ULaw student Luke Deacon joined us to study the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), now known as the Post Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL), and has stayed on to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC) MSc at our Reading campus. We caught up with Luke to discuss the reasons he decided to stay with us for his postgraduate studies and his career aspirations for the future.
By Cara Fielder. Published 19 January 2022. Last updated 14 February 2022.
I chose to study at ULaw because the University boasts an impressive track record in teaching future lawyers. However, the main reason I chose The University of Law was its Employment Promise, which essentially promises to refund the course fees if you don’t get a job within nine months of leaving (50% of fees as cashback and 50% towards another course)*. I ultimately want to become lawyer and the Employment Promise convinced me that the University would be committed to helping me achieve this.
Prior to starting the GDL, I was working in arts administration for an opera company. In fact, I was even considering a career as an opera singer myself. However, I started to realise over time that I actually didn’t want a career in either of those fields. I began to assess what I enjoyed both professionally and academically and started researching. After a while, I realised that a career in law was perfect for me.
Ultimately, I want to work in commercial law in London. Whilst I had an idea that this was what I wanted to do before I started studying here, the University has helped inform this decision. The University offers loads of career events where you can listen to lawyers and tutors discuss a range of areas, from criminal to environmental law. A few of the ones on commercial law really piqued my interest and made me realise where my long-term ambitions lay.
I chose to stay on at ULaw for my postgraduate studies because the overall experience I have had studying the GDL has been extremely positive. The entirety of my study has taken place during the pandemic and I have been so impressed with how the University has handled it. The transition from face-to-face teaching to online and vice versa has always been smooth, and I feel that I have not lost out in my learning at all. It was therefore an easy decision to stay on.
Also, the University offers an alumni discount to students that choose to enrol on another course. Naturally, I made use of this, and it was another incentive to continue studying here.
ULaw’s Employability Service has been an invaluable resource for me ever since I started. A real highlight for me are the pro bono clinics, where I have had the chance to help advise real clients for the first time. The service has also given me guidance regarding training applications and advertises jobs through its online portal. I successfully applied for one of these and got an internship over the summer, marking my first job at a law firm.
The teaching at ULaw is well thought out and structured. Even though the courses have been demanding, there has always been a logical path which the tutors have been able to guide me through. The tutors themselves are all either former lawyers or currently in practice. They take the time to fully explain each concept and will also take opportunities to use their own professional experience to give everything in a practical context. It not only makes the teaching more engaging, but also helps you to understand why you are studying a particular subject.
Honestly, I really feel that the University has exceeded my expectations. The experience has been really positive thus far and I definitely made the right choice to study law and to come to the University.
My educational highlight so far has to be gaining a Distinction in the GDL. I had put so much effort into my studies over the year and it was amazing to see that hard work rewarded. That said, I would say that anyone who has finished a conversion course should be proud of themselves regardless. They are really demanding (but very enjoyable) courses, so anyone studying them should make sure to give themselves a pat on the back just for finishing!
Reading blogs like this is a really good start for anyone consider a PG course at ULaw. I would also check out what online events the University is currently offering. These can give you a great insight into the subject of law, as well as what it is like to start postgraduate studies. Additionally, I can definitely recommend UniBuddy. It’s a place where you can start live chats with current students and ask them direct questions about what it is like to study at ULaw.
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