If you’re thinking of studying Law at LSE, it’s good to know more about the competitive application process for the 7th highest-ranked Law degree in the world and one of the top law schools in London.
LSE suggests that their Laws degree teaches you to understand and critically analyse the rules and institutions that society establishes to secure and promote justice and order.
This basically means the degree focuses on understanding law in context by promoting a broader outlook on legal issues and a wider understanding of the functions of law and the legal system. Many students prefer this approach as it emphasises that law is not just knowledge stored in books but actually something that is all around us in our social, civil and business interactions.
In this LSE Law School guide, we cover the background information you need to understand what studying Law at LSE is really like, from career prospects, to the competitive application process.
About LSE Law School
LSE Law School has an excellent global reputation for its teaching quality. The academics continue to make active contributions to the role of law in society and the School was ranked top in the UK for its quality of legal research in 2008 and 2014.
The School provides a leading undergraduate Law degree ranking 7th in The World University Rankings for Law. LSE’s excellent location means that students are immersed in the UK’s legal world as soon as they arrive. This is because LSE’s campus is seconds away from the Royal Court of Justice and Lincoln’s Inn and minutes away from the other three Inns of Court and top solicitors’ offices.
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LSE Law School Undergraduate Degrees
At LSE, it is possible to study either:
The LLB at LSE Law School encourages students to focus on the impact of law in society, rather than memorise large quantities of stored information. The BA Anthropology and Law brings together two different, but complementary fields in a joint honours programme creating a degree that has all of the benefits of a qualifying Law degree along with the intellectual and philosophical challenge of studying Anthropology.
We will focus on the LLB Bachelor of Laws as it comes under the Department of Law, but for more information on BA Anthropology and Law, check out the course page here.
LLB Bachelor of Laws covers a variety of modules with more optional modules in the second and third year. In first year, Law of Obligations, Introduction to the Legal System, Public and Criminal Law is covered, along with modules to support student’s skill development such as LSE100 (designed to build students’ capacity to tackle multidimensional problems through research-rich education).
As mentioned earlier, LSE is recognised internationally for high-quality research and teaching. Teaching is mostly through lectures and classes with a small discussion group. Students can expect about 12 to 15 hours of formal tuition each week. Teaching is usually not scheduled after 12:00 on Wednesdays to allow students to attend sports and other extra-curricular activities.
LSE Undergraduate Law entry requirements
You should be aware of the LSE Law entry requirements when applying. In addition to the grades and subjects mentioned below, you also need to take the Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT).
| Academic Requirements | GCSEs: | GCSE grades of A (or 7) and A* (or 8-9), English Language and Mathematics should be no lower than B (or 6) |
| A-levels: | A*AA | |
| IB: | 38 points overall, with 766 at higher level | |
| Admissions Test | LNAT: | Successful applicants usually score around 29 |
In terms of A-level subject combinations, LSE expects applicants to have at least two A-levels in traditional academic subjects to help students prepare for the degree. Traditional subjects include Biology, History and Economics. The advice is to choose subjects where you can demonstrate a high level of literacy so essay writing subjects are beneficial.
Competition for places at LSE Law School is high. This means that even if you are predicted or achieve the usual standard offer, it will not guarantee you an offer of admission. These are intended only as a guide. In 2020, 2,492 students applied for Law, 544 received offers and then 194 actually received a place. This means that under 8% of all applicants received a place.
Along with applicant’s academic achievements, the subjects and subject combination, Personal Statement, teacher’s reference and LNAT are all considered by the admissions tutors. LSE do not interview for Law.
LSE list the following personal characteristics, skills and attributes that they are looking for in their students (which should be demonstrated in a Law Personal Statement for LSE):
Career prospects for LSE Law Graduates
LSE is one of the top UK universities for employability according to the Sunday Times University Guide. A degree from LSE Law School equips students with excellent analytical and research skills and knowledge of the law which is attractive to employers in the legal market.
However, LSE Law School Graduates are not limited to a career in law. Students also develop excellent communication skills and the ability to think independently which are both extremely valuable to employers. LSE graduates often “enter into challenging careers in the civil service and policy-making, non-governmental organisations, think tanks, and journalism”.
The LLB Bachelor of Laws is a qualifying degree which means that graduates can go straight from graduating to taking the LPC (Legal Practice Course). Recent graduates secure training contracts at world-renowned law firms, whilst others are taken on as analysts and consultants.
LSE suggest that the main 5 sectors their graduates work in are:
- Legal and accounting activities
- Financial service activities
- Advertising and market research
- Computer programming and consultancy
- Education
LSE Law School Course Fees and Costs of living as a student
Tuition fees for home students is £9,250 per year and the guide for overseas students is £22,430 but this is subject to change. LSE say they recognise that the cost of living in London may be higher than many student’s hometowns or countries so they do provide financial support in bursaries and scholarships to UK, EU and overseas students depending on the circumstances.
LSE estimates that students need between £1,100 and £1,300 per month to live in London and study. This figure includes accommodation, travel, laundry, study costs, and personal expenses. The cost of living varies depending on factors such as whether you live in university accommodation or private accommodation, whether you are catered for or self-catered, and what sort of personal expenses you might require. Things like gym memberships, nights out, clothes, mobile phone bills, the number of times you want to visit home should also be considered. A large number of LSE students also work part-time.
Extra Curricular Activities at LSE
For Law students at LSE, one of the main attractions for socialising and extra-curricular activities is the LSE Law Society. This is one of the largest societies at the university and offers a wide variety of professional, casual and social opportunities to its members.
As a member, you have an opportunity to join the Bar and Chambers subcommittee, participate in voluntary work with Lawyers Without Borders and even contribute to one of the first ever student-run Law Journals. Of course, there will also be plenty of social events on the calendar to take a break from your studies.
Outside of Law, you will find lots of other societies that relate to your outside interests and niches. If you’re interested in sports, you can join the Athletics Union to join a wide variety of clubs and take part in social events with teams from across the uni.
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