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Answering my most asked questions: what is life as a law student like and how do you become one?

Firstly I would just like to thank everyone who sent in questions and shared my Instagram story it’s been really helpful! Below I have answered some of your questions and I hope they will help you gain a better understanding of life as a law student and the path to becoming one. I would love to hear some feedback and if you have anymore questions my personal Instagram is @xmagsb and my legal blog Instagram is @thelegalread.

1. Where do you study law?

I am currently on my summer break between the first and second year of studying towards a LLB (Bachelor of Laws) at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.

2. How does a law degree work?

How a qualifying law degree is structured varies massively between country and university. In the UK you can enrol as a law student straight from finishing school, most course will be three years long. However, many universities offer joint degrees or year abroad options and this can make the degree longer. For example UEA offer a 4 year degree programme which includes a year at a US university in 3rd year. Additionally you can also opt to study for a different degree and then convert to studying the law as a GDL student. This means you will complete an additional year of legal study on top of your initial degree.

However neither option means you are qualified to begin practicing as a lawyer. Following university in order to practice as a solicitor you must complete the LPC (Legal Practice Course). Additionally if you wish to practice as a barrister you must complete the Bar Professional Training Course.

3. Why did you choose to study law?

I chose to study law for many reasons. The first of these included being inspired by my late grandfather who had started his own law firm in Northern Ireland and had been influential in bringing peace during The Troubles. This showed me how a legal career can make an impact on both private lives and public affairs.

In addition to this a law degree offered me an opportunity to combine all my interests into one course. At A Level I studied English Literature, Politics, and Economics, and was stuck between which to continue with at university. A law degree gives you the power to tailor your modules to your own interests. For example this coming year I have chosen Business Law which will enable me to continue to develop my interest in business and economics.

Finally, I knew that if even after completing a law degree, I decided a career in the legal profession wasn’t for me – I would still have a highly valued degree. This means a law degree opens the door to many different professions.

4. Why did you choose UEA?

Choosing UEA was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only because of the quality of the Law School and Society, but because of the whole university culture. I had visited many universities before UEA and had never felt quite comfortable, at UEA I felt an instantly relaxed. As a campus university it provides the most amazing first year experience, everyone you meet in freshers lives close by, and you don’t have to learn to navigate a foreign city as well as a foreign university. Both UEA and Norwich town host an amazing range of nights out, social activities and restaurants, it’s a place you really grow to become a part of.

The Law School at UEA is the most beautiful building and place to learn, the lectures are amazing, and the student community even better. The Law Society at UEA has already provided me with so many unique experiences that you cannot get at other law schools. Regardless of which course you are thinking of taking I will always recommend UEA.

5. What A Levels should I take? Do I need to take Law?

My advice would always be to check the specific requirements of the university you wish to attend, however I have never seen a university request that you must have taken Law A Level. This is because not many schools offer it as an option and some universities even discourage taking it. In terms of other subjects, I think a mix of strong academic subjects is the best choice. What you decide these to be is up to you, many people on my course studied a complete range of different A Levels including English, maths, science and history. My personal opinion would be that at least one heavily essay based subject will be useful in preparing you for the type of work you will receive at university.

6. What is the LNAT?

The LNAT stands for Law National Aptitude Test. It is an exam which you complete during your application period to university. Many law schools, such as UEA, do not require you to complete and pass it, whereas others do. While UEA did not require me to take the LNAT, some of my other UCAS options did. (If you have more questions about what it entails or how to prepare for it I will be happy to answer these!)

7. How many lectures do you have a week?

This is a question which varies so much between universities, the general consensus I have gathered from friends at other universities studying law is that we all seemed to have a lot more than most of our friends from other courses. In terms of UEA, law seems to have a lot more contact hours than course such as Business, Film or Geography, but around the same as courses such as Chemistry.

At UEA Law School, contact hours are broken up between lectures, seminars, and workshops. The general structure is that you have a 2 hour seminar bi weekly for each module you take, and then lectures fill in the gaps.

8. What do you study in first year?

Again this is another question which varies by university, however quite a few of the modules seem to overlap. At UEA first year consists of:

Law in Practice
Legal Method, Skills and Reasoning
Constitutional Law
English Legal Process Law
Contract Law
Criminal Law

9. How do you balance work and social life at university?

Moving to university means you have a lot more freedom, and suddenly a lot more to do. Those on my course were thrown into the deep end with lectures beginning during freshers week, while trying to attend events and meet new people. As time goes on it becomes easier, you learn that you don’t need to read that case brief word for word, and you learn how to use the tools you have access to to you advantage. The best way to keep on top of work and enjoy other aspects of university is to plan effectively and make use of the time you have in between contact hours.

10. What was the best thing about first year?

The best thing about first year was meeting so many amazing people. I was incredibly lucky with the friendship groups I formed outside of my course and inside. One of the best ways to meet more people and become more involved was by joining UEA Law Society was attending their events and entering their competitions.

My mooting partner and I receiving our certificates for reaching the final.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, I would love to hear your feedback on my Instagram accounts: @thelegalread @xmagsb.

Why do the mapping moguls refuse to recognise Palestine?

Social media users have taken to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to express outrage over the supposed removal of Palestine from both Google and Apple maps.

One user wrote about how Google were attempting to “erase a country” (@putaetu on Twitter) while others shared a petition to rectify the issue.

However, when investigating it is easy to discover that Palestine has not been removed, it never existed on the Google map or Apple map software. This is not the first time the controversy has sparked debate on social media.

Palestine is currently only partially recognised. 138 of 193 United Nation members recognise Palestine as an independent state however the USA is one of the western countries which does not. Both Apple and Google are US registered companies which may go some of the way to explain why the maps do not recognise Palestine.

The issue of Palestine’s international recognition has been a concern ever since the state claimed independence on the 15th of November 1988. To date the UK is also among many western countries to not recognise Palestine’s independence. There have been numerous attempts in the UK to have Palestine officially recognised, notably Jeremy Corbyn rallied for this in the lead up to the 2019 general election.

The UK Government have released an official response to the public call: “The UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. We need to see a negotiated settlement.” (Petitions – UK Government and Parliament – 7th July 2020)

Google have previously addressed issues concerning labelling of the region in 2016 by responding that “there has never been a ‘Palestine’ label on Google Maps, however we discovered a bug that removed the labels for ‘West Bank’ and ‘Gaza Strip.’ We’re working quickly to bring these labels back to the area”. (Engadget – ‘Google explains why Palestine isn’t labeled in Maps’ 08/10/2016)

The future of Palestine as an independent state is uncertain, but social media is drawing attention to the issue now more than ever. The enormous effects of an online movement have already been felt this year in light of Black Lives Matter and#MeToo. It will be interesting to see how social media will shape politics and law in regards to state recognition too.

Image from The Guardian – https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/10/google-maps-accused-remove-palestine

Space Crime: A New Frontier?

Space law has existed surprisingly since 1919, it began with the law recognising each countries control over the airspace directly over their territory. (This was then confirmed in the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation 1947). This has continued to develop and became a field completely separate from aerospace law. Today issues of international space law are handled by The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

The UNOOSA website has lots more information if you’re interested in the work that they do. http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/aboutus/roles-responsibilities.html

Crime in Space: The First Offence

This week has raised more issues about how earth’s laws should govern activity in space. Complexities arise when the conversation moves from issues of ownership, to the area of crime. This week NASA is beginning investigations into the first ever account of a crime in space. This was first reported in the New York Times, but since the story has been picked up by other news outlets such as the BBC.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/us/nasa-astronaut-anne-mcclain.amp.html

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-49457912

The investigations are concerned with Anne McClain, a decorated astronaut on a sixth month mission aboard the International Space Station. She was due to take part in NASA’s first all female space mission, but had been suffering with personal issues.

These involved McClain’s estranged spouse Summer Worden, whom she was in the midst of a bitter separation with. Ms Worden was concerned that McClain seemed to still know so much about her spending habits that she investigated where her bank credentials had been used to log into her account. She discovered that a computer system in space had accessed her bank account. On discovery Ms Worden filed a complaint with NASA’s Inspector General, accusing Ms McClain of identity theft and improper access to her private financial accounts while aboard the space station.

We are yet to find out how and if the case will progress.

How far does space law stretch?

Currently, the legal framework that has been agreed by the five states that own the space station (US, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada) is that nationals of each county will continue to be subjected to their respective national legal systems. For example a Japanese astronaut will be subject to Japanese laws even in space.

The law becomes more complex as space expeditions develop, will a new legal system need to be created to oversea space tourism? Who will own the rights to mine in space? Who will be responsible for clearing up space debris?

These are questions which will begin to form legal debate for many years to come.