Will doing an Online LLB belittle my chances at a TC?

[Kaiamana]

Hi everyone,
I wanted to ask for some honest advice and perspectives. For context, I’m currently based in Russia, working full-time and studying the Russian language, while planning to start an online LLB with the University of Law. I’m very aware that an in person LLB in the UK is the more traditional route, particularly for networking, access to careers teams, and building a strong profile. Unfortunately, relocating to London right now just isn’t financially realistic for me, which is why I’m working abroad and saving with the aim of moving to the UK later for an LLM.
My concern is that the market already feels challenging for international students, and I’m worried that doing an online LLB on top of that may further limit my chances of securing a training contract.
I’ve been told that it’s still possible to build experience through online internships, virtual workshops, webinars, and career events, and the University of Law emphasises the support they provide in terms of careers services and employability. I’ve also recently come across platforms like Forage, which offer virtual work experience programmes run by law firms.
That said, I’m realistic enough to know that these opportunities aren’t quite the same as being physically present in the UK, studying on campus, and having face to face access to careers advisers, firms, and networking events.
At the moment, there genuinely isn’t another viable way for me to move to London immediately, so I’m trying to make the best possible use of what’s available to me online.
What I’m really looking for is the plain, honest truth.
Do you think pursuing an online LLB, making full use of virtual opportunities, achieving at least a strong 2:1 (ideally a First), and then relocating to the UK for an LLM while applying for training contracts is a sensible and realistic plan? Or does it risk being a poor use of time compared to waiting until I can study in person from the outset?
More broadly, how much do recruiters actually care about the format of the LLB itself, assuming strong academics and a clear, well thought out narrative?
Any honest opinions or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance

 

[dannyp123]

First of, I think it's great that you are trying to break into this tough career. However, I do think that there are a few things to consider. The university brand name does matter, despite what people say being from a target uni (which tend to have in-person LLBs) do represent a large proportion of trainee cohorts. There are of course many non-target uni trainees but these are less common for whatever reason (I am not saying non-target unis are any less valuable but that this seems to be how trainee cohorts are comprised). I would say the University of Law's online LLB (particularly for undegraduate) does fall into this non-target category.

I think the best option would be to be patient. I don't know how old you are but try getting a job which demonstrates transferrable skills to being a solicitor or even better trying to get a job at a law firm. This way you can earn money and build up your CV. I do think that this would be a much more productive option than potentially spending money and equally importantly time on an online degree which may not improve your employability prospects in the UK.

Best of luck with your journey!

 

[Kaiamana]

First of, I think it's great that you are trying to break into this tough career. However, I do think that there are a few things to consider. The university brand name does matter, despite what people say being from a target uni (which tend to have in-person LLBs) do represent a large proportion of trainee cohorts. There are of course many non-target uni trainees but these are less common for whatever reason (I am not saying non-target unis are any less valuable but that this seems to be how trainee cohorts are comprised). I would say the University of Law's online LLB (particularly for undegraduate) does fall into this non-target category.

I think the best option would be to be patient. I don't know how old you are but try getting a job which demonstrates transferrable skills to being a solicitor or even better trying to get a job at a law firm. This way you can earn money and build up your CV. I do think that this would be a much more productive option than potentially spending money and equally importantly time on an online degree which may not improve your employability prospects in the UK.

Best of luck with your journey!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I chose the University of Law because, at the moment, it fits my situation best. By that, I mainly mean the flexibility, the focus on careers and employability, access to events, and the option to switch to in person study later on if my circumstances change (for example in my third or final year).
I’ll be working full-time in Russia alongside my studies and plan to apply for internships here to build transferable skills and legal experience. One of the reasons I didn’t pursue a traditional in person law degree in Russia is because it’s a civil law system, whereas my long term goal is to work in the UK’s common law system. Studying UK law directly feels like a more coherent path for me than doing a civil law degree first and retraining later. I completely understand that an online undergraduate degree isn’t the most traditional route, which is why I’m trying to be very intentional about gaining experience, networking, and making the most of the resources available alongside my studies. That’s also the reason I’m here to understand what else I can do to strengthen my profile. From a recruiter, trainee, or newly qualified perspective, I’d really be interested to know whether firms take this kind of approach into account. I know in person study offers certain advantages, but I’m hoping that strong experience and a well rounded profile are also valued, especially given that the degree itself won’t indicate online study. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, and if you have any other suggestions or options you think might be worth considering, I’d genuinely appreciate hearing them.
Thank you!!

 

[dannyp123]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I chose the University of Law because, at the moment, it fits my situation best. By that, I mainly mean the flexibility, the focus on careers and employability, access to events, and the option to switch to in person study later on if my circumstances change (for example in my third or final year).
I’ll be working full-time in Russia alongside my studies and plan to apply for internships here to build transferable skills and legal experience. One of the reasons I didn’t pursue a traditional in person law degree in Russia is because it’s a civil law system, whereas my long term goal is to work in the UK’s common law system. Studying UK law directly feels like a more coherent path for me than doing a civil law degree first and retraining later. I completely understand that an online undergraduate degree isn’t the most traditional route, which is why I’m trying to be very intentional about gaining experience, networking, and making the most of the resources available alongside my studies. That’s also the reason I’m here to understand what else I can do to strengthen my profile. From a recruiter, trainee, or newly qualified perspective, I’d really be interested to know whether firms take this kind of approach into account. I know in person study offers certain advantages, but I’m hoping that strong experience and a well rounded profile are also valued, especially given that the degree itself won’t indicate online study. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, and if you have any other suggestions or options you think might be worth considering, I’d genuinely appreciate hearing them.
Thank you!!

Hi again, sorry for the late reply I've just seen this. It is definitely a good decision to not pursue a law degree in Europe if you want to work in the UK straight after graduation in the legal industry. However, my main issue with doing the online degree at ULaw is not even that it is that you miss out on key opportunities to build out your profile by not attending university in person. Huge amounts of people getting TCs have university society experiences which are very valuable and can directly network with firms in person through university events. I would also like to add that although university name is not everything, it really does hold some weight in applications. The undergraduate courses at ULaw do not really compare to a lot of other universities and may be a bit detrimental if applying for TCs. I do think the best course of action in your situation is to attempt to work in a job that has transferrable skills (which is pretty much any job but I'd recommend a job in a professional setting) and save money so that studying in-person in the UK is viable. You can also apply for scholarships, I know some international students doing this. I am just concerned that you will still be paying large fees for an online course from ULaw which really will not greatly help in you getting a training contract.

If you want to hear from recruiters, trainees, or newly qualified solicitors I would say this forum is not the best place to do it. It would be much more effective to cold message these individuals on LinkedIn.

That said, I hope you figure things out and best of luck!