Best A-Levels for Law: The Essential Subjects for Aspiring Lawyers

Choosing a career in law is a noble and ambitious goal, renowned for its challenge as much as its rewards. With the legal profession's prestige and its central role in society, pursuing a law degree is a popular choice among students. Whether you're drawn to becoming a lawyer, a solicitor or a barrister, starting with the right A-levels is crucial to succeed in this competitive profession.

Given that around 70% of applicants in the UK get a place in Law school, having a profile that stands out will give you an advantage over the rest. Choose your A-levels wisely to seize the opportunity to make an outstanding first impression.

Law degree entry requirements

To enter Law school, different universities require certain A-levels and qualifications that may differ from one institution to another. Though many of them have no specific A-level requirements, there are a few subjects that are recommended to start your journey in this profession.

All universities require:

• A minimum of 3 A-levels (standard for all courses).
• Taking the LNAT (Law National Aptitude Test)
• Contrary to what you may think, choosing Law as an A-level subject is not necessarily required.

What A-Levels Should You Take for Law?

There are a few subjects that will give you a useful academic background for your future in law courses. You can also choose among facilitating subjects, which are usually the easiest A-levels to pass as they are related to popular school subjects.

Core subjects

English Language or Literature

Showing a good use of language is essential for any profession centred in Law. Whether you will be a barrister facing live court sessions, or a solicitor carrying out legal procedures, being able to write clear texts, presenting arguments correctly and including rhetorical elements in your presentations could be a pivotal element to make you a star lawyer.

Additionally, linguistic knowledge is always helpful to express your ideas correctly in any academic environment. Learning English in-depth, even if it’s your mother tongue, is always a good A-level choice.

History

Studying History at A-level has many benefits for the Law applicant. From learning about historical events that configured today’s legal system, to memorising specific names and dates, History is one of the key subjects that any Law student should have in their academic profile.

Politics

Similarly to History, Politics A Level encompasses a significant portion of the phenomena that have shaped our legal system. For instance, it delves into understanding how the legislative process works and how new laws are created, subsequently defended, and implemented by lawyers

Economics

Economics is often regulated by law, both from a micro and macro approach. Laws indicate how businesses should operate, and what rights and obligations they have. For instance, governments indicate taxes that companies and individuals should pay, and also what penalties should be imposed in the case of missing out on these payments.

Law

Though not compulsory for entering Law schools, taking the Law A-level course can be a good choice to have a stronger background for these university courses. Additionally, it will help you understand what the profession involves before entering university.

Complementary subjects

There are other subjects that may not be directly related to law but can provide you with some useful knowledge and skills for the profession.

Psychology or Sociology

Psychology and Sociology offer insights into social phenomena on both individual and community levels, which may be useful when dealing with legal cases. Learn how to deal with your clients, identify a case’s social implications and learn about the legal psychological aspects of a legal procedure.

Business Studies

Once you become a lawyer, you need to get clients. If you are looking to own your own law firm, you may be interested in taking a course in Business Studies to take care of the finance, management and intricacies of running your own company, as big or small as it may be.

Mathematics

Maths is present in our everyday life, whether you need to make calculations or use trouble-solving techniques, which are a necessary part of being a lawyer. Learn how to calculate your service quotes or distribute pay among your associates in a law firm.

Modern Languages

If you are looking to exercise law in countries other than the UK, you may choose to get a degree in that specialised system, as different countries have small and big legal differences. To do so, you also need to study the language spoken in that country, so choose your language of choice and demonstrate your knowledge with an A-level certificate.

Best A-Level combinations for studying law

English, History & Politics

This combination is ideal for pursuing a career in Law, as it will provide you with the historical and political background to understand where the current judicial system works, as well as strong linguistic skills to support your argumentation.

English, Politics & Economics

If you are looking to become a lawyer specialising in companies and labour relations, it could be a good idea to choose this combination, with a focus on law related to taxation as well as its relation with politics.

Politics, Philosophy & Economics

One of the pathways students can take to be a lawyer is studying for a PPE degree and later expanding their studies to an LLM. This means that these three subjects can be a good choice to study at A-level, as they will give you valuable general knowledge on the topics that lawyers and politicians can benefit from.

English, History & Business Studies

While you acquire an excellent use of language with English, History will provide you with the academic background related to the evolution of Law, and Business Studies will teach you all you need to start and run your own business, either on your own or with a group of associates.

Best A-Levels for Law Specialisations

Law has many branches in which students can specialise later in life. Though it may be a little early to choose one, if you already have an idea of the path you would like to follow, choosing A-levels based on this can help you gain some of the necessary knowledge at an early stage.

Additionally, it may help in showing your university interviewers your commitment to the profession, giving you a higher chance of getting an offer. Here are some recommended A-levels based on specialisations.

• Corporate Lawyer: Including Business Studies among the options will give you insights into how companies work, what the actors involved are, and the labour relations among them
• Criminal Lawyer: Psychology is a great option in this case, given that you probably will be involved in delicate situations, either as a defendant or plaintiff lawyer. Being able to manage the situation and the people involved will help you succeed in these kinds of cases.
• Commercial Lawyer: Choosing Economics can be wise if you are looking to be a commercial lawyer. This specialisation involves looking after activities where monetary transactions and business-client relations appear.
• International Lawyer: Philosophy is a valuable addition for those aspiring to practice international law, providing insights into religions and their concepts of God, as well as their ethical frameworks. In numerous countries and regions, religion influences people’s lifestyles, as well as their legal obligations and rights. Understanding the philosophical perspectives of various cultures and their implications is essential for those seeking to work cross-culturally.
• Other specialisations: Law is involved in all aspects of our lives, and thus, there are lawyers specialising in many of these areas, even some unconventional ones. In these cases, you may benefit from studying A-level courses in these specific areas, such as ecology or healthcare. For instance, lawyers specialised in these areas could find it useful to study A-levels in Biology or Chemistry, as they will need to have deep knowledge of these subjects for their future profession.

Law Degree requirements of top UK universities

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FAQs

Which A levels are best for a Law degree?

Most law schools don’t have specific subject requirements, but some of the most useful options include History, English (language or literature), Politics, Economics, Psychology and Business Studies. They all offer skills and knowledge that you will find beneficial during your studies as well as your professional career.

Can I study law without A Levels?

You may be able to enter Law School without A-levels, but you would need to take equivalent exams to be qualified enough. For instance, foreign students may prefer taking an International Baccalaureate. You may be able to avoid A-levels as a mature student if you have experience working in law firms or similar. If you are worried about having poor A-level grades, enter CloudLearn’s website to find out how to retake A-levels.

What qualifications do I need to be a lawyer?

The typical route to enter Law school is taking 3 A-levels, in combination with an LNAT (Law National Aptitude Test).

What A levels do you need for law at Cambridge?

Cambridge University does not require specific subjects at A-level, but English, History and a language are recommended.

What A levels are needed for law at Oxford?

Oxford University does not require specific subjects at A-level. We suggest taking those you feel stronger at among History, English (language or literature), Politics, Economics, Psychology and Business Studies, which will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills.