Law

Pathways to Law is an innovative and exciting programme which provides fantastic opportunities for sixth form students who are interested in Law. Jointly managed and funded by the Sutton Trust, Pathways is offered at 11 UK universities, including the University of Exeter. We are excited to be able to offer places on Pathways to Law as a strand of Exeter Scholars – but please note that, as Pathways is also part of a national programme, some of the activities and aspects of the programme will be a little bit different from other subject activity strands.   

Dates

	Day	Date	Time	Location	Topic
Session 1	Wednesday	13th December 2023	10:30–15:00	Streatham campus, Exeter	Welcome, introduction to the Law school, Academic session, campus tour (law facilities)
Session 2	Saturday	13th January 2024	10:30–15:00	Streatham campus, Exeter	Client Interviewing and Networking and CV workshop
Session 3	Wednesday	7th February 2024	10:30–15:00	Streatham campus, Exeter	Pre-placement day
	Monday – Friday	12th – 16th February 2024	Various	Placement provider	Work experience placements*
Session 4	Wednesday	27th March 2024	13:00–16:00	Penryn campus, Cornwall	Academic session (Criminal Law), Campus tour, Penryn campus)
	Monday – Friday	Easter 2024	Various	Placement provider	Work experience placements*
Session 5	Tuesday	30th April 2024	10:30–15:00	Streatham campus, Exeter	Explore Law at Exeter!
	Tuesday – Thursday	6th-8th August 2024	3 days (2 nights)	University of Warwick	Sutton Trust Summer Conference
	TBC	Summer holidays 2024	Various	Placement provider	Work experience placements*
Session 6	Wednesday	18th September 2024	10:30–15:00	Streatham campus, Exeter	Criminal Law Workshop
Session 7	TBC	October 2024 (Dates TBC)	09:30–15:00	Truro Courts	Court visit
	TBC	October 2024 (Dates TBC)	09:30--15:00	Exeter Courts	Court Visit
Session 8	TBC	November 2024	09:30–15:00	Streatham campus, Exeter	Academic session, Preparing for Law Careers Fair, Law Careers Fair
Session 9	TBC	February 2025	12:00–16:00	London	Visit to Inner Temple, London**
	TBC	April 2025	17:00–19:00	Streatham campus, Exeter	Pathways to Law Graduation Ceremony***

* These events could be face-to-face or virtual.
** Strongly recommended for those wishing to pursue a career as a barrister.
*** Not a core event.

Sessions will take place on a variety of days during term-time, usually Wednesday or Friday. Client interviewing and networking may take place on a Saturday.

Activity Locations

Most of your sessions will take place on the Streatham campus in Exeter, with one academic session taking place on the Penryn campus in Cornwall. Other off-campus opportunities include a visit to either the Courts in Exeter or Truro, a Summer Residential at the University of Warwick and a visit to the Inner Temple in London.

Face-to-face placements will take place within an hour's commute of your home address, although virtual alternatives may also be possible.

Other optional activities will be made available during the programme which will support the application process to university, such as workshops on the UCAS application process, your personal statement, university interviews, and Law admissions tests. These could be offered face-to-face or virtually by either the Exeter Scholars team or The Sutton Trust via their online platform, Sutton Trust Online (STO).     

While participants will be expected to travel independently to campus events and any face-to-face placements, transport will be provided for events which take place outside of Exeter, such as the Warwick Conference and the Inner Temple visit to London.

Work Experience Placements

Pathways to Law students are required to complete a law-related work experience placement (1–5 days) are these are a unique and exciting feature of this strand. Placements might be a face-to-face or virtual experience depending on your location and availability. Placements are arranged by the Pathways to Law coordinator in conjunction with The Sutton Trust and will typically take place in school or college holiday times, such as February half-term, Easter holidays, and the summer holidays, but may also take place in May or October half-term. The exact dates will be confirmed as far in advance as possible. Students will be required to submit a CV for this experience and will receive support whilst on the programme to complete this. 

Subject Activity Strand Content

The Pathways to Law programme is made up of several activities, some of which are common to all Pathways to Law universities and some of which are bespoke to the University of Exeter:

Academic sessions at the University of Exeter
Client Interviewing & Networking – an opportunity to hone your networking skills and practice client scenarios with legal professionals!
Expert advice on developing your CV plus advice and guidance on applying to university and your UCAS application
Visits to local legal institutions such as Exeter Combined Courts and Truro Courts
Work experience and insight activities with law firms, law courts, barristers chambers, or in-house legal teams
National Summer Conference – this residential conference brings together Pathways to Law students from across the country to take part in a wide-ranging programme of academic and social activities
Inner Temple – an opportunity to visit the Inner Temple in London- perfect for budding barristers!
Graduation ceremony – a perfect way to celebrate your achievements at the end of the programme

Students will have the opportunity to engage with current Law Student Ambassadors throughout the programme – they will be delighted to answer any question you have on student life or studying law!

This subject activity strand has contributions from the following degree programmes:

LLB Law
LLB Law with European Study
LLB English Law and French Law
LLB Law with Business
BBL Bachelor of Business & Laws

Entry Requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this subject activity strand.

Pass Criteria

To successfully complete Pathways to Law, you must attend 6 of the 9 core sessions – in addition to the Exeter Scholars Student Conference – and successfully complete a legal insight experience or work placement in a legal setting for 3–5 days. This experience could be a face-to-face or virtual experience.

Important Note from the Sutton Trust

We want to give as many of you as possible the chance to experience a Sutton Trust programme. This means that you can only take part in one of our programmes at a time. This includes the Pathways programmes, the Sutton Trust UK Summer Schools, and the Sutton Trust US programme. For example:

If you receive a place on the Sutton Trust US programme and apply for the UK Summer School programme, your application will not be considered.
If you are taking part in a Pathways programme and apply for the UK Summer School programme, your application will not be considered.

NB: If you took part in Sutton Scholars, you are eligible to apply for the Pathways programmes, the Sutton Trust UK Summer Schools, and the Sutton Trust US programme.