Beyond the Middle Ages:
Moving from Medieval Studies
to Law
“We Choose to be Medievalists not
because it is easy…”
Fact:
If you are currently pursuing a postgraduate
course of study you have already demonstrated
that you have all the necessary skills for a
successful career practising Law – if you want it
badly enough.
The problem is employers can be unaware of
the breadth of skills post graduate work equips
you with
And yes, the Latin does help – a bit
In fact as a Medievalist you may be
uniquely equipped to appreciate some of
the more subtle aspects of the legal
system unappreciated even by some
experienced lawyers…
honi soit qui mal y pense
Bringing Anglo-Norman subjunctives to a
court wall near you since 1066 (or
thereabouts)
Beyond the technical and historical:
An MA or Ph.D in Medieval Studies
demonstrates that aside from core
intellectual skills expected of graduates
you have:
Tenacity
Focus
Determination
Because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have
made it this far.
And these are the key attributes essential
to getting a legal career off the ground.
Trust me. Not him.
Getting Started in Law
How does one go from Chaucer to Chancery
division?
First of all the following problems need to be
addressed:
Funding (as usual)
Burn Out (if you’ve just finished a Ph.D
you might fancy a rest)
Fed up with studying generally?
Some advice
Don’t get involved unless you are up for a
serious new challenge.
If any of the previous factors are a
problem make sure you are satisfied you
can handle a further tough couple of
years.
In my case, after submitting I worked for a
couple of years for Customs and Excise,
following in some illustrious footsteps…
“On his way back to ye office,
Geoffrey didst ponder ye VAT
gappe full verily”
The reason being to pay for:
The Law Society Common Professional
Examination (CPE)
Also known as the Graduate Diploma in
Law (GDL)
CPE
This is a one year course for graduates of
other disciplines and carries the same
weight as a standard law degree (LLB)
The Law Society allows certain institutions
to offer this course. Credited institutions
include Nottingham Trent, Northumbria
and the College of Law with campuses in
York and Guildford inter alia.
CPE Institutions
A full list of providers can be found at:
http://www.get.hobsons.co.uk/advice/lawconversion-course-providers
CPE duration
The CPE permits entry to the vocational
stage of professional training.
The Courses begin mid-September and
the examination period ends in early June.
As it lasts in effect only nine months it is
an extremely intensive course.
The Bad News:
Intensive and expensive (fees around £9k)
CPE contents
Most CPE courses cover the 7 main areas
of Law and include an overview of the
England and Wales legal system.
A research module is usually included as a
further area of legal study (around 3000
words)
7 Areas of Law
These are:
The Law of Contract
The Law of the European Union
Crime
Land Law
Equity and Trusts
Public and Administrative Law
The Law of Tort (Civil Wrongs)
Vocational Training
Make it through the CPE exams and the
next stage depends on whether you wish
to be a solicitor or a barrister.
Prospective Solicitors study the LPC
(Legal Practice Course)
Prospective Barristers choose the BVC
(Bar Vocational Qualification)
LPC
The LPC contains a mix of compulsory
and elective elements. The compulsory
element consists of:
Business Law and Practice
Criminal and Civil Litigation
Property Law and Practice(Conveyancing)
Elective Elements
These differ substantially depending on
the institution attended.
With a view to joining a high street practice
I studied Mental Health Law, Employment
Law and Childcare and Adoption Law
The BVC
The BVC contains many of the elements of the
LPC but devotes a lot more time to developing
advocacy skills and legal research.
It is also substantially more expensive (fees
circa £11k)
The Bar is massively competitive. Out of a class
of 70 perhaps 4-5 students will get a pupillage
and 3-4 will eventually become tenants at
chambers
After the LPC
The next stage is to get a training contract
with a firm of solicitors. This involves a
further two years of study
This is the bottleneck stage. Every firm will
receive many more applications than
training positions.
BUT THIS IS ALSO WHERE YOU WILL
STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD.
Some tips for Post Grads:
If you are genuinely interested do plenty or
research and find out all you can about
potential course providers.
Tips Continued…
If you have a good degree or degrees you already have
what it takes. Research some firms you may be
interested in and write off. Many larger firms sponsor
their trainees through the CPE/LPC
this solves the most serious problems faced by many
students straight away.
Nobody getting these awards will be more qualified then
you – the trick is to apply early. Big firms recruit two
years in advance.
Get some legal work experience. Realistically training
contracts are never awarded without some illustration of
commitment
Good luck and I hope
this has been of some
assistance.
If you have any
questions please feel
free to email me
evincentmoss@hotm
ail.com