I'm on Offer

[y2kroja]

I have a 2:1 in LLB. I'm expecting a distinction in my LL.M. from a top London Uni. I have been doing volunteer job (which is related to my area of specialisation) for a local council in London since May. Pls. what are my chances of getting a good job either here in London or with an international organisation? I have tried applying to a number of places, but no luck yet.

[nfn]

genuinely sorry I can't answer your question but maybe you would be kind enough to answer one for me. I worked for a solicitor many many years ago and have always wondered.. what does LLB stand for? If it's Latin, which I'm sure it must be, any idea of the translation please?

Again, sorry this isn't an answer but you presented an opportunity to answer a question I forgot I needed to ask!

Good luck in your quest, NFN

[y2kroja]

LLB means 'Bachelor of Laws'. With that one would have expected that it is written as 'BOL', just like BSc (Bachelor of Science), but I have no clue why it's written as 'LLB'. So I guess LL.B. should be the latin variant of Bachelor of Laws.

[Aschenbach]

LLB

In Latin it was common to indicate the plural of something by using its initial twice; that's why when you see a decision of three members of the court of appeal, the judges titles might be abbreviated to "Smith and Jones LJJ."

As students learn lots of laws, or even all the laws, they get batchelors degrees in laws , plural. The reason why the 'B' comes after the 'LL' is that Latin word order is often a bit different from English; if you translate it word by word, 'LLB' means "of laws a batchelor." And yes we do get some letters after our names: we get to call ourselves "John Smith LLB" or whatever, very neat.Or, alternatively, it's Legum Baccalaureus. (LL. stands for "legum" of laws).

Job

I did the Legal Practice Course after my degree rather than a masters which enabled me to get a job at a firm of solicitors. The fees can reach �8,000. Alternatively, try consultancy/ clerking/ legal executive or an academic career.

Other than your exam results, there are random elements in gaining a legal career such as favouritism (as to class, university), nepotism, whether your face fits etc, all of which allowed my mate with a third in Classics to get a good job (at his Dad's firm) at the expense, sadly, of more capable candidates like yourself.

[acw]

Surely, LLB would be written BL, if Batchelor OF Science is written BSc not BOSC? :-p

As aschenbach said, it's about your extra curricular acitivities and your personality.  I'm a few steps behind aschenbach as I don't yet have a training contract, so I haven't done my LPC yet.  However, I can definitely confirm that grades are but a part of what makes a good candidate.  And with many firms, there's no particularl answer why you don't "fit", they just have a gut instinct that you don't.  Where that happens, I try to tell myself that that means I would be unhappy there too, so it's a good thing!!!

N.B., The way I'm planning to do things, means that the law firm I'll train with will pay for my LPC.  Let's hope that works, as I simply don't have �8000 knocking around and I can't afford more debt!!!