shape them professionally.
Participants were then asked in an open question what could their law school have done to enhance the student experience, with many responding that more information about life after graduation and job prospects should have been provided by law schools. Other suggestions included providing more practically-based content, assessments and skills training; building stronger student connections; and making courses less pressured.
If you are hoping to pursue a legal career, it is wise to enroll in law school with an open mind and study various subjects across various subjects. This will enable you to develop transferable skills which could come in handy later. In addition, take the time to evaluate whether commercial and intellectual property law are suitable fields compared with criminal and family law – often more adaptable across jurisdictions than criminal or family law fields.
7. Japan
At the turn of the millennium, Japan had less than 20,000 lawyers serving its population of 127 million people. Their national bar exam was notoriously challenging with only around three percent passing rates for all three sections.
In 2004, the government introduced law schools with an aim of increasing bar passage rates. Furthermore, it wanted to expand access to legal services by permitting non-law school graduates to take the bar exam and become attorneys-at-law.
Law students in Japan spend four years as undergraduates and three more at law school before taking the national bar exam. If successful in passing, passing will give students access to one year of training at the Supreme Court’s Legal Research and Training Institute. Attorneys at law are known as bengoshi in Japan and wear pins depicting either a balance or sunflower to symbolize justice/liberty or fairness/equality respectively.
The University of Tokyo, Japan’s top-ranked law school, offers both two and three year programs leading to a Juris Doctor degree (kishu and mishu respectively). Temple University from Philadelphia operates a graduate law school in Tokyo which enrolls approximately 1,000 Juris Doctor and 150 LL.M students each year – it is also accredited by the ABA for full time and part time study programs.