Kings Inns & FE1s

laman127

So basically I'm intent on doing law and want to get started this year. I've always been set on doing the Bar but have applied for some Summer Internships with the big commercial law firms in the hope of getting one and seeing what else is out there.

Does anyone know if the exams for the fe1s and the Bar are alike? I'd be studying with a focus to doing the Inns exams in August but if I decided to do the Fe1s in October, I'd be hoping that this study wouldn't be wasted as I'd be sitting the four overlapping subjects: tort, criminal, contract and constitutional.

I'm working full time at the moment so I plan on starting studying soon and not waiting till I make a final decision.

Finally, does anyone know if there's a big overlap between the Fe1 manuals and the Inns ones? I plan on buying the Inns ones and hope they'd also be useful if I decide to do the Fe1s.

Thanks so much to anyone who has any advice on this!

Pat Mustard

You are working full time and you are planning on doing FE1s and doing entrance exams for the Inns.

You could save yourself a lot of problems by making up your mind whether you want to qualify as a solicitor or a barrister.

Here is what I suggest:
1. Make up your mind. This may not be easy, but you should do it.*
2. Pursue your chosen vocation.






*I'd say that there must be loads of previous 'solicitor or barrister' threads on this forum.

laman127

No i'll decide in the Summer to do one or the other of the exams.

Procrastastudy

laman127 wrote: »

No i'll decide in the Summer to do one or the other of the exams.

If you're learning from the manuals it wont make much difference - just note the difference in exam structure and watch out for the KI one that isnt examibale for FE1s - I want to say evidence but I could be wrong.

BTW the search function is a wonderful thing and will give you a lot of information.

Also don't just work for big firms unless you know that's the pigeon hole you want to be in for ever more.

NoQuarter

I'm confused as to where you are now. Have you already got a degree, and if so, is it law?

laman127

Yeah I have a Law degree. I finished last year and am working at the moment. Just trying to decide whether to do Inns or Fe1s

Procrastastudy

laman127 wrote: »

Yeah I have a Law degree. I finished last year and am working at the moment. Just trying to decide whether to do Inns or Fe1s

Modular Inns would allow you to keep working.

seb65

laman127 wrote: »

So basically I'm intent on doing law and want to get started this year. I've always been set on doing the Bar but have applied for some Summer Internships with the big commercial law firms in the hope of getting one and seeing what else is out there.

Does anyone know if the exams for the fe1s and the Bar are alike? I'd be studying with a focus to doing the Inns exams in August but if I decided to do the Fe1s in October, I'd be hoping that this study wouldn't be wasted as I'd be sitting the four overlapping subjects: tort, criminal, contract and constitutional.

I'm working full time at the moment so I plan on starting studying soon and not waiting till I make a final decision.

Finally, does anyone know if there's a big overlap between the Fe1 manuals and the Inns ones? I plan on buying the Inns ones and hope they'd also be useful if I decide to do the Fe1s.

Thanks so much to anyone who has any advice on this!

The Fe1s are held to be much harder than the Inns and I believe the manuals will reflect this.

Procrastastudy

seb65 wrote: »

The Fe1s are held to be much harder than the Inns and I believe the manuals will reflect this.

I'm open to correction but I think they're actually almost identical.

seb65

Procrastastudy wrote: »

I'm open to correction but I think they're actually almost identical.

Interesting. I thought the fe1s were much more in depth. Is it just the time per question that makes them harder than?

Procrastastudy

seb65 wrote: »

Interesting. I thought the fe1s were much more in depth. Is it just the time per question that makes them harder than?

I'm not passing comment on the difficulty of the examinations just the laziness of GCD et al

For what its worth I have gleamed from boards:

FE1s - lots of them but multiple sittings, 5 questions in three hours but no compulsory ones.

KIEE - 5 in 5 days :eek:, 3 questions but a bastard of a compulsory question worth 50%

NoQuarter

I've done both and imo I have them at the same difficulty level. The fe1 questions are that bit tougher but to counter that, there is more choice, each question is worth less(so if you mess up its less costly) and there is no compulsory question which allows some cherry picking.

The bad points of the KI exams are 5 in a row, compulsory question and the pressure that if you fail even one you have to wait another year to try again.

OP youre all over the place, either make a decision or do both. The crossover of the 4 matching subjects would be massive. If you can pass the fe1s you can pass the KI subjects and vice versa so yes, the crossover is enough to passs either.