[MoonlightSonata]

1. Should I study law?

Contents:
• Will I find law interesting?
• How hard is it, intellectually?
• How much reading is involved?
• What is the workload like?
• Will it increase my job prospects?
• What about salary?
• What skills do I need?
• Does HSC legal studies help?
• Do I have to do oral presentations and mooting?
• What is life like for a law student?


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• Will I find law interesting?

I can't know for certain whether you will find law interesting. However, the following list of questions may give you an indication. If you answer 'yes' to most of the following, then you are probably more likely to find law interesting:

1. Are you good at English? Law is all about language; the way we understand, think and express ourselves are particularly important in legal matters and English ability helps a great deal.

2. Do you enjoy argument or debate? Argumentative people often enjoy law. Strength in reasoning and critical thinking will help because you have to apply the law to facts. Also, often those who are good at debating find an interest in mooting.

3. Do you like problem solving? In comprehending cases and legal materials, it is useful to be able to break down an issue and fit it into categories. The ability to think clearly and critically helps in being able to analyse incredibly complex fact scenarios and isolate important parts, in order to slot them into relevant legal boxes.

4. Do you want to have a meaningful role to play in society? Law is the backbone of society - it governs how we interact and how power is distributed. Those who enjoy dealing with real issues that effect society and the individual within it may find the practical, real-life application of law to be a fascinating and rewarding explanation of how society really works.

5. Do you read much? As you have probably guessed, law does involve a fair bit of reading. However, the quantity is not so important as the quality. Often, judges use highly sophisticated language in expressing complicated legal reasoning. Cases can also involve intricate fact situations. You don't have to be an English expert. You can get by if you work hard. But if you are particularly weak at English, beware: law will be difficult for you.

6. Are you interested in morals and justice? There is a difference between law and justice, but in the end the law is mostly an attempt to maintain social harmony in the most just way possible. If you're interested in how society gives effect to this objective in its rules and regulations, or if you're interested in human rights and how to protect them, law may prove interesting to you.

7. Do you enjoy being pushed intellectually? Law can be challenging, there is no question of that. That is a good thing if you can handle it and if you enjoy learning and being pushed.

8. Are you interested in news/politics, and the world/society around you? It is not a rule, but often these types of people tend to be quite interested in law, especially constitutional, criminal and human rights law.

Of course, these are not necessary conditions for one to be interested in law (ie. you don't have to have them), but you will be more likely to be interested in law if you do answer yes to them.

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• How hard is it, intellectually?

Whilst you might need a UAI of 99+ to be admitted to a law degree, this doesn't mean that you need a UAI of 99+ to be capable of doing a law degree. In fact, the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney has suggested that, academically speaking, a UAI of only 80 would be sufficient.

Notwithstanding UAI however, which is not necessarily indicative of a person's intellect, law is a challenging course. First year subjects are generally of average difficulty, but some later year subjects such as contracts and property law are considerably complicated areas that require a certain level of mental aptitude.

The vast majority of students who are taking law are students who gained UAIs of 99+, and thus competition is quite strong. High marks are therefore particularly difficult to achieve in comparison with other courses. But a reasonably capable student who completes all of their readings and puts a reasonable amount of effort into their assessment tasks, will generally receive a Distinction or high Credit.

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• How much reading is involved?

The workload isn't that bad, though there is a large step up in the readings when you hit second year. The quantity and depth of the reading varies. UNSW law readings:

Foundations of Law
Readings: ~15 pages per class (course reader; fair bit of historical readings).
Reading depth: Light
Assessments: Mid-Semester Exam (30%), Class Participation [CP] (10%), Casenote (60%).

Torts
Readings: 20-25 pages per class (textbook and course reader; a few case extracts and some theory each class).
Reading depth: Average
Assessments: CP (10%), Mid-Semester Assignment (50%), Final Exam (40%).

Public Law
Readings: 25-35 pages per class (Textbook).
Reading depth: Mostly Average/Some Heavy
Assessments: CP (10%), Final Exam (90%).

Contracts 1 & 2
Readings: 25-35 pages per class (textbook, casebook and supplementary materials booklet).
Reading depth: Mostly Heavy/Some Average
Contracts 1 Assessments: CP (20%), Final Exam (80%).
Contracts 2 Assessments: CP (10%), Assignment (40%), Final Exam (50%).

Criminal Law 1
Readings: 35-40 pages per class (textbook; occasionally a recent case or news article).
Reading depth: Mostly Average/Some Light
Assessment: CP (10%), Court Research Paper (30%), Final Exam (60%)

Criminal Law 2
Readings: 30-40 pages per class (textbook).
Reading depth: Average
Assessment: CP (10%), Research Essay (30%), Final Exam (60%)

Property Law 1 & 2
Readings: 20-30 pages per class (2 textbooks; one general one and one on equity).
Reading depth: Heavy
Assessments: CP (20%), Optional Research Assignment (40%), Exam (80%, or 40% if you did the optional assignment).

Administrative Law
Readings: 20-30 pages per class (textbook and course reader).
Reading depth: Mostly Average/Some heavy
Assessments: Group presentation/class participation (20%), Choice of mid-semester test or essay (30% - but maximisable), Exam (80% or 50%, depending on whether you did better in the exam or the mid-semester/essay). Also must complete a Tribunal report (Pass/Fail).

Law, Lawyers & Society
Readings: 20-30 pages per class (textbook and course reader).
Reading depth: Light
Assessments: Class participation (10%), Kingsford Legal Centre Interviewing session and Report (10%), Group presentation and handout (15%), take-home exam (65%).

Legal Theory
Readings: 20-25 pages per class (course reader).
Reading depth: Heavy
Assessments: Three 1800 word essays (33.3% each).

Litigation 1
Readings: 30-40 pages per class (textbook and course reader).
Reading depth: Average
Assessments: Class participation (10%), Mid-semester exam - civil (45%), Final exam - criminal (45%).

Litigation 2
Readings: 30-40 pages per class (textbook).
Reading depth: Average
Assessments: Mid-semester exam (40%), Final exam (60%), Optional class participation (10%).

Federal Constitutional Law
Readings: 15-25 pages per class (textbook).
Reading depth: Mostly Average/Some Heavy
Assessments: Mid-semester assignment (40%), Final assignment (60%).

Business Associations
Readings: 30-40 pages per class (textbook and course reader).
Reading depth: Average
Assessments: Class participation (20%), Essay (30%), Final exam (50%).

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• What is the workload like?

Yet to be added.

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• Will it increase my job prospects?

Generally, yes. Knowledge of the law is useful for a wide variety of professions. If you intend to pursue a commercial career in business, a law degree will certainly increase your attractiveness to employers.

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• What about salary?

Top Tier Firms

The 2007 Mahlab Private Practice Survey lists the salaries for Sydney top tier firms:

Graduate - $63,000 – $70,000. Average: $65,000
1st Year - $72,000 – $80,000. Average: $75,000
2nd Year- $80,000 – $95,000. Average: $87,000
3rd Year - $90,000 – $115,000. Average: $103,000
4th Year - $95,000 – $135,000. Average: $115,000
5th Year - $100,000 – $145,000. Average: $125,000
Senior Associate 1 - $130,000 – $145,000. Average: $135,000
Senior Associate 2 - $140,000 – $165,000. Average: $155,000
Senior Associate 3 - $150,000 – $190,000. Average: $170,000
Senior Associate 4 - $160,000 – $220,000. Average: $180,000
Senior Associate 5-Special Counsel - $180,000 – $295,000. Average: $220,000

Other employment areas, such as Big 4 accounting, investment banking and consulting, would provide similar, if not better salaries.

Mid Tier Firms

2007 Mahlab Private Practice Survey salaries for Sydney mid tier firms:

Graduate - $50,000 – $66,000. Average: $60,000
1st Year - $59,000 – $78,000. Average: $70,000
2nd Year- $67,000 – $85,000. Average: $78,000
3rd Year - $68,000 – $105,000. Average: $90,000
4th Year - $78,000 – $130,000. Average: $102,000
5th Year - $98,000 – $125,000. Average: $110,000
Senior Associate 1 - $105,000 – $145,000. Average: $125,000
Senior Associate 2 - $114,000 – $150,000. Average: $135,000
Senior Associate 3 - $123,000 – $180,000. Average: $145,000
Senior Associate 4 - $135,000 – $180,000. Average: $150,000
Senior Associate 5-Special Counsel - $145,000 – $255,000. Average: $190,000

Small Firms

2007 Mahlab Private Practice Survey salaries for Sydney small firms:

Graduate - $45,000 – $65,000. Average: $50,000
1st Year - $50,000 – $70,000. Average: $67,000
2nd Year- $56,000 – $80,000. Average: $67,000
3rd Year - $65,000 – $100,000. Average: $76,000
4th Year - $75,000 – $110,000. Average: $88,000
5th Year - $80,000 – $120,000. Average: $100,000
Senior Associate 1 - $98,000 – $120,000. Average: $108,000
Senior Associate 2+ - $105,000 – $220,000. Average: $155,000

Partners

2007 Mahlab Private Practice Survey salaries for partner renumeration in Sydney (average):

Top Tier Firms - $1,084,000
Mid Tier Firms - $676,500
Small Firms - $442,800


In-house

2007 Mahlab Corporate Survey salaries for Sydney:

1st Year - $60,000 – $85,000. Average: $72,000
2nd Year - $70,000 – $90,000. Average: $85,000
3rd Year - $85,000 – $125,000. Average: $100,000
4th Year - $105,000 – $150,000. Average: $130,000
5th Year - $120,000 – $170,000. Average: $150,000
6th + Years - $130,000 – $220,000. Average: $180,000
DGC - $145,000– $285,000. Average: $235,000
General Counsel - $165,00 – $600,000+. Average: $290,000


Salaries Overseas

Since law is a generalist degree, the opportunity to work overseas in areas of commercial law has grown increasingly popular. Australian law graduates have found themselves competitive hires for law firms in London, Dubai and Hong Kong.

"Although costs of living may be higher, graduates can expect average salaries to be far higher in several overseas destinations. In top law firms in New York they can expect US$125,000 ($170,600). In London it’s around £50,000 ($118,000) for London firms and £80,000 for US-based firms in the UK. In Hong Kong they can expect HK$804,000 ($141,700) from London firms and HK$972,000 ($171,300) from US-based firms. This compares to about $52,000 as a base salary in Australian firms": Lawyer's Weekly.

2006 Mahlab Private Practice Survey salaries for overseas practice:

Hong Kong Salaries:
Newly Qualified - HK$56,000 – HK$68,000
PQE 1 - HK$60,000 – HK$75,000
PQE 2 - HK$65,000 – HK$82,000
PQE 3 - HK$70,000 – HK$88,000
PQE 4 - HK$76,000 – HK$97,000
PQE 5 - HK$80,000 – HK$105,000

London Salaries:
Newly Qualified - £46,000 – £55,000
PQE 1 - £50,000 – £61,000
PQE 2 - £55,000 – £70,000
PQE 3 - £58,000 – £77,000
PQE 4 - £65,000 – £82,000
PQE 5 - £72,000 – £89,000

New York Salaries:
Newly Qualified - US$125,000 – US$144,000
PQE 1 - US$130,000 – US$150,000
PQE 2 - US$135,000 – US$170,000
PQE 3 - US$140,000 – US$185,000
PQE 4 - US$160,000 – US$195,000
PQE 5 - US$175,000 – US$210,000

Singapore Salaries:
Newly Qualified - S$95,000 – S$130,000
PQE 1 - S$120,000 – S$150,000
PQE 2 - S$130,000 – S$170,000
PQE 3 - S$150,000 – S$200,000
PQE 4 - S$155,000 – S$235,000
PQE 5 - S$170,000 – S$250,000


Barristers

Barristers, being a sole traders, often have a greater income range. A newly-admitted barrister, with little experience and briefs, may scarcely break-even for the first few years. On the other hand, experienced senior counsel may charge appearance fees of upwards of seven thousand dollars per day.


Non-corporate and public-sector

Public sector and non-corporate salaries tend to be lower than their corporate counterparts.

For example, a graduate Associate to a Federal judge is paid approximately $48K. Private suburban firms might pay a graduate $35 - 40K.

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• What skills do I need?

To be successful in your legal studies, hard work is of course the most desirable trait. Good English language ability is also a highly desirable skill, without which study may be difficult. Other skills are also useful, such as strength in problem-solving and critical thinking.

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• Do I have to do oral presentations and mooting?

Mooting

You do not have to participate in mooting -- it is an extra-curricular activity. However you should consider giving mooting a go as it develops your oral argument skills, provides practice in preparing and researching cases, gives you a chance to actually apply your learning, is attractive to employers, and many students find it to be great fun.

Oral Presentations

Occasionally you may have to do an oral presentation as part of the assessment marks for a subject. (Some teachers prefer to use an oral presentation assessment to determine class participation marks instead of an ongoing assessment of how people contribute in each class, though this is less common.)

However, oral presentations are not exclusive to law. You will encounter them in all sorts of subjects, including accounting and economics. Oral presentations are nothing to be afraid of, and in the real world you will have to get used to dealing with people. It is best to learn these skills now rather than be afraid to give that business talk when it really matters!

Class Participation

At most universities, you will be expected to contribute to class discussion for most law subjects, though class participation usually constitutes a low percentage of total marks (10-20%). In some cases it is maximisable.

Class participation has been said by some to be marked somewhat capriciously at times.

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• What is life like for a law student?

Yet to be added.

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