The Subject
The problem-solving approach of this A level will provide an introduction to the rigours of undergraduate study in all disciplines, as well as being absolutely invaluable to anyone contemplating legal studies or a legal career.
Why should I study law?
Law is not a subject that students drift into merely because they have done it at GCSE. Few people have ever studied law before they start the course, and universities therefore know that a law A or AS level is the result of a deliberate decision to tackle a new challenge. Most students who apply for law courses at university have not taken law A level simply because many schools do not offer it.
Recent research by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) shows that 98% of law departments were happy to consider candidates with A level law, but did not demand it. The prestigious law department at King’s College in the University of London, responded in the survey: "A level law provides an excellent introduction to the study of law". Law is also particularly relevant to students planning to study Business, but admissions tutors in all subjects will know that a student with a good grade in law has had a rigorous training in analysing arguments, focusing quickly on what is relevant and reporting conclusions clearly and concisely.
These problem-solving and communication skills are essential to any degree course and to a wide variety of careers in the law, business and elsewhere. If you are good at handling words and arguments, law would be a natural choice; if these vital skills are not your strength, a law course will help you to improve them. Law is often studied alongside subjects such as Politics, Economics or Business Studies, but virtually any combination can work.
The Course
We follow a two year course. In the first year, students study the Legal System, and in particular the running of the courts, the roles of the people who work in them and the origins of the laws which they apply. They also do the basic elements of Criminal Law and Tort, both of which are covered in more detail in the second year, when students also study Legal Theory and Contract.
The course is examined through three equally weighted papers, containing a combination of case studies and essay questions. There is no coursework.
Preferred Board: OCR