Subject Choices for Law in Scotland: Which Highers Do You Need?

Law is one of the most popular degree choices among Scottish school leavers, and one of the most misunderstood when it comes to entry requirements. You do not need Higher Modern Studies. You do not need Higher History. You do not need any science subjects at all. What you actually need is more straightforward than most families realise — and more demanding in one specific way than many expect.

The only required Higher: English

Higher English is the only subject consistently required across every Scottish law school. Most universities ask for it at A or B. Law is a discipline built on reading, writing, and structured argument — if you cannot handle Higher English comfortably, you will find first-year case law analysis and essay writing in the LLB extremely difficult from week one.

Beyond English, no specific subjects are required at any Scottish law school. No sciences are required. No particular social subjects or humanities are mandated. You are free to take whichever Highers you are strongest in — and that freedom is meaningful.

Grade expectations by university

Typical offers for the standard four-year LLB (Bachelor of Laws) vary significantly across Scotland's main law schools:

Edinburgh is the most competitive Scottish law school by a considerable margin. An offer of AAAAA by end of S5 is preferred — meaning five Highers at A grade before S6. In practice, many successful applicants exceed the published offer. Widening access applicants through programmes such as LEAPS may receive adjusted offers, typically around one grade lower.

Glasgow sits in the middle tier — ABBB to AAAB is achievable for a strong S5 pupil with good study habits. Glasgow is also the only Scottish university that requires the LNAT (see below).

Aberdeen and Dundee are more accessible on grades and both offer fully accredited, well-regarded LLB programmes that qualify graduates to practise in Scotland.

The LNAT at Glasgow: what it is and what to expect

Glasgow is the only Scottish university that requires the LNAT (Law National Admissions Test) for its LLB programme. No other Scottish law school uses it.

The LNAT is a two-part online admissions test:

• Part A: 42 multiple-choice questions based on 12 reading passages, completed in 95 minutes. It tests comprehension and logical inference — not legal knowledge.
• Part B: One essay question from a choice of three, completed in 40 minutes. The essay is marked by Glasgow's admissions team and assesses your ability to construct and express an argument.

No specific Higher is required to sit the LNAT. There is no formal pass mark — Glasgow uses your score alongside your Higher grades and personal statement to make admissions decisions. Scores from previous years at Glasgow have typically sat in the range of 22–26 out of 42 for successful applicants, though this varies by cohort.

You register for and sit the LNAT online through the LNAT website. Registration opens in early August of your S6 year, and you must sit the test before your UCAS application is submitted in January. If Glasgow Law is on your list, register and book early — test centre slots fill up.

There is no Higher or Advanced Higher you can take to prepare specifically for the LNAT, but practising with past papers on the LNAT website and reading quality long-form journalism will develop the critical reading skills the test requires.

Recommended subjects — not required, but genuinely useful

No Scottish law school mandates any subject beyond English. That said, some Highers develop skills that transfer directly into LLB work, and strong grades in them are a positive signal to admissions readers:

• History — constructing arguments from primary sources, handling long analytical essays, evaluating competing accounts of events. The most directly comparable Higher to what first-year law feels like.
• Modern Studies — introduces the Scottish and UK legal and political systems, policy debates, and social context. Useful background, though the LLB covers all of it again from scratch.
• Philosophy — formal logic, ethics, constructing and critiquing arguments. Where it is available at Higher level, it is excellent preparation for legal reasoning.
• English Literature — close reading, textual analysis, extended writing. Overlaps heavily with Higher English skills but reinforces them at greater depth.

None of these is wrong to take. But admissions tutors at all four universities are consistent on one point: grades matter more than subject labels. AAAB with Maths and Chemistry will be looked on at least as favourably as ABBB with History and Modern Studies. Take subjects you will perform best in, and make sure English is at the top of that list.

The LLB degree: how it works in Scotland

The undergraduate law degree in Scotland is the LLB (Bachelor of Laws), and most programmes are four years in length for school leavers. This is one year longer than a standard Scottish undergraduate degree because law degrees follow the same four-year honours structure as other disciplines, with the additional depth that legal professional accreditation requires.

An Ordinary LLB (three years) is available at some universities and leads to a general degree without full honours. An LLB (Hons) is the four-year version and is the standard route for students intending to qualify as solicitors.

If you already have a degree in any subject, accelerated graduate-entry LLB programmes are available at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee — the same core content compressed into two years. Entry typically requires a 2:1 in any discipline plus strong written English.

After the LLB, the path to becoming a qualified solicitor in Scotland involves a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice (DPLP) (one year) and a two-year traineeship at a law firm, public sector legal office, or in-house legal team. From school to full qualification as a solicitor: a minimum of seven years.

What law schools look for beyond grades

Law admissions tutors consistently value three things alongside grades:

Strong analytical writing. Your UCAS personal statement needs to demonstrate that you can construct a clear argument, not simply list opinions. Specific, precise writing carries far more weight than enthusiasm expressed in vague terms.

Evidence of independent reading. Tutors want to see that you read widely — not law textbooks, but serious non-fiction, long-form journalism, anything that shows you engage with complex ideas. Mentioning a specific legal case, policy reform, or public debate you followed closely is more convincing than claiming a general interest in justice.

Work experience in legal settings. This is not mandatory, but time spent observing a solicitor's practice, attending a court sitting as a public observer, or volunteering with a citizens' advice bureau demonstrates genuine exposure to the realities of legal work. Even a day in a local sheriff court observing public proceedings costs nothing and gives you something concrete to write about.

There is no requirement for debating competitions, mock trials, or Young Enterprise involvement — these are fine on a personal statement but do not substitute for missing grades or genuine engagement with the subject.

Related articles

• Choosing Your Highers After National 5: The S5 Subject Guide
• Higher English
• Higher History
• Applying to English Universities With Highers
• Advanced Highers Explained