GDL: The Easy Route or a Route to Being a Better Lawyer?

Final year History student Ashley Hannay writes about the Graduate Diploma in Law

The Independent published an article in April 2008, as I was starting to establish where I wanted to apply for University and most importantly what subject to study, detailing the employment prospects of degrees. Naturally, the list was headed by Dentistry and Medicine with engineering coming in a close third. Strikingly History, one of the purest, most academic degrees, did not even make the list. Regardless of this, my passion for the subject drove me to apply for a degree in History. I ended up studying at Lancaster- and I’ve never looked back.

However throughout three years of University, even before you’ve had time to recover from the mysterious fresher’s flu, you are hammered with information, fairs, talks and countless emails about careers! It is of course, after all, what we all went to University for. For my Dad a career with a history degree meant one thing: a high school history teacher-something I could not bear the thought of! My lecturers were even less helpful, suggesting further study, potentially a PhD or employment in a museum – needless to say I was left uninspired.

One career that I did aspire to, even before University, was a legal one. The Law Society’s own figures describe how 20% of practising Solicitors have a non-law degree in addition to a similarly significant number of Barristers.

GDL – How A Non-Law Student Can Stand Out

Any law school prospectus, law firms’ application or chambers pupillage web pages will discuss the importance of work experience and mooting. In my own University Law Society I am the only non- law student I am aware of- yet we make up around a fifth of the profession. It is never too early to get involved in anything that can help in what is a highly competitive job market.

As well as the mooting competition Lancaster’s Law Society is part of the Lawyers Aware Scheme- which seeks to develop conferencing skills in working towards an out of court settlement which contrasts well with mooting. Work experience is also imperative to obtaining the holy grail of a training contract or pupillage and firms will not discriminate against non- law students. However, from my own personal experiences people you meet will be surprised, but impressed, that you don’t study law. As with mooting- it is never too early to start.

GDL – Better Placed For Practice?

The Graduate Diploma in Law itself is the source of significant controversy, with law graduates being heavily critical of the course and the standard of those finishing it-how can one year of study compare to their three?

On a recent work experience placement I found myself chatting with a paralegal that had recently completed her LPC, after doing the GDL, and told me how difficult the LPC, due to increased workload, had been for those with law degrees to which she replied “you think this is hard? Try the GDL!”

Furthermore, when law degree students study the core modules that make up the GDL they are first years who have just left home, are finding their feet with their new freedom and are probably more interested in the nearest bar as opposed to the nearest library. Comparatively GDL students have been through all of that, have three years more maturity, three years to develop the research skills that will prove so important and a real focus- and because of this I would argue that perhaps non- law students are in fact better and not worse placed for practice.

GDL – How Non – Law Degrees Are Beneficial

Anybody who has studied a University History degree, even for a term, will know that you are constantly harked on at that the importance was the skills you develop not the facts-you’re unlikely to find a job being able to recite the Kings of Scots from 1200! But what are these skills and why are they applicable to law?

Firstly, your degree is based solely around picking up on snippets of information from hugely complex and varied sources. You are examined on your ability to formulate and construct arguments and your use of language and incredibly importantly you are forced to sit for hours, often late into the night, reading- skills that are fundamental to a legal career and making students of the GDL highly qualified applicants.

GDL – How To Prepare During University

I studied A Levels in History, Law and Politics obtaining grades of AAB and proceeded to study History at Lancaster University. In my first year I achieved a good mid-range 2:1 and finished my second year with first class marks and hope to graduate in June 2012 with a first class degree in History.

My experience of pursuing a career in law focuses upon how it can become dominated by a desire to separate yourself from the pack. A first class degree, if I can get it, will certainly help with this but it is far from essential! As discussed above, University Law Societies offer fantastic opportunities- particularly with regards to mooting which can be very impressive for potential employers. Work Placements also provide fantastic opportunities, not only to investigate the profession and really find out what areas of law interest you, but  also to help your CV stand out and help provide you with an opportunity to discuss what you have learnt at an interview.

My experience at Duncan Gibbins has been invaluable and I have learnt so much. I particularly enjoyed my time dealing with Road Traffic Accidents and Medical Negligence cases when I was given files, medical reports and statements and asked to give my own opinions on the case, draft letters, court proceedings and other documents.

GDL – What DG Academy Says

Zofia is a solicitor at Duncan Gibbins who completed the GDL after her English degree. She says:

“The GDL is certainly a demanding course and I would give credit to anyone who had a non-law degree who then went on to do the GDL. You may only be doing the core units of a law degree but the transition from a non-law background to legal study is daunting in itself before you even take into consideration the amount of information you have to absorb and learn in less than a year. Completion of the GDL shows that a candidate is able to adapt themselves to change and to think outside their comfort zones.

“It can be argued that certain areas of law could benefit from lawyers who have a non law degree. Business graduates will come to a legal career with a grounding of business matters and be more commercially aware; science graduates will bring a reasoned perspective to specific areas of law such as clinical negligence or even construction law; and History and English graduates often bring an analytical approach which lends itself well to areas such as Contract and Wills and Probate.

“I would certainly advise any candidates who go on to do the GDL, or have completed it already, to make a feature of this additional qualification on their CV because it is a valuable tool that can make them stand out from all other job applicants.”

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