Law is concerned with the legal rules by which society is regulated and the legal system(s) in which these rules operate. All legal systems are a product of historical, social, political and economic forces and the study of law therefore gives an insight into the nature of society itself.

Aberdeen graduates continue to enjoy high employability and a law degree may be used as a springboard for entry into a wide range of careers. Although many students still study law with a view to entering the legal profession, more than a third of Aberdeen law graduates now choose to use their law degree as a passport for entry into a wide range of alternative careers including chartered accountancy, the media, merchant banking, stockbroking, human resources and financial management, the Civil Service, social work, teaching, the Inspectorate of Taxes and the police force. Both graduates and employers recognise that the valuable skills gained in the course of a law degree can be put to many uses other than the practice of law itself. For those who do choose to practise law, there is a wide variety of career options within the law itself. The legal profession in Scotland is divided into two main branches, solicitors and advocates. The normal route to become a solicitor, involves a student completing an LLB or LLB (Honours) degree which includes the necessary professional subjects, then completing the one-year postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP) and then entering a two-year training contract with a firm of solicitors. Solicitors may be employed in private practice, local authorities, commercial organisations, the Procurator Fiscal Service or the Civil Service, and may undertake a wide variety of work, including private client, commercial and litigation work. An intending advocate must also complete an LLB or LLB (Honours) degree to the standard required by the Faculty of Advocates, the DPLP and a period of training in a solicitor’s office, followed by further practical training as a pupil to an experienced advocate and sitting the Faculty of Advocates’ written examination in Evidence, Pleading, Practice and Professional Conduct. The DPLP need not be undertaken at the same University as the student’s law degree. It should be noted, however, that possessionof an LLB or LLB (Honours) degree does not guarantee a place on any DPLP course: decisions are based on academic criteria.