Asiya Patel

LLB, UK

One of the first features of Queen Mary that attracted me was the location. I knew it would be highly beneficial to be near to the world’s largest law firms and financial institutions. It also means that the campus is a short train journey from some of London’s biggest attractions.

Queen Mary’s excellent reputation as a law school is also a huge asset. It is consistently ranked as amongst the top universities for law in the country and this is reflected in the standard of teaching. Law is a difficult subject to study and the quality of lecturers and tutors definitely helps.  

When I visited the campus for an open day, the main thing that struck me was the vast extra-curricular opportunities available to law students. I was particularly impressed with the Legal Advice Centre (LAC), as there are few universities that offer the invaluable experience of allowing law students to advise actual clients. Having worked on the LAC in my second year, not only was this a precious addition to my CV, I also learnt the key skills required of a solicitor. The Queen Mary Pro Bono Society also provides an opportunity to make contacts at city law firms with various volunteering activities. These opportunities make Queen Mary stand out as an excellent institution for law and are crucial for anyone wanting to pursue a legal career.    

Terese Saplys

LLB, Canada

Despite coming to Queen Mary as a foreign student with no connections in the legal field, I will be entering my second year in the LLB programme with confidence, a good CV, great friends and a clear view of my goals for the future. The stellar education I received in my first year was buttressed by professional development from extra-curricular events, such as the QM Law Society's negotiation competition and the mini-assessment days organised by the Legal Advice Centre. And it was exciting to see my networking skills at the QM Bar Society's barrister’s panel event pay off with a work placement! I'm very much looking forward to grasping the opportunities the next two years at QM Law will bring.

Tom Evans, UK

LLB Law Student

"I chose to apply to Queen Mary, University of London, because I really wanted to study in London and was impressed by the campus and law department when I visited for an open day. For me, what set Queen Mary apart from other law schools I visited was the range of extra-curricular activities on offer; these can be legally based (such as the Legal Advice Centre) or completely unrelated to law. In my first year I have had the opportunity to present moot cases to leading academics, attend meetings held by leading law firms and also help to cook breakfast for homeless people in Whitechapel. The variety of activities available provide great opportunities for you to expand upon existing skills, and as a student you will get out what you put in to your studies. Law is renowned for being a challenging subject and requires a lot of hard work. However, it is always reassuring to know as a student that teaching staff in the department, including lecturers, will answer queries by email and will also hold regular office hours in which you can ask for guidance if the materials or a particular subject are proving difficult. Moving to London can be daunting if you’ve never lived in a large city before. Queen Mary’s campus setup is ideal since it provides a secure environment where you will be living within close proximity to your friends, with a bar, convenience shop, gym and restaurants all within a two minute walk. The added advantage is that central London, with all its attractions, is only a 15 minute tube ride away. As a law student, living in London is advantageous since the most famous courts and law firms are on your doorstep, many of which hold career fairs and open days which can provide motivation for your studies and you will be in a good position to attend."

Gianni Sonvico, UK

LLB Law student and President of the Bar Society

“I came to Queen Mary, University of London with the clear ambition of ultimately going into practice as a barrister. However, as I had never studied law and had no connections in the legal world, I didn’t have the first idea as to how to achieve this dream. I can confidently say that my first year at Queen Mary has put me on the right path. Firstly, I’ve learnt a lot about the Law this year and started to become truly passionate about certain aspects. Both of these have developed due to the brilliant lecturers and expert tutors. Being a London University means we have academics who are often also practitioners or involved in the making or evaluating of laws. This may lead to the somewhat surreal scene in which a lecturer may criticise a judgement and then mention that they’d told the judge this in person the other day! Secondly, in some ways more important than the formal part of the course are the student-run extra curricular societies. I, personally, have become very involved with the various societies supported by the department and have relished it. I’ve mooted internally, been a member of the Law Society and, crucially, become a committee member of the Bar Society. These have all been huge parts of my year and have been brilliant, as I’ve learnt from them, enjoyed them and made many, many friends through them. The amount of law-related societies in Queen Mary is one of the many features which make us stand out and are very important for anyone looking for a career, legally or otherwise. In addition, the societies are working on more and more non-law activities, such as the Law Society Football Team and departmental socials, which are great for meeting fellow law students. However, being at university isn’t just about the course you’re doing, and Queen Mary is also ideal for partying, socialising and exploring London. The campus is, as you’ll no doubt know, unique for London and provides a brilliant base camp. Sometimes I love the village-like feeling of knowing everyone in the Student Union bar, other times I prefer to go to central London where you’re anonymous. The choice really is yours!”

Matthew Hexter, UK

LLB Law Student

“I chose to study at Queen Mary, University of London for numerous reasons. Queen Mary has one of the best law schools in the country. It is located 15 minutes walk away from the spiritual home of English law in Chancery Lane, 15 minutes walk away from the centre of financial heartlands of the Docklands and the City of London. It is also in the heart of East London, a fantastically vibrant and culturally exhilarating area. It’s not only Queen Mary’s location that makes it a fantastic school, there is so much more. It provides students with a multitude of extra curricular activities, both legal and otherwise. The Pro Bono group, both Bar and Law Societies, as well as Mooting, provide students with invaluable opportunities and experiences. Through pro bono I have been able to see law in action, helping those who are in dire need of assistance, meanwhile gaining priceless links with city firms. The Bar Society has allowed me to interact with legal London, visiting courts and Inns as well as giving valuable advice about progressing to the bar. And it is with mooting that I have gained my most valuable contacts, the events that the society organise allow students to meet numerous high profile lawyers and furthermore allows both postgraduates and undergraduates to compete at the highest level of national competition. All of these societies are not only invaluable for building a CV they are also a great way of meeting people and making new friends.”