LLB Law, 2014
“The most beneficial part of the course is its structure; there is a real progression that eases students into independent study and research, gradually becoming more confident”
Whilst taking his A-Levels, Dennis Gabo was able to review his initial offer to read Geography at University and decided to withdraw his application. After taking a gap year to assess his skills and personality he decided to read Law at University.
After researching legal careers and pathways I was assured that pursuing to read Law at university and a legal career would suit my skills and personality. I spent most of my gap year in full-time employment within the John Lewis Partnership; to help fund my academic venture.
The first thing that attracted me to Oxford Brookes, School of Law was its consistently growing reputation, especially as a modern university. The second attraction was its excellent reputation for research and the possibility of accessing, in your third year, the Bodleian Library; one of the oldest libraries in Europe. This decision to apply was solidified after I attended one of the Open Days; the lecturer was brilliant and I really saw myself attending the Law School.
The most beneficial part of the course is its structure; there is a real progression that eases students into independent study and research, gradually becoming more confident.
In my time reading law at Oxford Brookes, I have honed and developed transferrable skills which I can demonstrate to employers. The workload is heavy; you only have short spaces of time to understand and apply complex legal theories but through this hardship you become extremely proficient in planning and organising your study schedule to accommodate work, volunteering and family commitments and the extra-curricular opportunities to make you stand out; especially in difficult-to-penetrate industries. The work becomes more manageable and you find completing tasks becomes routine.
You will also gain excellent self-discipline, being able to demonstrate to employers the development of your analytical and decision making skills, by being able to prioritise work in stressful situations.
The lecturers have made my experience as an undergraduate student great but Chara Bakalis and Chris Lloyd in particular have made my experience excellent and have helped me through very tough times. They truly care about your development and they will always give you their most honest opinions. I just wanted to do the very best I could in my degree and both lecturers, through their passion for their subjects and their encouraging words allowed me to achieve a First Class Honours Degree. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.
In my time at Oxford Brookes I have been able to find a group of friends that are like minded in aspirations and goals; you go through tough and stressful times together and are able to motivate each other to strive to do better. I think the best part was being able to celebrate it together in the end, in our graduation.
Oxford Brookes offers a wide variety of societies from sports clubs, subject-focused societies and personal interest groups, it is almost impossible not to join one! For the earlier parts of my degree I joined and participated mostly in the events organized by the Law Society; activities such as Pub Crawls, Quiz Nights and end of academic year celebrations like the Law Boat Party.
The Law Society and the Law School also offer Careers events which gives you the low down on Training Contracts and Pupilages, External-guest speakers (I attended the Criminal Law and Digital Age seminars which piqued my interest in Criminal Law) to give lectures and chances to polish your Client Interviewing and Mooting skills through competitions which I took advantage of; why not try to get your name inscribed forever in Brookes Law History!
Oxford is renowned for being a student populated city and has the facilities to match. Besides the inspiring sights and its safe and quiet atmosphere, it has established bookshops such as Oxford University Press and Blackwell’s to buy every book wanted, endless public transport to take you to anywhere needed, cafés to keep you going, and most importantly parks to take soul-searching walks in.
At the start I was anxious about attending Oxford Brookes, looking back at my experience I have made friendships that will last a life time, Tutors and Lectures that I will keep in touch with and a fantastic qualification that will allow me to start a career. With the newly RIBA-awarded John Henry Brookes Building there is no better time than now to start at Brookes, I would vouch for the Law course at Oxford Brookes for any hard-working prospective students wanting an excellent platform to start their career. I will cherish my memories at Oxford Brookes and to date, will be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
My time at Oxford Brookes has fortified my resolve to pursue a legal career as a Solicitor. My aspiration to become a Solicitor in the future is to follow a specialization in Medical Law in Clinical Negligence or Criminal Law in Criminal Litigation.