The vast majority of students who go to the UK to study law have a fantastic learning experience, but as with any travel experiences, emergency situations can arise. Should that happen during your legal studies, it is important that you are aware that you have plenty of support and resources available to you.
Asking for a reference letter can be very nerve-wracking for students! This can be especially true if you have been out of school for a bit, you studied part or all of your recent studies online, or you feel your class sizes or structure made it difficult to get to know any of your teachers very well. Not to worry! We are here to help!
Join the Canada Law From Abroad team to go over an important part of the application process - the reference letter. Our webinar will cover everything from factors you should consider when choosing a referee, how to approach a teacher or instructor about writing a reference for you and what the reference letter should include. UK law school applications going through UCAS have a very specific format that they need to use so we will make sure you know how to notify your referee about that as well!
Have you been considering law schools in the UK but not sure where to begin? What is an LLB vs. an LLM? Wondering whether a law degree from the UK is the same as a JD in Canada? Maybe you've heard you need to apply through UCAS but you don't know what that means?
Join our Canada Law From Abroad team to learn what to expect when you are making an application to UK Law Schools. The webinar will cover the different Law programs available in the UK, different GPA requirements, an overview of the UCAS application process, and most importantly how Canada Law from Abroad can help you every step of the way.
Written by Heather - 01/12/2023
Wondering how to give yourself the best chances when applying to UK law schools? There’s one easy way to set yourself up! Apply early! While it’s true that a majority of law school in the UK will accept applications all the way until June, exceptions exist! Beyond that, focusing on a later deadline, can also prompt students to feel like they have lots of time to put together their application and even to procrastinate right up until the deadline. But this could just end up costing them their potential spot in a top law school! Below we’ve outlined addition reasons why submitting an early application (before the winter holidays is ideal) is a good idea.
A majority of law schools in the UK will operate their admissions on a rolling basis. This means that they will review and make decisions on applications as they come in throughout the year (as opposed to gathering all applications submitted before a deadline and holding them to review all at once).
The peak period of for applications to our partner law schools is in the fall through early winter. In fact, the application portal used for law applications, UCAS, actually operates an equal consideration deadline in January. While most law schools may continue to accept applications from international students after this, it’s not a guarantee. The deadline does apply to all UK applications therefore universities will receive almost all of their UK applications before the end of January.
For popular law schools this may mean that they hit capacity and close to new applications because they’ve already awarded offers to cover all the spaces they have one their degree. Applying early, before the holidays, can help to ensure your application is not only reviewed but in plenty of time before the UCAS equal consideration deadline.
Beyond that ,we observe that law schools accept a greater range of applicants when they still have a significant number of places remaining on each course. Therefore, if you apply early, and meet the minimum academic requirements, your chances of receiving an offer are significantly higher as long as the rest of your application is of good quality.
After the equal consideration deadline, there will be fewer available study places at the law schools. When this happens, the competition for each remaining place becomes higher. An applicant who would have been accepted earlier in the year may unfortunately experience being rejected because it wasn’t considered as competitive as another late application received.
In addition to the academic requirements, you must also attach a personal statement. This letter is an essential part of your law application and is frequently used when admissions are needing to decide between two applicants with similar academic backgrounds. Therefore, you also want to ensure you put forth a well-written personal statement targeting towards a UK admissions audience. There are some notable differences between a UK personal statement and what you may be more familiar with in Canada. Our student advisors can help to ensure you are on the right track with this but it usually takes students a few drafts before their statement is application-ready. Starting your applications early means you’ll have lots of time to work with your advisor to perfect you statement before you apply.
When the university has processed your application, you will either receive a refusal or a conditional offer. Students who apply in the fall may even start to receive decision from law schools before the holidays. If you are still in school when you apply, your offer may be made with “conditions”. This means it will tell you exactly what grades or final average you will need to achieve in your remaining studies in order to gain admission to university. This way, with your applications out of the way and an offer in hand, you focus your energy for the rest of the school year on your studies with certainty of exactly which grades you need to be guaranteed a study place in the autumn.
Many law schools in the UK have a selection of scholarships for international students. Some scholarships may be merit-based and awarded automatically when you receive an offer of admission. Other, and often the more substantial scholarships, require and application in order to be considered for the scholarship. For these, in order to apply for a scholarship, it is a criterion that you have applied to the university. Some scholarship applications may even require an admissions’ offer to have been made before the scholarship application can be submitted.
Spring is the peak season for scholarship applications and most scholarships have an application deadline from March to May. If you submit your law school application in the winter, you will have lots of time to look and apply for scholarships. Feel free to ask your student advisor about scholarship opportunities or read more about scholarships on our website.
For many, living on campus is a big part of the experience of studying in the UK. Most law schools will offer international students guaranteed housing on campus as long as you apply within the university’s accommodation deadline.
Furthermore, the housing on campus is distributed on an ongoing basis. The most popular styles of room (based on price and available facilities) are naturally selected first. Ensuring you apply early will you the best shot at securing your preferred housing. Your student accommodation will be one of the biggest expenses you have during the year, and if you get affordable and good accommodation, you will have provided yourself with safe and friendly space for a fantastic study year.
If you would like more information about the application process, or studies in the UK in general, you can contact one of our student advisors today for free guidance! If you decide to apply, we will even try to get your application in before the holidays! Get in touch here.
Every year we help around 300 Canadian students with their application to the UK, which means we can provide expert advice to support students through the entire process. This is something we are very proud of - and all the positive feedback from advisers, parents and not least the students themselves is something that makes us always want to maintain the personalized support service we offer.
Are you getting asked by your students about what courses they need to apply to law school in the UK? Not sure which universities to recommend based on their grades? Can they really go straight into law school from high school or college? We can help with all of this.
Book a webinar with one of our student advisors and we will tell you all about what we do and how we can help you as a counsellor (or teacher) when you get questions from students about going to the UK to study law.
Canada Law From Abroad provides a free service to Canadian students wishing to get their law degree in the United Kingdom. We work with a consortium of a dozen top UK law schools. We are here to provide guidance for the application process and we also help you take the needed steps to transition to life in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is home to many affordable student accommodations. However, the more you live in inner London, the more expensive your rent will be. One trick will be to live outside inner London and take the tube to school. Also, get an Oyster or Rail Card as it will be cheaper to travel. Or get your accommodations sooner, as spots fill up fast. The first year I lived in Hatfield (zone 9). I took the Overground to central London for school three times a week. In my 2nd and final year, I moved to Tottenham (zone 3). Although I paid more for rent than my previous year, the closer zone saved me time commuting to school, which was very important to me.
The United Kingdom has multiple things to do. They love Canadians; I found that randomly going up to people and asking a question at school, my accommodations, or outside help me make friends and build strong social bonds to help me in the future. Flying to the rest of Europe from the UK is very cheap; I have seen aeroplane tickets to Italy from the UK for 30£.
I studied every day, and because of this, most of my marks are firsts or high 2:1. Which would be equivalent to A and B+ in Canada. I made a strict study schedule, including in-person or online lectures. Takes notes, does my readings, takes notes from my readings. Then practice with the homework I was given. Then next class, I spoke and asked questions about topics in the readings I needed clarification on. I plan one month in advance for when to do all my note-taking, readings, homework, and breaks.
I am studying the 2-year LLB (Hons) Law Senior Status. The LLB (Hons) Law Senior Status is a specifically designed degree for students who already hold an undergraduate degree from Canada and want to convert to law study. It is compatible with the NCA as I currently want to become a qualified Lawyer in Canada. My course also offers Canadian classes, which, too, is beneficial. I was granted a bursary for being an international Canadian student.
Make friends there, do not be shy, go and talk to like-minded people. Get a part-time job. It will help with your finances. Book your tickets months in advance if you decide to fly back for the winter break. Most of all, have fun and study hard; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy it.
Like many students entering Law School for the first time, I was both incredibly nervous and excited to begin this new chapter of my life. I’ve never lived or studied away from my home in Ontario, and I did not know what to expect when moving to a new country for the first time. Despite all of the confusion and nerves I had throughout the application process, I was constantly reassured and encouraged by my advisor from Canada Law From Abroad (CLFA). She was consistently willing to help me with all aspects of my application, and was always available at any time whenever I had a question or concern. There were moments when I was in constant contact with my advisor, more so than that of my immediate family or friends. My advisor’s professionalism, diligence, and knowledge really made the application process tremendously simple, regardless of me consistently asking her odd questions at random times throughout the day. The personal advice and guidance I received was amazing, the assistance with documentation and the personal statement was incredibly helpful, and the visa and pre-departure support was extremely advantageous. The reassurance I received from Canada Law From Abroad made me confident I was making the right decision.
There were many reasons why I decided to attend Law School in the UK. First, it was extremely affordable. I graduated University in Canada with an Honors Specialization in Political Science, and I always wanted to attend Law School because it would create a lot of opportunities for my future. I decided on the Two-Year LLB (JD Pathway) Program which would allow me to graduate much quicker than the standard Three-Year JD Program in Canada. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made as accommodation, tuition, and living expenses were comparable to that of Canada, but I was saving one year’s worth of time and money. I was essentially receiving an Internationally recognized degree for a fraction of the time and money it would have cost in Canada, and I did not even need to submit an LSAT score or take the test.
Secondly, I chose Law School in the UK because of the experiences of living away from home and in a completely different country. I experienced an initial culture-shock when first moving to the UK because everything felt so different and new, but I feel I adapted quickly and it almost immediately started to feel like home. The first few weeks were riddled with homesickness and constant questions of doubt to the point where I felt I had wanted to go back to Canada. I then realized that I had hundreds of Canadians attending the same school, and I had quickly began to become friends with everyone. We were all experiencing this adversity at the same time, and it brought us extremely close together. I met some amazing people and professionals when studying in the UK, so much to the point where I consider these people life-long friends and family to me. Everyone comes from different professional backgrounds from all across Canada, from people with ten years work experience on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to new graduates from high-school in Vancouver. We became the best of friends through frequent grocery trips to the shops, late-night exam study sessions in the accommodation common rooms, and impromptu trips booked abroad over study breaks. Regardless of how diverse our backgrounds were or from which places we lived in Canada our whole lives, studying in the UK brought us extremely close together and formed inseparable bonds.
Lastly, I chose the UK because of the prospects for successful career growth and networking. Many of my professors were Canadian, and had global contacts and experience with other legal professionals all over the world. They consistently brought insightful knowledge to lectures and tutorials, and they consistently prepared us for a successful career in law upon our proposed return back to Canada. There were also so many opportunities for me to get involved and learn first-hand from legal professionals in the field. Whether it was in clubs or extracurricular programs, MOOT Trials, Pro-Bono Law events, legal conferences and meetings with professionals in London and Birmingham, I was gaining first-hand knowledge on what it meant to become a successful lawyer. The amount of opportunities to get involved were actually overwhelming, as I literally did not want to miss out on all of the amazing things on offer. There was always something to do, somewhere to go, some amazing thing to see, and some brilliant people to network with. It got to the point where my fellow students and I decided to start our own society at the University, inaugurating the first ever Business and Corporate Law Society on campus. There is something on offer for anyone considering studying Law in the UK, and this experience will truly change your life.
The accommodation options on offer in the UK are amazing. I chose to stay in University affiliated accommodation, and it was a great decision. Not only did I meet many people from around the world, I got to experience many new things. Coming from a small city in Ontario, I’ve never truly had the opportunity to fully experience the cultures and foods on offer around the world. My flat mates would often cook amazing foods I’ve never tried, and they would teach and show me the practices and traditions that were native to their cultures. I learned so much and met so many amazing people at my accommodation, that we would often spend a lot of time together going to the gym or engaging in extracurricular activities that were offered by the University like galas or networking events. The accommodation I stayed at was incredibly affordable in comparison to that of renting an apartment or staying at residence in Canada, and it provided an insane amount of amenities. We were constantly having events every single day, regardless of what was going on at the time. We would have Mario Kart game nights and video game tournaments in the common rooms, create your own ice-cream sundae or waffle evenings, or we would even have sponsored events at the University for dances or other social gatherings. There were also many mental health support options on campus, and staff were always willing to help if you were having trouble or feeling homesick. The atmosphere was a mix of electric community nights where everyone was out getting involved and having fun, to evenings where it was quiet, relaxed, and calm during exam study periods. I thoroughly loved the mix of having fun and doing well in school, and it consistently excited me to the point where I did not want to return to Canada at all. My flat mates and I had spent so much time together travelling or having long study and DoorDash-filled nights that it felt like I was leaving some of my family behind when I was returning back to Canada for the summer. The accommodation itself was very modern and had everything I needed. I had my own bathroom and shower which was very important to me, and the University was also consistently giving us “Care Packages” with things we would need throughout the school year like agendas, coupons, and even discount codes. I had a massive desk for school work, and I had plenty of shelf and closet space for all of my clothes, shoes, and other necessities. My flat mates and I had a shared kitchen which at first I was hesitant of, but when I met them and we spent more time together it became a sort of meeting room where we would have fun listening to music or playing boardgames. I had everything I needed and more, and it really became home away from home. When the time came for all of us to go our separate ways, it was bittersweet to exchange contact information for the hundredth time and ensure that we would stay in contact over the break. We were all excited and sad to back to our lives back home, but optimistic that we would see each other again next year and do it all again. We even began preparing things we would do when we return back to University 6-10 months in advance. My experience in University Accommodation had been nothing short of fantastic, and I would highly recommend anyone considering studying Law in the UK to experience it for themselves.
I’d like to consider my experience both comprehensive and brief, but it is truly impossible to explain how amazing this decision has been. I had the pleasure of meeting so many amazing people and doing so many great things, that it has been nothing short of life-changing. The atmosphere of studies and fun was important to me, and very easy to balance. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and it is a decision that prospective students will never regret. Making lifelong friendships, experiencing new cultures and travelling, and learning from Internationally-recognized professors at world-class Universities is something you will never forget. More importantly, it is something that will change the way you look at the world and the sphere of law, and it will set you up for future success in whichever career field you choose. The options here really are limitless and overwhelming, there is always something to do, and there is always something new to learn and experience. I cannot believe I was nervous about ever leaving home and studying in the UK, as I have looked forward to returning since my departure. I am forever indebted to My advisor and CLFA for guiding me through the application process and helping me get settled in the UK.
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