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My name is Graham Virgo, I’m professor of English Private Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge, and I’m going to consider the question why you should study law if you don’t want to become a lawyer. A lot of people who study law at university do so because they want to become practicing lawyers, whether barristers of solicitors. But it is not necessary to read law at university to become a practicing lawyer. Equally, studying law at university is a legitimate subject for academic study even if you definitely do not want to become a lawyer or think that you may not become a practicing lawyer. That is because the study of law at university is not a vocational subject, it is an academic subject and an intellectual discipline. Even those students who study law at university intending to become practicing lawyers are required to do additional vocational training to prepare them for working either as a barrister or a solicitor; for them the study of law at university by itself is not sufficient to train them to become lawyers. So why do such students study law at university and why do others study law even if they don’t want to become a lawyer? The answer is fairly similar in both cases, namely that studying law at university trains the student to think and write logically and clearly.

Graham Virgo, a professor at the University of Cambridge, explores the importance of studying law beyond the intention of becoming a lawyer. While many students pursue law to become practicing lawyers, the discipline itself promotes clear and logical thinking. Others may study law simply for its academic value. Ultimately, a law degree offers valuable intellectual skills regardless of career intentions.