Studying Law in the UK
Singapore, Hong Kong and Europe

For many, the prospect of studying Law English common law is quite exhilarating. You will be exposed to one of the leading legal systems and immersed in unparalleled history of English Law, and perhaps even other common law systems or with some experience of civil law system. However, where you attain the qualifying law degree will carry consequences for your career and future practice. The good news is two-fold: the common law jurisdiction is very international and the undergraduate degree serves to teach you transferrable skills of legal reasoning.

You should view undergraduate legal education as leading to postgraduate and professional opportunities.

In this guide, we will explore some aspects of choosing to study Law in the UK. In particular, we will consider the context of students coming from Singapore and Hong Kong, who represent a significant proportion of international law students in the UK.

A qualifying degree

To practice law in England as a barrister or a solicitor, you will need to have a qualifying law degree. This means that you need to be mindful of the courses offered by universities when doing your research. For example, whilst in Scotland, the University of Glasgow does offer a qualifying law degree in English law but if you were to study law at the University of Edinburgh, you would only be able to practice in Scotland.

For example, Singapore has a very straightforward system. The Ministry of Law publishes a list of Approved Universities and Courses - most of the LNAT Universities are approved.

When it comes to Hong Kong, the matters are slightly more complicated. The recognition of the LLB degree is rather related to how such degree is recognised in the UK. From there, you still may have to display competences in the 11 Core Modules and Top-Up Courses. However, you are not put at a disadvantage in comparison to local graduates; you have simply taken a different route.

A very helpful schematic can be found here, which explains the various pathways towards legal practice in Hong Kong.

Interestingly, some institutions in the UK offer a dual system course: English Law and Hong Kong Law. For example, UCL and King's College London offer such programmes. Equally, consider whether a law school offers “A Year Abroad” opportunities as this may help with taking the aforementioned Top-Up courses.

With respect to European jurisdictions, there is a greater variety of nuances and it is a good idea to read the detail and multiplicity of routes towards qualification transfers.

Studying in the UK

Studying law in the UK is different to other legal systems: not only will you experience a very different society, you will gain an insight into a common law system different to many other of those statute-based systems across the globe.

The common law refers to the body of law that does not comes from statute books: it comes from rationes and dicta of the courts. Whereas most countries today have a codified system of law where each law can be found explicitly stated in a statute book, in English law you have the common law and statute as evidentiary sources of law.

Being a compulsory module to be studied in undergraduate law, Constitutional Law will take you through the intricacies of this historical system, teaching you some of its Latin roots and exploring the basis for the legal system as it exists today.

On a practical note, studying in the UK can be quite an adventure, so long as you keep on track to make the most of it (and not the worst of it!). Further, it is advisable to consider the costs involved with studying abroad. However, international students often have wider access to scholarships and bursaries. It is a good idea to research individual universities, educational foundations and government scholarships.

The international presence

Universities in the UK are very international in their intake and generally undertake great effort to support their international students. The student community is usually organized through clubs and societies, helping you to integrate and meet new people. For a law student, their Law Society will be crucial in coordinating social, career and professional events. This will be the starting point in building a professional legal network.

It is advisable to consider the costs involved with studying abroad. However, international students often have wider access to scholarships and bursaries. It is a good idea to research individual universities, educational foundations and government scholarships.

Summary

It is no surprise that studying Law in the UK is popular with students both domestic and international. The top law schools here offer the highest quality of teaching and enjoy very good career prospects.

If you make the decision to study in the UK, you should take your application ever so seriously. We advise that your Personal Statement develops your motivation for the study of Law in the UK, although this must not overshadow all the usual demonstrations of qualities expected by admissions tutors. And finally, it matters to put the effort into LNAT as generally the average score for international students is higher.