If you mention to people that you study Law you will hear this. Every. Single. Time. Mostly, it’s flattering and my generic response is “Oh, I like to think so!” but is it true? Do you have to be clever to study Law?
The answer is yes and no.
You definitely need to have sufficient written communication skills and a pretty darn good memory to remember all those legislative instruments and cases. Also, a genuine interest in reading will get you far because that is basically what 75% of a Law degree it: pages and pages and pages of textbooks, journal articles and case files. I’ve had essential and recommended reading total up to almost 400 pages in a week from all my modules. If you don’t like to read at all you can always skim read the pages and hope for the best, but it’s not ideal.
Also, 400 pages may not sound like a lot to read in a week but reading textbooks is very different from reading fiction. The content has to be read, absorbed, digested and notes must be taken. Furthermore, no one can deny that textbooks are written in a way that is unnecessarily complicated so a lot of time gets wasted just reading and re-reading to make sure you actually understand what is being said.
But, strong academics isn’t the only thing you need, so technically you don’t need to be conventionally “smart” to succeed. Some of the best and brightest candidates learn the way their modules are marked and therefore know how to get the highest marks. They’re also the same candidates who know how to network and get relevant experience, the latter of which has been argued to be even more important than academics.
Surviving Law School 