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KCL or UCL?

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jules

Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 2
KCL or UCL?
Tue Feb 15, 2005 08:40 AM
Hi, my name is Julie and I have been offered a place to study the LLM programme at King's College London and University College London.
Now I don't know which one to choose ! Can anybody help me? Which one is the best to work in an international law firm afterwards? I want to do a specialized LLM in commercial and corporate law.
Thanks
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Russ


Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 197
Re: KCL or UCL?
Tue Feb 15, 2005 07:43 PM
Both, KCL and UCL, have excellent lecturers and within the intercollegiate LLM programme you can choose courses from both colleges anyway. King's is very popular among lawyers from continental Europe. For instance, all my German and Danish friends know "King's College London" but only some know "UCL", even though UCL is ranked higher in the Good Times and Guardian rankings for its law faculty. I think, most lawyers working in law firms in Europe will also know King's so if you want to work in an international law firm, this may be an advantage. If you want to practice in the UK, UCL may be the better choice for your career. I heard that students at UCL are generally a bit more relaxed than at King's, which is said to be more conservative. By the way, students at LSE are said to be the most arrogant (because they pay the highest fees), but this is just gossip. At the end of the day there is not really much difference between the five University of London colleges. SOAS may be a little different. Good place to have lunch with other LLM students (downstairs)...
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jules

Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 2
Re: KCL or UCL?
Wed Feb 16, 2005 08:41 AM
Thank you very much for the advice !!
I want to work in an international law firm after having studied the LLM, but I don't know yet where ! Maybe it is in the UK, maybe it is in continental Europe.
Which university would YOU choose if you were in my position? For the LLM in commercial and corporate law..
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Russ


Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 197
Re: Re: KCL or UCL?
Wed Feb 16, 2005 02:06 PM
It's really hard to say. Did you take closer look at the faculty? If you plan to take competition law (which I would do), I would take the course offered by Professor Richard Whish at King's, even though Professor Valentine Korah (UCL) is also outstanding. I do not know too much about the other commercial or corporate law courses. If the reputation is the most important factor for you, I would probably go to King's as I know that many employers know KCL in Europe. But if you only care about the reputation, Cambridge may be the top choice (if you are accepted...).

www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/law/staff
www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/faculty/academics.shtml

[Edited 22 Apr 2006 by Russ]
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Bluna

Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 32
Re: KCL or UCL?
Wed Feb 16, 2005 07:15 PM
The UCL campus is much nicer than the KCL campus, but the Somerset House located next to KCL compensates for that. Student housing is probably better at UCL. Schafer House, John Dogon House, James Lighthill House (UCL) are all better than International Hall (KCL) and not as expensive, too.
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manuelsalazar400


Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 14
Re: Re: Re: KCL or UCL?
Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:51 PM
Hi, I heard if you want really work in UK and you aren´t EU citizen you need to do the LPC (legal practice courses) or CPE (conversion courses).
Good Luck
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gregory

Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 16
Re: KCL or UCL?
Wed Feb 23, 2005 09:13 AM
Dear Russ,

Thanks for your expert comments.
Could you say more on LSE LLM programme (apart form that they are said to be the most arrogant)?
Would you prefer LSE to UCL or KCL, especially with regard to public international law or to commercial law?

Thanks,
gREGORY
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todd

Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 1
Re: KCL or UCL?
Thu Feb 24, 2005 09:32 AM
I would tend to agree with Russ on the Cambridge point. Unless anyone intends to study at Cambridge or Oxford there is absolutely no measurable difference between any of the colleges offering the LL.M. within the University of London. The University of London should stand on it's own merits. I suppose this would be similar to comparing Harvard or Yale Law to the University of Miami College of Law - they are all good as Law Schools, but simply ranked differently. I am planning on attending the LL.M. in Corporate & Securities Law via the internet since the tuition doesn't cost $50,000 like my M.B.A. degree, or $60,000 like my J.D. degree. In reviewing the schools reputation it seems like an outstanding value to me.
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toto

Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 2
Re: KCL or UCL?
Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:09 AM
ye,it is hard to say which one is better, since both of them are the parts of UoL,and students from ucl can chose kcl's lesson,and vice verse. but, personally, i prefer kcl. i think kcl is more reputable in legal circle. you can find many staff in int'l law firm are from kcl,esp. the american ones.so for the sake of job, i vote for kcl.
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bobby

Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 7
Re: KCL or UCL?
Thu Mar 10, 2005 08:05 PM
UCL no doubt.their track record is impressive.and they rank higher anyway.I did an LLM at LSE ....and nothing compares to the LSE!
But next to LSE ,I'd say UCL.Goodluck
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Kazaf

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 75
Re: KCL or UCL?
Thu Mar 10, 2005 09:54 PM
I'm not sure about the LLM programme at UCL. I did my LLB there, and received job offers from all eight of the top international law firms in London. Through my observation, there are definitely more UCL graduates than KCL graduates joining the international law firms in London. This is despite UCL's undergraduate class being 30% smaller than KCL.
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sachin

Joined: 03 Apr 2006
Posts: 13
Re: KCL or UCL?
Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:40 PM
Kazaf is right....for LLB, UCL is mch better than KCL. I think that is also true of thr LLM. Even if the course content is unlikely to be different, there is now clear water between the two in terms of reputation. And UCL rocks....just go look at the 2 uni's and make your own conclusion. If you haven't done so yet, you'll see what I mean.
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am_s

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 25
Re: KCL or UCL?
Sat Apr 08, 2006 09:32 AM
It is incorrect to say UCL is "much better than King's". The truth is they are both great universities and your prospects of a job with a top firm will be great so long as you make the most of your time wherever you go. I am highly sceptical of this "my uni's better than your's" type rubbish when plainly it's all about how well YOU do at any particular institution. Too many people readily make these puffs about "so an so has a much better reputation" but the whole argument is based on "their own perception". There is nothing in such statements except subjective perception, often made without experience of having been anywhere else. Don't base you decision on how much of an ego boost you may get from going to whichever one has a marginally better rep. IMO you should decide once you have done your research about the individual subject lecturers in the areas you want to study.
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