Is Law Boring? (1 Viewer)

[~ ReNcH ~]

I've made up my mind to do a BCom @ UNSW, but I can't decide whether or not to do a double degree (as I've mentioned in an earlier post in the general UNSW forum).
I've just got a few questions:
1. Is law boring? i.e. all the reading, interpreting cases etc.
2. Do you have to particpate in debates/mock trials etc. throughout the year? Do you ever have to present an argument orally for an assessment?
3. Is the workload for a BCom/LLB relatively heavy? Is it worth my while doing the additional degree?

 

[Frigid]

1. Is law boring? i.e. all the reading, interpreting cases etc.

awww com'on to be fair it's not that much reading (probably 10 pages a class, but that's not that much).

no it's not boring - there's never a dull moment in law -hahaha

2. Do you have to particpate in debates/mock trials etc. throughout the year? Do you ever have to present an argument orally for an assessment?

no one forces you to participate in any of the competitions (mooting, negotiation, witness examination, client interview, paper presentation) but it's probably worth your while to, since they up your lawyerly skills. they are all extra-curricular.

no, i haven't had a viva voce for law yet.

3. Is the workload for a BCom/LLB relatively heavy? Is it worth my while doing the additional degree?

the workload isn't that much heavier, though you're gonna get lower marks for law than for commerce subjects (simply coz they dun like to give high marks for law).

is it worth your while? well you've really gotta ask yourself, does this stuff interest me? will i make a career out of it or will my career benefit from it? questions like that.

 

[= Jennifer =]

1. Is law boring? i.e. all the reading, interpreting cases etc.

Law is not boring at all in fact it is quite interesting...although you have to be interested in the law to begin with and not just do it for the prestige, money, etc..it's good cause you understand how society works, and how people sue for the weirdest things (e.g. the light reflecting off a window irrated them!). The interpreting of cases takes a while to get the hang of i am still in the progress of grasping this

2. Do you have to particpate in debates/mock trials etc. throughout the year? Do you ever have to present an argument orally for an assessment?

Yes for both...at uws in the seminars we also do this as part of building confidence with seminar questions each team has a time limit to present the case and to rebut (sp?)

3. Is the workload for a BCom/LLB relatively heavy? Is it worth my while doing the additional degree?

depends what you constitute as heavy...my answer is yes and that it is all about time management

goodluck in your choice

 

[gordo]

1st yr law is shit boring
I hope it gets better

 

[MoonlightSonata]

1. Is law boring? i.e. all the reading, interpreting cases etc.

It depends if you're interested in it or not; some com/law people find it pretty boring and pursue the degree for their resume/career's sake. I'm not sure if you'll find it interesting or not but here are some potential factors which might mean you would find it interesting:

1. Are you good at English?
2. Do you like problem solving?
3. Do you feel like you want to make some contribution to society?
4. Do you read much?
5. Are you interested in morals and justice?
6. Do you enjoy argument or debate?
7. Do you enjoy being pushed intellectually?
8. Are you interested in news/politics, and the world/society around you?
9. Do you enjoy reasoning and critical thinking?
10. Are you a humanities-type person?

If you answered 'yes' to most of those then chances are you'll find it interesting. (These are not necessary conditions but in my mind they are likely to be sufficient conditions.)

As for the reading level:

Law Workload at UNSW

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:

Foundations of Law
Readings: 10-15 pages per class (UNSW booklet; 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 (UNSW booklet and textbook; 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 (Small UNSW booklet, casebook, textbook).
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%)

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

2. Do you have to participate in debates/mock trials etc. throughout the year? Do you ever have to present an argument orally for an assessment?

You do not have to participate in mooting though I would encourage it as it develops your oral argument ability, gives you practice in preparing and researching cases and it's just great fun. It's not for everyone of course, that's just my experience of it anyway.

As for presenting an argument orally for assessment, some subjects, including the compulsory Litigation 2 give you the option to do that. But other than that you won't have to present an actual argument orally. You may however, be asked to do a presentation in front of the class as part of your class participation mark - some teachers prefer this method rather than simply speaking in class, though personally none of my teachers have done that so far. However, oral presentations are not exclusive to law. You may encounter them in all sorts of subjects, including accounting and economics.

3. Is the workload for a BCom/LLB relatively heavy? Is it worth my while doing the additional degree?

That depends on what you want to get out of it. I don't think the workload is extremely heavy, but if you are doing it just to bolster your appeal to those big accounting firms, and you really aren't interested in law at all, maybe you should have a good think about it.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

Moonlight. Thats a rather well written answer. Shouldnt you be aborbing property notes?

I should be doing my pols assignment, due tomorrow

the question I chose:

Christopher Pearson claims that the Howard government promotes an “enterprise culture” which rejects paternalism and favours “self-help and individual responsibility” (Pearson 2005). Similarly, Janet Albrechtsen claims that conservatism is “…the complete inversion, I guess, of collectivism, of collective action, collective responsibility, collective thought. Conservatism is based around individual freedom, individual thought, individual responsibility. They are extremely simple ideas” (Duffy 2004). However, all these ideas are not so simple when one looks at the complex history of the ideology of the Liberal Party which is both liberal and conservative, believes in state subsidies for families and others, and appeals to ideas of the collective. Discuss in the light of the continuities and differences of the Australian Liberal tradition from the Cold War through to the Howard era.

it's a sluggish business

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

That depends on what you want to get out of it. I don't think the workload is extremely heavy, but if you are doing it just to bolster your appeal to those big accounting firms, and you really aren't interested in law at all, maybe you should have a good think about it.

I kind of slot into that category. To be entirely honest, the only motive I have for considering a BCom/LLB is for the career prospects, as I was reading several articles that suggested that employers like well-rounded people with knowledge in various fields. I'm also considering a BCom/BSci, but I actually have a genuine interest in some areas of science (not all). I'm certain that I'm going to do a BCom, though whether or not I do it in combo with something else is my dilemma.

 

[xeuyrawp]

I've made up my mind to do a BCom @ UNSW, but I can't decide whether or not to do a double degree (as I've mentioned in an earlier post in the general UNSW forum).
I've just got a few questions:
1. Is law boring? i.e. all the reading, interpreting cases etc.
2. Do you have to particpate in debates/mock trials etc. throughout the year? Do you ever have to present an argument orally for an assessment?
3. Is the workload for a BCom/LLB relatively heavy? Is it worth my while doing the additional degree?

1. Law reading is kinda boring, in that it takes a while to get through a chunk of text, and it's not a thriller novel, but it requires intense concentration and thought that will develope your skills and give you a warm, fuzzy feeling when you've finished the readings. I find it interesting, but I love to read.

2. No, but you'd be an idiot not to- 1., they're fun, 2., they develope advocacy and research skills.

3. All my friends who do Commerce hate it, it's a lot of "study", whereas law seems to be "reading", if you get my drift.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

2. No, but you'd be an idiot not to- 1., they're fun, 2., they develope advocacy and research skills.

Now now, they're not idiots

Though it's a good thing to have a go at, it's not for everyone. I know some very clever people who are particularly good at law who just don't like it - some just aren't competitive people or oral argument isn't their strength. (There are also a lot of really crappy mooters out there... either they pay no attention to judges or they just have no speaking ability, I don't know, but they persist.)

Some people don't seem to be attuned to advocacy but we become barristers or solicitors eventually anyway

 

[xeuyrawp]

Now now, they're not idiots

Though it's a good thing to have a go at, it's not for everyone. I know some very clever people who are particularly good at law who just don't like it - some just aren't competitive people or oral argument isn't their strength. (There are also a lot of really crappy mooters out there... either they pay no attention to judges or they just have no speaking ability, I don't know, but they persist.)

Some people don't seem to be attuned to advocacy but we become barristers or solicitors eventually anyway

you're always right.... *mopes*

I'll retract and rephrase- "you'd be an idiot to not at least give it a go", depending on your schedule of course. At mac, they put them on at good times, not interfering with exams and whatnot.

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

I have absolutely no interest in becoming either a barrister or a solicitor. But the only reason I'd do law is to back-up my Commerce degree, since business revolves around rules and regulations. I'm just not sure if it's worth doing for that reason.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

I have absolutely no interest in becoming either a barrister or a solicitor. But the only reason I'd do law is to back-up my Commerce degree, since business revolves around rules and regulations. I'm just not sure if it's worth doing for that reason.

Well law is a very useful discipline which helps in many fields, especially business. But you will have to spend two extra years at uni and time studying something that you may not like very much, and which you may not do well in, if you really don't enjoy it. By the time you've finished your degree someone else who started commerce in the same year will already have their foot in the door.

From a lawyer-in-training's perspective, it does annoy me that people will study law when they are not interested in it. But it does have advantages. You should weigh up the pros and cons and see where that takes you.

 

[Atticus.]

i hate law... its a joke
but ill stick it out only coz im doing communications as well

 

[Not-That-Bright]

i hate law... its a joke

The thing about law is, a "I hate it, it sux" kind of answer doesn't really make the mark.

 

[Atticus.]

The thing about law is, a "I hate it, it sux" kind of answer doesn't really make the mark.

i dont have to justify the fact that law bores the braincells out of me... not to you

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Yea, It'd be nice to like contribute something to a thread asking "Is law boring" beyond "it sux" or "it rox" answers tho... like most of people did.

Law's great fun, if you read the news alot have a bit of a political streak and probably have a shitload of posts on the "News & Current Affairs" forum i'd say it's for you.
The Downsides of it are usually the people, I find some people become obsessive/competitive (I imagine this is much worse at UNSW) and it's kinda weird.

 

[Atticus.]

fair enough
here are the reasons why i dislike law
*its tedious
*its monotonous*
*it burns my braincells
*it puts me to sleep
*my teachers have the people skills of flemmish gnomes

 

[noneother]

I like the learning the law. It's the most useful and applicable subject I've learnt so far (torts). However my dislike is directed not @ the subject itself but rather the tutors and a few class members. I have a barrister for a teacher who has an air of superiority about him, and avoids contacts with students (runs away after the tute so as to avoid having to answer questions...wtf!?) this happens EVERY time, even though there's 5-10 min to spare. You might be saying: that's what consultation hrs are for..but jeez 5-10min answering quick questions shouldn't be a problem. Then the question arises: why the fuck did you choose to be a tutor in the first place you git!?.
Some students really piss me off. You get the ones who think it's their prerogative to voice their opinions and dominate the conversation. Quite frankly I don't give a fuck! I want to learn not hear your shit.
IMO learning the law rocks, having to put up with a few fuckers in class piss the hell out of me!

 

[xeuyrawp]

i dont have to justify the fact that law bores the braincells out of me... not to you

if you find it so bad, why not drop it? I mean, if you hate it, you're not going to do well.

 

[noneother]

most likely doing it to improve chances of employment after grad. but i know many ppl doing law who dislike it yet they stick with it, for the same purpose. to each their own.

one of the tutors was saying he didn't get D's or above until 3rd year. credit average is good enough if your keen on being a lawyer.