Hello all.
I am in the following predicament:
I had graduated from UCLA (anthro) last summer with a GPA of 3.28. (not good, I know, but what can I do...)
I am looking to begin my academic career in law and am applying to law schools in the states. However, I am not authorized to work here (I'm from Israel) and my wife is in the process of applying for a green card (She's Japanese) but that is a few years away.
I am definitely considering moving to the UK and pursuing a GDL/CPE but I don't know:
1) which schools I should apply to (on the application form I can only apply to 3, and I don't want to waste my time applying to schools I don't have a chance of getting in to).
2) how realistic is a career in law, and how many years of school are ahead of me if I move to the UK. I know there are two different routs and all, but when do I start, well... getting paid?
3) How difficult is studying in the UK? I never really studied in Israel (High School Dropout) and UCLA was really easy, at least for me...
4) What kind of factors go into the decision making in UK schools? Here (in the states) they have the all mighty LSAT which I was ok with (didn't get my score yet, but probably top 5-10 per cent) but that is meaningless in the UK, right?

Well, that's where I am. If anybody can shed any light and help me out, I would be extremely appreciative.

Thanks

River

I can only help on the which schools for GDL/CPE issue:
you can only apply to three, but they're all much of a muchness. City is supposedly more academically rigorous - more essays - and is probably the hardest to get into - but the standard's still not that high. nothing like getting into oxbridge for example. BPP and College of Law (in London and elsewhere) are fairly similar in approach (less essays, more lectures, more spoonfeeding) and requirement to get in. They don't seem to fill up so if you've got the equivalent of a good 2.2 english degree, you should be fine. I know less about Nottingham (which i believe is opening a branch in london soon) but I'm pretty sure its in the BPP/CoL category.
As regards getting paid, sort yourself out with a half decent training contract (if you want to go down the solicitor route), and you'll be swimming in cash. all the info you need is on the UK student chambers and partners.com website.

Hey River
The first thing which you should take note about is that GDL/CPE is not taught by universities so there is not point looking at law dept. rankings. The Law Scociety however does grade the Law Schools that provide the GDL/LPC/BVC so it is worth looking at those. Best place to view them would be www.lawcareers.net which is a good website for wanna be lawyers and will have information on everything included how the English systesm works.

In the last few years there has been a drive from College of Law and BPP to sign up law firms who now work with the schools to develop the curriculum. I am currently at BPP Law School in London doing the LPC and there is strong focus on corporate/business law so if that is what you are looking for then it probably the place for you. College of Law also has corporate branch but that is very new so I can't commment on how good it is although most people who go there are forced to by there law firms. College of Law does have one advantage over BPP which is that if you complete the GDL and LPC there they will issue you with an LLB degree! Other course providers don't really have much of a reputation even Nottingham which was known for being the best law school is losing ground due to the CoL and BPP signing up law firms and developing a MBA style course.

Admission is not difficult, there are a number of US grads at BPP (although the grads I know are from Harvard, Yale, John Hopkins). You should however be aware that College of Law tend to have a more mix of people from different backgrounds whereas BPP has alot of people from Oxbridge and other top English universities.

I hope the info above help. Good luck

Thanks for the quick responses!
They really help!
I do have some follow-up questions though...
1) You guys are saying that Oxbridge is a waste of a spot on the app. unless I have like a 4.0 and am a personal friend of the dean, right?
2) I was looking at the list and noticed that "London Met" has a high number of seats available... Any thoughts? Is that a school known, and if so, known for what?
3) It seems that most places put solicitor before barrister. Is that because most law students go that route after the LLB?
4) Should I apply and if accepted, move and start school and only then look for the LPC? How important is the LLB, which I understand I will not get if I go to BPP?
5) How do the law schools (and more importantly, the firms) feel about... ehm, older people? I'll be 28 in a week, which means I'll be (I suspect) significantly older that my classmates. Will that be an issue?

Thanks again for the advice, the link was really helpful!
Please post any thought you might have on any of these, or related subjects... I'm trying to get a feel for UK law, and every post helps, even unrelated ones.

Thanks

River

River,

The list of places that offer the CPE can be found at http://www.lawcabs.ac.uk/cabOnline/cpelist.htm - Neither Cambridge nor Oxford offer this as an option so don't worry about that. Look at this website for more info on the CPE/GDL generally- http://www.lawcareers.net/Courses/CPEGDL.aspx

As to the rest of your questions I'll have a go at answering them.
1) covered above
2) I don't know anything about London Met specifically but having experienced something of the College of Law in London I'd be tempted to suggest you stick to one of the places that specialise in this type of course - College of Law, BPP etc or if you don't want to be in London then Oxford Brookes (NB *not* part of Oxford University) might be a good option.
3) Not quite sure what you mean by "put before" but there are numerically far more people going on to become solicitors over barristers every year.
4) Check the dates on the LPC applications for this - it depends if you want to go straight from the GDL to the LPC. If you do, you'll need to apply for training contracts this year I think. As to the LLB issue, I think most people think its a total joke. Any employer worth their salt is goign to knwo that a CPE+LPC is in no way equivalent to a normal LLB and will draw no distinction between someone who has the 'LLB' from the College of Law and someone who did the CPE and the LPC somewhere else.
5) In my experience 28 would actually make you about average in terms of age for this type of course. In my year it ranges from 22 to 55 in terms of ages so you shouldn't worry on that account.

Hope that helps

Thanks llmover,
Boy do I feel sheepish...
That whole Oxford Brookes totally threw me off. I'm glad you clarified.
I suppose I'll just apply to those schools and see what happens...
I'd appreciate any further advice, if anyone feels chatty! Anything from how to find a place (I'm being optimistic, arent I) to what to write on the "career intentions" portion would be nice

Thanks

River