Law: Pathways to Law (Streatham, Exeter & Penryn, Cornwall campuses)
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 7 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.
PLEASE READ BELOW BEFORE YOU APPLY
If you wish to apply for the Law: Pathways to Law strand, you need to submit TWO forms - the Exeter Scholars Application Form and The Sutton Trust Form. This is due to the joint funding and administrative aspects of this programme.
IMPORTANT: Please fill in the details on this page to register your email address. Once you have registered, you will receive an email inviting you to complete The Sutton Trust application form. If you have any problems, please visit our helpdesk here.
Due to the competitive nature of this programme, if you wish to apply for Law: Pathways to Law, you must add this as your FIRST CHOICE on the Exeter Scholars application form and complete the additional Sutton Trust Application form. Please note, you are still able to choose 2nd and 3rd choice Exeter Scholars subject strands if you put Law: Pathways to Law down as your first choice.
IMPORTANT: If you only submit the Exeter Scholars application for Law: Pathways to Law, unfortunately we cannot consider your application, so please make sure you have completed both forms.
If you have any questions about this, please email pathwaystolaw@exeter.ac.uk
| Day | Date | Time | Location | Topic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saturday | 28th November 2026 | TBC | Streatham campus, Exeter | Exeter Scholars Launch Event |
| 2 | Wednesday | December 2026 (TBC) | 10:30 - 15:00 | Streatham campus, Exeter | Welcome to Law school & academic session |
| 3 | Saturday | January 2027 (TBC) | 10:30 - 15:00 | Streatham campus, Exeter | Client Interviewing, Networking & CV Workshop |
| 4 | Wednesday | February 2027 (TBC) | 10:30 - 15:00 | Streatham campus, Exeter | Pre-placement Event |
| Monday - Friday | February 2027 | Various | Placement provider | Work experience placements* | |
| 5 | TBC | March 2027 (TBC) | 13:00 - 16:00 | Penryn campus, Cornwall | Visit to Penryn Campus- Academic session & campus tour |
| Monday - Friday | Easter 2027 (2 weeks) | Various | Placement provider | Work experience placements* | |
| 6 | TBC | April 2027 (TBC) | 10:30 - 15:00 | Streatham campus, Exeter | Explore Law at Exeter |
| Tuesday - Friday | May 2027 | Various | Placement provider | Work experience placements* | |
| 7 | TBC | August 2027 (TBC) | 3 days (2 nights) | University of Warwick | Sutton Trust Summer Conference |
| TBC | Summer holidays 2027 | Various | Placement provider | Work experience placements* | |
| 7 | TBC | September 2027 | 10:30 - 15:00 | Streatham campus, Exeter | Criminal Law Workshop & Academic Session |
| 8 | TBC | October 2027 (Exact date TBC) | 09:15 - 15:00 | Courts - Exeter | Court Visit |
| TBC | October 2027 (Exact date TBC) | 09:15 - 15:00 | Courts - Plymouth | Court Visit | |
| TBC | October 2027 (Exact date TBC) | 09:15 - 15:00 | Courts - Truro | Court Visit | |
| Monday - Friday | October 2027 | Various | Placement provider | Work experience placements* | |
| 9 | TBC | November 2027 | 10:30 - 15:00 | Streatham campus, Exeter | Academic session, Preparing for Law Careers Fair, Law Careers Fair |
| 10 | TBC | February/March 2028 | 12:00 - 16:00 | London | Visit to Inner Temple, London** |
| TBC | April 2028 | 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.
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, Truro, or Plymouth (to suit your location)
- a Year 12 Summer Residential at the University of Warwick (3 days/2 nights)
- a visit to the Inner Temple in London
Face-to-face placements will take place where possible 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 Year 12 Summer Residential at Warwick and the Inner Temple visit to London.
Pathways to Law students are required to complete a law-related work experience placement lasting 2–5 days, which could be a face-to-face or virtual experience. These are arranged by the Pathways to Law coordinator in conjunction with The Sutton Trust and are a unique and exciting feature of this strand.
Placements 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 on the programme to complete this.
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, Truro Courts or Plymouth Courts
- Pre-placement day to meet legal professionals and help prepare you for your placement
- Work experience and insight activities with law firms and a range of legal professionals
- Year 12 National Summer Conference – this 3-day/2 night residential conference at Warwick University 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, during on-campus events and off-campus trips and visits.
There are no specific entry requirements for this subject activity strand.
To successfully complete Pathways to Law, you must attend 6 of the 10 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 2–5 days. This experience could be a face-to-face or virtual experience. Successful attendance on the programme will also result in your eligibility for receiving contextual offers and other considerations from other pathways to law partner universities.
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.
