Law (DN600)

Reventon93

Hi everyone I've law in UCD down as my first choice on my cao. I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the course itself in regards to workload and timetable, general stuff like that. Your thoughts on the course itself would be helpful as well. Thanks

Ilyana

Hi

I'm in first year Law with History and I enjoy law anyway!

It's very interesting if you like facts and political and legal topics, if you enjoy learning things that are very relevant to life in general, current affairs etc.
Just before the referenda a few weeks ago, lecturers and tutors were explaining them to us, and basically telling us why we shouldn't vote for them :P

The workload isn't impossible if you make the effort to keep up throughout the semester. There is a LOT of reading and tbh I rarely get it all done, but it's not the end of the world (I hope!). There aren't too many assignments either.

The lectures veer between really interesting and downright dull - contract law will probably never excite anyone! But the good ones make up for the not-so-good ones. I'm not sure if pure Law have Criminal Procedure as a compulsory module but if you don't, I'd recommend choosing it as an elective. The lecturer is really entertaining and the topic is sooo interesting

The timetable is pretty sweet, somewhere between 10 and 15 hours a week (I'm not sure about pure Law, but Law and History have about 14).
Well that's just what I think of it anyway. Trust me, it's so important to research all options and get plenty of first hand advice if you can

Reventon93

Thank you so much. Its really helpful having someone who can tell you about the course and it sounds better that i thought because i am very into politics and current affairs!

I like reading so i hope that it can help me a bit in regards to the reading load.

I am interested in Criminal law so ill be taking it but I'm not sure if that's the same thing as criminal procedure.

The timetable seems very good as well even if its a bit different to pure law. Then again i'm guessing with all the study time it evens it out.

Thanks so much again

Ilyana

No problem

If you like politics so much, have a look at Law with Politics too!
I'm not so sure if Criminal Law is offered in first year for pure Law but if you go here http://www.ucd.ie/students/course_search.htm you can search for all the law courses to read about all the modules, assessments etc.

Good luck

errlloyd

3rd year pure Law.

Right gonna go ahead and say it, its actually pretty easy compared to a lot of subjects. Very little coursework or continual assessment and only 12 hours of lectures a week and 3 hours of tutorials every two weeks for 8 weeks of the semester. Meaning average class time per week is only 13 hours.

Understanding all of the law would be a very difficult task, but most exams have a fair bit of choice and so you really only end up studying specific chapters in detail and so the reading isn't quite as much as you'd think if you just glanced at one of our reading lists.

Until I got to third year (This year) I had hardly any essays, I think one a year, the rest was all exams. Some people love that some people hate it. But Law exams are quite easy. In a typical exam I'd go in broadly knowing the law, and having about 50 case names memorised to back that up. It sounds like a lot, but each case name is pretty easy to remember, and with a lot of them you've read a paragraph or two about the case so you have context to remember it in. For example any first year law student will tell you in a heartbeat that Donoghue and Stevenson was about negligence with regard to faulty products, that Carbolic Smoke Ball was about unilateral contracts and that Norris v AG was about the constitutional right to privacy. You just kinda remember them like English quotes, but way more interesting.

Anyway, I'd highly recommend Law. And now with our 90mn Loan, you might even get a new law school (no promises)

Reventon93

Thanks for all the responses It seems to be the only course that I'm interested in. I always thought I'd do science and so did my family but i find that law would suit me a lot better and that I'd find it more interesting for me.

_Bella_

EmilyO wrote: »

Hi

I'm in first year Law with History and I enjoy law anyway!

It's very interesting if you like facts and political and legal topics, if you enjoy learning things that are very relevant to life in general, current affairs etc.
Just before the referenda a few weeks ago, lecturers and tutors were explaining them to us, and basically telling us why we shouldn't vote for them :P

The workload isn't impossible if you make the effort to keep up throughout the semester. There is a LOT of reading and tbh I rarely get it all done, but it's not the end of the world (I hope!). There aren't too many assignments either.

The lectures veer between really interesting and downright dull - contract law will probably never excite anyone! But the good ones make up for the not-so-good ones. I'm not sure if pure Law have Criminal Procedure as a compulsory module but if you don't, I'd recommend choosing it as an elective. The lecturer is really entertaining and the topic is sooo interesting

The timetable is pretty sweet, somewhere between 10 and 15 hours a week (I'm not sure about pure Law, but Law and History have about 14).
Well that's just what I think of it anyway. Trust me, it's so important to research all options and get plenty of first hand advice if you can

Hey, I'm interested in doing law and history. Would you mind telling me your experience with it and how the workload is. Also do you find the history modules interesting and is there much choice? Thanks.

Ilyana

_Bella_ wrote: »

Hey, I'm interested in doing law and history. Would you mind telling me your experience with it and how the workload is. Also do you find the history modules interesting and is there much choice? Thanks.

Well I'm only 3 months into first year, but it's pretty good so far! You do history with the arts people, it's actually quite separate and distinct from law.

You do two modules in semester 1; Rome to Renaissance (reeeeallly boring) and Modern Europe (a bit better), and two modules in semester 2; Ireland 1691-1891 and Ireland in the 20th century (which I've not done yet).

In the European ones they give you set reading to do before your seminar and that's usually quite manageable. The Rome to Renaissance is terribly dull for me anyway, but it's only on until Christmas. The Modern Europe one tends to cover things you do in secondary school; like Columbus, the Industrial Revolution and the World Wars. There's an essay in each module due in October, but nothing too taxing.

I can't speak for the Irish modules yet I'm afraid, but there's info in the link I provided for the OP above

There is no choice in first year unfortunately, but I think it gets more flexible after that.

Law and History do fewer Law modules than pure Law, to balance out the workload we get from History. But it's totally manageable, especially if you're diligent in getting the set reading done.

So yeah, do Law and History! Having a small class is amazeballs too (like 14 people), you don't get that in pure Law :P

Four-Percent

I'm doing law with politics if anyone wants to ask me a few questions about it, or even law in general. I'm not in first year so I'd like to think i've gotten a bit of a feel for the place...

Reventon93

Four-Percent wrote: »

I'm doing law with politics if anyone wants to ask me a few questions about it, or even law in general. I'm not in first year so I'd like to think i've gotten a bit of a feel for the place...

I was looking at law with politics and think that for me it might be better than pure law. Do you think personally, that it better? And if you have a keen interest in politics do you recommend it? Also, whats the workload, as you do both law and politics?

Four-Percent

Reventon93 wrote: »

I was looking at law with politics and think that for me it might be better than pure law. Do you think personally, that it better? And if you have a keen interest in politics do you recommend it? Also, whats the workload, as you do both law and politics?

i) Not really sure what you meant by "better", but I certainly would prefer it to pure law. It's a broader education, blah blah blah, also arts block is closer to the bus stop than the science building or roebuck.

ii) Absolutely, for two reasons. First, the politics modules themselves are really interesting. Second, you go into politics exams with up to 30% sewn up already. In other words, they're a great way to bring your GPA up. Thirdly, if you have a keen interest in politics first year will be a doddle.

iii) You'd think doing law AND politics would be twice the workload, but it's the same as law, if not a little easier. You do 3 law modules and two politics per term, as opposed to 5 law (i think) for pure law. Given that politics is easier than law (easier to grasp or just marked easier, I haven't decided), you actually end up with less to do than the pure laws.
One caveat: the 30% of politics that you go into the exam with doesn't come out your hoop. There are assignments (usually 1500 words) that contribute 10% or so each to your grade, and these are usually done around early november. But they're grand, and judging by the politics facebook group, it's only law with politics that make an effort. So you'll look good.

Reventon93

Four-Percent wrote: »

i) Not really sure what you meant by "better", but I certainly would prefer it to pure law. It's a broader education, blah blah blah, also arts block is closer to the bus stop than the science building or roebuck.

ii) Absolutely, for two reasons. First, the politics modules themselves are really interesting. Second, you go into politics exams with up to 30% sewn up already. In other words, they're a great way to bring your GPA up. Thirdly, if you have a keen interest in politics first year will be a doddle.

iii) You'd think doing law AND politics would be twice the workload, but it's the same as law, if not a little easier. You do 3 law modules and two politics per term, as opposed to 5 law (i think) for pure law. Given that politics is easier than law (easier to grasp or just marked easier, I haven't decided), you actually end up with less to do than the pure laws.
One caveat: the 30% of politics that you go into the exam with doesn't come out your hoop. There are assignments (usually 1500 words) that contribute 10% or so each to your grade, and these are usually done around early november. But they're grand, and judging by the politics facebook group, it's only law with politics that make an effort. So you'll look good.

Thank you so much That really helps. Im pretty set on doing law with politics and the whole point of me wanting to do it is because im really into politics and current affairs. Thanks for the breakdown of it as well!

Tea-a-Maria

There's not really much I can contribute here that hasn't already been said.I'm a final year Law with History student.

Law is relatively easy in comparison to other subjects,but you do need a bit of self discipline to keep up with all the reading.Though it really isn't the end of the world if you don't get it all done.:P

History involves a lot of essays, and I imagine politics does too, which can be tough to balance with the massive reading lists of law.That said,the practice of writing essays will really stand to you when you have to do law ones in the later years of your degree.Plus,not having to face into 100% exams is always a plus.

Yink4

Hi guys! I'm stuck between Business and Law and Pure Law at UCD...any advice???

robman60

Yink4 wrote: »

Hi guys! I'm stuck between Business and Law and Pure Law at UCD...any advice???

I'm thinking of doing business and law too. I've picked it because I just think some business experience would be beneficial anyway, even if I go on to specialise in law, which I think is likely. Is this important to you? If so, the joint degree might be more beneficial to you. Thinking of putting Law and business in Trinity down first choice though due to the fact that I can keep up a language (really want to continue French) and UCD horizons isn't available for business and law there. There's also the choice to specialise more by third year in Trinity but both courses have their advantages.

I'd love to hear anyone's opinion of the business and law course too!

Kiltennel

I'm not in either Law or Business & Law but I know plenty who have studied both. From what I've heard them say B&L appears to be a better choice in that you get a chance to study both routes, at the end of which if you decide you want to specialise in law you may and you still come out with all the compulsory modules to sit the Kings Inn entrance exams if you wish to become a barrister. For the solicitor route neither provide a massive advantage over either as you must still sit the FE1s to gain admission to Blackhall Place but from a recruitment point of view I've heard the Big 5/6 law firms often prefer students from B&L over pure Law as they have a grounding in business and finance also which will help in the practices such as tax, corporate, banking, insurance, and finance etc. Either way, both are very good and very interesting degrees.

Yink4

robman60 wrote: »

I'm thinking of doing business and law too. I've picked it because I just think some business experience would be beneficial anyway, even if I go on to specialise in law, which I think is likely. Is this important to you? If so, the joint degree might be more beneficial to you. Thinking of putting Law and business in Trinity down first choice though due to the fact that I can keep up a language (really want to continue French) and UCD horizons isn't available for business and law there. There's also the choice to specialise more by third year in Trinity but both courses have their advantages.

I'd love to hear anyone's opinion of the business and law course too!

I'm just not sure which I'd enjoy more...or which is more beneficial