European Law: BA in the US vs. undergraduate law degree in the UK

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hi everyone, I am a senior in high school, and although I have previously made posts on this topic, I have not yet gotten an answer that has helped me. Basically I plan on majoring in International Business/Marketing which would require me to do a foreign language for 4 years at most colleges (I am already fluent in French-so possibly German or Chinese) with a minor in politics. Then, I plan to go to law school with a specialization in business or government law, specifically focusing on European law. My ultimate goal/dream is to work for the European Union as a lawyer in Brussels, but knowing this is an extremely difficult job to obtain, I would prefer to work in the U.K. at a law firm otherwise. I have been traveling the world my whole life and have an overall global outlook on everything which has lead me to this career choice. My question being, do I go to college in the United States for my Bachelor's and go to law school in the U.K., or do I go to the U.K. and get a Bachelor's in law (less years and cheaper) and then get an LLM? I am overly just confused as to what path is the best for my ultimate career goals. What path would help me to achieve this? I know there are many things to consider for an American wanting to work abroad, which is why I am looking for advice. There are a few colleges I am interested in, in England (Leeds, Kent, Bath), Kent being my top choice. And as far as the U.S. goes, I have been accepted to University of Alabama, University of Illinois, and University of Kentucky. I am waiting still to hear back from Marquette University, Texas A&M University, and Auburn University. I have also been accepted to an International college in London, by the name of Richmond. But if I were to go there I would transfer to Kent, Leeds, or Bath when I could to get the proper law degree I am looking for.</p>

<p>That all being said, any advice as to which education path could lead me to a lawyer job in Europe would be greatly appreciated. Note that I am not looking to work for a U.S. law firms International office.</p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

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<p>If you want to study languages, the answer is clear, since it’s possible to do law/French in the UK but it’s not possible to do German/law with no German AFAIK (most German/law programs require German at A-Levels).
So if you want to double major it has to be an American college + UK.
I would recommend you look at Dickinson College (deadline 1/15 I think) for their International Management major, where you could take French and German or Chinese up to advanced level along with the required economics and business classes.</p>

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<p>Hi Littlerachelbee. I’m British so I hope I can help. </p>

<p>The major factor in achieving your goal will be your right to work in the EU. As an American you have no right to work in the UK unless on a particular visa scheme. And I believe that even if you get on a scheme to work in the UK, this isn’t necessarily transferable outside of the UK. Although, if you were able to get a job with the EU, you may very well get sponsored by them. So, in theory, you could qualify in law but not able to stay in the UK/ EU to practice. However, we do have plenty of foreign born doctors etc so I shouldn’t think it’s too hard. Just be aware. </p>

<p>As for the education/training element;</p>

<p>There are 2 main ways to qualify as a solicitor (regular day to day stuff) in England and Wales. Scotland has its own different legal system and training structure. A barrister is the trial lawyer with the black gown and wig and post grad training is again different. </p>

<p>To be a solicitor, you need to pass your qualifying law exams and complete a 2 year internship with a firm. A 3 year LLB degree gives you the training and exam passes so that you can start your vocational training- this involves a further year of study for your Legal Practice Course (LCP) then a 2 year internship with a firm called a ‘training contract’. So it takes 6 years to become fully qualified in England by this route. You’d need your parents to help fund your tuition and living expenses as financial aid is pretty much non-existant for international students. </p>

<p>The other route is as a grad student of any major/degree course. You would take a much shorter set of classes to pass the Common Professional Examination (CPE). This course is called the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). On passing that, you’d then be on an equal par with a graduate with a law degree and you’d take the LCP and 2 year training contract. This way it’s your undergrad degree +4. </p>

<p>An LLM in the UK is a grad course for law graduates- but doesn’t affect your ability to practice. It’s purely an academic masters that you could take before or after qualifying as a solicitor, or indeed another relevant degree. </p>

<p>Finding a training contract is highly competitive. Even more so given the economy. </p>

<p>Don’t go to Richmond. You can’t transfer to an English university from it as the systems don’t marry up at all. So it would be a waste of time and money. </p>

<p>As an American trained lawyer, you could still come to the UK if you secured a training contract and passed your conversion exams at the end of the two years. You could do this if you worked for an American or other law firm with offices here. You say you don’t want to take this route but don’t discount it before you’ve even taken a class in law…</p>

<p>My final piece of advice is to really investigate how much each route is going to cost you and how you’re going to find that money. Getting loans (or at least affordable ones) for the UK portion of your training may be hard. </p>

<p>Be very aware of what your investment vs possible reward will be. What if you can’t get a law job after graduation? How will you pay it off? This is unfortunately more likely than if you were pursuing medicine- this side of the pond as much as your side.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your responses. Highland_Poppy, extremely helpful information, thank you! I do not qualify to go to a UK university my first year because I do not have the credentials to do so (because our system is different I do not have what is equal to A levels). Therefore, how would I go about going to a UK university? Would I transfer after one semester/year in the U.S. as an International student? I’m not exactly sure how I would do this. I am particularly interested in a program that King’s College London offers, which is English + American law with the first 2 years at King’s College, and the last 2 years at Columbia University in New York. But I have no idea how difficult it is to get into this program. I’ve contacted the school about that. MYOS1634, do you mean to do my undergrad in the U.S. and law school in the UK? That is what I am getting from the American college + UK. I will check into Dickinson. Thanks :)</p>

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<p>You’d have to do an International Foundation Year. Those can be found at most reputable universities, usually with two tracks, one in the sciences and one in social sciences. If you can look at Scotland rather than England, you could check out St Andrews, their International Foundation Year is excellent, with several tracks, guaranteed housing, etc. but you can also apply directly through CommonApp.</p>

<p>Yes I meant that if you want to study French, start German, and study law, then you’d have to do it in the US, then move to a post-graduate law program in the UK. In the UK, in order to do Law + a language, you need to have the language at A-Level (or IB HL, sometimes SL) or demonstrate native proficiency. Some universities may allow you to do Law + language you don’t know but there would be very few of them.</p>

<p>Are you a dual US/EU citizen?</p>

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<p>I’m here to burst your bubble. Sorry littlerachelbee. You need full EU citizen for a full time post with the European Parliament. In the same way that the USA wants US citizens running federal government. </p>

<p>You now need to think about if you still want to work in Europe after law school. If you want to live in France or Belgium you’d be better off getting your French to a very good standard and studying there. But I don’t know about their non-EU immigration policies once you graduate.</p>

<p>Ultimately, if you want to genuinely want to study law, staying in the US seems the best and then go international. If you’re more attracted to Europe, do your French and German with Chinese for fun and do a year abroad to cement those skills and live in Europe.</p>

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<p>So Americans could not work for the European government even if I were to get citizenship? I may be eligible for citizenship due to my grandparents living in Europe, but I’m not sure. Ultimately, yes. I am more attracted to Europe and their system of government which is why I wanted to work there versus here. I’m just seeming to find no good way I can move to Europe and work there. I wouldn’t want to work in France, because I would prefer working in a country where English is the first language (U.K.) and then use my skills in foreign language in business, but not use a foreign language full time, if you get what I’m saying. MYOS1634, I applied for an International Foundation Year at University of Leeds, University of Leicester, and University of Leeds, all for law. I am not a dual citizen, but I may be eligible because my grandparents live in Europe.</p>

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<p>If you get a degree from Europe, you can rather easily get a work permit there.
If you’re good at French, apply to the Sciences Po program in Reims, it’s specialized in European/American Relations. Selectivty is typically in the 8-9% zone, but for internationals with a good command of English and French it’s close to 25-30%. It’s a feeder to political jobs in Europe/France.</p>

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<p>I will definitely check into that option. Thank you. I am also particularly interested in Kings College London as they have a program of English Law + American Law with the first two years at Kings College studying English law, and the second two at Colombia University studying American law, but I have yet to find another program like this one, and I can’t find too much information on the selectivity of this program, even after contacting the school itself because I have not heard a response back yet.</p>

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<p>I think it’s highly selective, like, 20 students admitted out of several hundreds or something. You could email them.</p>

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<p>Which country do your grandparents live in?</p>

<p>Working for the European Parliament might not be the right goal for you- Brussels is the epicentre and is pretty francophile. </p>

<p>Focusing on the UK:</p>

<p>The UCL program requires you to first of all get into their regular undergraduate degree and then be selected via cv (resume) and exam marks at the end of the first year for the JD/LLB. </p>

<p>Their regular entry is on a par with Oxford and Cambridge. These stats are a few years old but for 2010 there were about 2660 applicants. 300 were accepted and 150 started. That’s an 11% acceptance rate. And that’s just to get into UCL…</p>

<p>UK Citizenship can be applied for after 5 years (incl study) but is has restrictions on time abroad in that period. The faster route is marriage to a UK citizen…</p>

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<p>My grandparents live in Poland. I am fluent in French though, that is why I took an interest in working in Brussels and for the EU. I got accepted into University of Leeds, University of Kent, and University of Leicester, but I am still waiting to hear from Kings College London. I did not apply to UCL. I am aware of the restrictions, which is 90 days abroad, not too bad. I am only 18 though so I don’t think marrying a UK citizen is an option quite yet :slight_smile: </p>