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Engaging with your law course is more than just attending lectures.

Engaging with your law course is about interacting with the university community. Just like in legal practice, the higher your output, the better your results. And I don’t just mean your degree classification, but learning more about yourself, making connections and gaining life-long experiences.

The importance of engagement

Like anything in law, the more you close off, the more likely you are to miss important opportunities and knowledge. For example, you might be tempted to avoid following your timetable, especially during freshers, we’ve all been there. They say that the first year doesn’t count – well that’s a myth.

If you’re in your second year, or for some of you who are yet to reach that stage, you’ll know that when it comes to applying for vacation schemes, mini-pupillages, etc, the recruitment team will always look at your first-year results.

So, rather than looking back and wishing you had done more, engage from the offset now. If you start now, you will cultivate a positive attitude to engagement – an attitude you’ll thank yourself for later!

Timetabled fun

We all know that attending every activity on your timetable can be a challenge. You may believe that because it’s a mandatory activity it won’t be enjoyable. While you’re at seminars and workshops, try to:

• establish good relationships with your law tutors;
• do the wider reading;
• engage with your peers to brainstorm ideas; and
• meet like-minded people on your course.

Doing one or all the above is important because having a good rapport can be vital when it comes to research ideas for your law dissertation. Doing the reading will enhance your engagement with your peers. Meeting like-minded people on your course will give you a sense of achievement. Not only that, but you’ll stay up to date on events, competitions, and mooting opportunities that you may have otherwise missed, had you not attended your timetabled class.

Law societies

It’s common for those that are outside of a legal course to think that law students spend their time stuck in libraries and don’t know how to have fun. They’re wrong! One of the highlights during my time at university was our law society’s Christmas party.

Being involved in a law society offers an opportunity to network with legal professions, attend exciting trips to court, and even abroad. So, try to consider becoming an active member of your law society to meet with firms, chambers and other corporations that give you the chance to meet with professionals, ask for application or CV tips and advice.  

Mooting and volunteering

It goes without saying that the more you apply the knowledge you learn in your course, the more likely you are to understand the value of your law course. For example, if you’re interested in mooting, you might seek to volunteer for the free representation service.

Read this LCN Feature: ‘Mooting opportunities for students.’

However, such roles are not just focused on developing one single skill, typical responsibilities that you are tasked with might include:

• interviewing clients;
• taking client instruction;
• making submissions to the tribunal; and
• providing legal advice under supervision.

The key message of this blog post is that the more opportunities you take, the more you can make the most of your law course – so make the most of your course!