Query re DIT Postgrad Diploma in Legal Studies...

Cliibee

Hi there,
I am just wondering by any chance if there might be a current student of the DIT Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies in the forum? I was a student of this course last year but unfortunately due to illness couldn't sit the end of year examinations.

I'm due to sit the exams in May but as I am now considered an external student, I no longer have access to course information/notes-I'm only permitted to sit the exams themselves.

I have all the notes from last year in every subject but have been notified by the department that the Core Legal Skills module lecturer has changed this year&so am worried that her notes will be different from last year.

I'm just wondering if at all possible any pg dip legal studies student would be willing to pm me &provide me with a quick outline of the topics that they are covering this year. I would be eternally grateful. I just want to compare them with last year&see if the topics are being approached differently.

I know it's a long shot but if this is at all possible, please pm.
Many thanks
Clibee
Cliibee

Cliibee

p.s. Have a feeling I have posted this in the incorrect forum (I was unsure whether to post in education/legal forum) but currently do not have the option to delete the thread-sincere apologies if it is in the incorrect location.
Cliibee

randomchild

I am, i'll pm an outline to you later tonight if i can find it (she doesn't put anything up on webcourses as far as i know)

Cliibee

Thanks a million randomchild, I'd really appreciate it!!:)

strictlydancing

Hi everyone,
I am applying for this course for September 2010. I graduated with a degree in English and also completed an MA this year. Do you think I would find this course difficult as a non law graduate? Also, can you tell more about the application procedure please? I just know I have to contact them for an application form.
Thanks

Cliibee

Hi StrictlyDancing (love the username )

I entered the postgraduate diploma in 2008 as a Psychology Graduate&I can't speak for this year's class but the majority of my class last year were non-law graduates from disciplines as wide as Arts, Economics, Computer Science and Politics. I went in thinking that everyone would be a law-graduate with experience in a firm but I couldn't have been more wrong. While there were a few people who had a law or Business&Legal degree, the non-law graduates were certainly in the majority!

I felt the course acknowledged that the majority of people would not have a law degree or any experience of law and so while its certainly not easy and there is a lot of learning involved (in preparation for the FE1s which are a much harder 'ol slog!), it's certainly do-able and very well laid-out (in my opinion). A classmate of mine had completed an unrelated degree and came out with the hightest results in the year!!

I definitely think you should go for it, I thought it was a brilliant course (even though I'm still due to sit the final exams due to illness). You'll find that your English degree and Masters will stand to you. All in all, if you're thinking of a career in law and you want an introduction whilst preparing for the FE1 exams, I'd definitely go for this course.

A lot of people I know including myself applied at the start of 2008 and some even left it until early August and still got in so I'd just go to the DIT website http://www.dit.ie/study/postgraduate/browse/programmes/title,784,en.html and see when suits you best. Application is pretty straightforward, just complete the form (which as far as I remember will ask you for personal details, education details and why you want to apply for the postgrad in law) and post it along with a transcript of your results to DIT Rathmines. There will be more info in the 'How to Apply' section of the above link.
Best of luck! :-)

strictlydancing

Hi Cliibee,
Thank you for your reply. I choose the name because of my addiction to Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC and my love of dancing too. I am delighted to hear the opinions of someone who has gone through the course from a non law background. I note that on the website that students are invited to sit in as many lectures as they like but only choose a certain amount of modules which I'd love. Would you recommend any courses in particular? What are exams like? Are they semesterised? I hope that you are keeping well and good luck for the exams.

Strictly Dancing

Cliibee

It's no problem at all&thanks for the good wishes
I hope this information is of some help, as I said I did this course last year (minus the final exams) and so it may have changed slightly since.

What actually drew me to the course initially was, as you said, the ability to attend as many lectures as you like whilst only being assessed in a few (5 subjects of your choice plus one mandatory module entitled 'Core Legal Skills' to be exact).

I'm not sure if you're thinking of this course with a view to sitting the FE1 exams or if you're just using it as a general introduction into law, but I took advantage of the ability to attend all lectures by going to all lectures in the eight examinable FE1 subjects. I'm not sure if it's the same this yr but last year the timetable meant that there was no overlap between classes and so all classes could be attended. Also I found it useful that all of the FE1 subject's lectures were held early in the day and finished by 6.

There are also a number of other subjects (which are not examined in the FE1 exams and so which I didnt attend) for example Family Law, Employment Law and Human Rights Law. These are held subject to demand I believe and were usually held late in the evening (on selected days after 6).

Although you can attend all lectures if you want, you are only assessed in 6 altogether (this includes the Core Legal Skills module which is mandatory for everyone+5 subjects of your choice.) You only have to make the choice for definite two or three months into the course so you can get a good feel for the subjects (which I thought was nice).

Once you have selected your subjects you have to do a coursework assignment in it (when it's due is at the lecturer's discretion) and a final year exam (usually held in May although I hear that the Core Legal Skills exam is earlier this yr in January).

What subjects are the best to do seems to be an entirely personal choice. I found that what my friends and I considered our 'favourite' or 'easiest' subjects differed greatly between us. We each had differemt preferences for content or lecturers and so I'd say your best bet would be to see yourself what you prefer. There is no modularisation and no Christmas exams (unless a lecturere decides to hold their exam earlier like in Core Legal) there was only one final exam in each subject last year&I think it's the same this year.
Hope this info helped your decision&best of luck
Cliibee

rockel

Hi there,

I am just in the process of applying for this course now and wanted to ask your advice on writing the personal achievements essay? It would be great to hear what approach you took on writing this essay.

Thank you!