Public Lectures from the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mrs Nicky Padfield explains the various legal institutions.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Nicky Padfield outlines the structure of the courts system.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mrs Nicky Padfield offers an introduction to law and sources of law.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Mr Steve Burdett describes some of the safety policies relating to use of the Faculty building, and describes the communcations and computing arrangements.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

At the start of the year, new students attend an introductory lecture programme which provides them with information about studying Law at the University of Cambridge. These lectures cover a welcome, safety and communications issues, and basic legal and legal research principles. These lectures cover Thursday - Saturday before full lectures begin, and are held two weeks running, for IB changeover and postgraduate students, and undergraduates respectively.

In this lecture, Professor Eilis Ferran - Chair of the Faculty - offers a welcome to students, and explains more about what studying Law at Cambridge is like.

These lectures were recorded 4-6 October 2012.

A lot of people who study Law at University do so because they want to become practising lawyers, whether as barristers or solicitors, but it is not necessary to read Law at University to become a practising lawyer. Equally, studying Law at University is a legitimate subject for academic study even if you definitely do not want to become a lawyer or think that you may not become a practising lawyer. That is because the study of Law at University is not a vocational subject; it is an academic subject and an intellectual discipline.

Graham Virgo, Professor of English Private Law and Deputy Chair of the Law Faculty Board at the University of Cambridge, discusses the benefits of studying a law degree even if you do not wish to progress into the legal professions. Considerations include training the student to think and write logically and clearly; enabling the student to engage in the critical analysis; enabling the student to engage in a wide variety of different academic disciplines; and because the subject is interesting and intellectually stimulating.

For more information about studying a Law degree at the University of Cambridge, see http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/admissions/

This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.

A lot of people who study Law at University do so because they want to become practising lawyers, whether as barristers or solicitors, but it is not necessary to read Law at University to become a practising lawyer. Equally, studying Law at University is a legitimate subject for academic study even if you definitely do not want to become a lawyer or think that you may not become a practising lawyer. That is because the study of Law at University is not a vocational subject; it is an academic subject and an intellectual discipline.

Graham Virgo, Professor of English Private Law and Deputy Chair of the Law Faculty Board at the University of Cambridge, discusses the benefits of studying a law degree even if you do not wish to progress into the legal professions. Considerations include training the student to think and write logically and clearly; enabling the student to engage in the critical analysis; enabling the student to engage in a wide variety of different academic disciplines; and because the subject is interesting and intellectually stimulating.

For more information about studying a Law degree at the University of Cambridge, see http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/admissions/

The House of Lords Reform Bill, which is currently before Parliament, is the latest of many attempts to reform the upper chamber of the UK Parliament. It is over a hundred years since the enactment of the Parliament Act 1911, which changed the balance of power between the Lords and the Commons, but which was intended only as a stopgap measure pending the transformation of the Lords into an elected chamber. In this video, Dr Mark Elliott assess the House of Lords Reform Bill, arguing that a commitment to democracy does not necessarily require an elected House of Lords – and that the debate about reforming the upper chamber must take due account of the wider institutional and constitutional framework.

Dr Mark Elliott is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St Catharine's College. His main research interests are in the fields of constitutional and administrative law. Dr Elliott's recent publications include Elliott and Thomas, Public Law (OUP 2011); Elliott, Beatson, Matthews and Elliott's Administrative Law: Text and Materials (OUP 2011, 4th edition); and Forsyth, Elliott, Jhaveri, Scully-Hill and Ramsden (eds), Effective Judicial Review: A Cornerstone of Good Governance (OUP 2010). Dr Elliott was the 2011 Legal Research Foundation Visiting Scholar at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. In 2010, he was awarded a University of Cambridge Pilkington Prize for excellence in University teaching. He writes a blog - http://publiclawforeveryone.wordpress.com/ - which includes information for people applying, or thinking of applying, to study Law at university.

Law in Focus is a series of short videos featuring academics from the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law, addressing legal issues in current affairs and the news. These issues are examples of the many which challenge researchers and students studying undergraduate and postgraduate law at the Faculty.

The House of Lords Reform Bill, which is currently before Parliament, is the latest of many attempts to reform the upper chamber of the UK Parliament. It is over a hundred years since the enactment of the Parliament Act 1911, which changed the balance of power between the Lords and the Commons, but which was intended only as a stopgap measure pending the transformation of the Lords into an elected chamber. In this video, Dr Mark Elliott assess the House of Lords Reform Bill, arguing that a commitment to democracy does not necessarily require an elected House of Lords – and that the debate about reforming the upper chamber must take due account of the wider institutional and constitutional framework.

Dr Mark Elliott is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St Catharine's College. His main research interests are in the fields of constitutional and administrative law. Dr Elliott's recent publications include Elliott and Thomas, Public Law (OUP 2011); Elliott, Beatson, Matthews and Elliott's Administrative Law: Text and Materials (OUP 2011, 4th edition); and Forsyth, Elliott, Jhaveri, Scully-Hill and Ramsden (eds), Effective Judicial Review: A Cornerstone of Good Governance (OUP 2010). Dr Elliott was the 2011 Legal Research Foundation Visiting Scholar at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. In 2010, he was awarded a University of Cambridge Pilkington Prize for excellence in University teaching. He writes a blog - http://publiclawforeveryone.wordpress.com/ - which includes information for people applying, or thinking of applying, to study Law at university.

Law in Focus is a series of short videos featuring academics from the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law, addressing legal issues in current affairs and the news. These issues are examples of the many which challenge researchers and students studying undergraduate and postgraduate law at the Faculty.

If you are thinking that you might eventually wish to pursue a career as a lawyer, whether a solicitor or a barrister, there are two different ways of getting the necessary qualifications. One is to study any subject at University other than Law, then do a one-year Law conversion course and finally complete the relevant vocational course to become a solicitor or a barrister. The other route is to study Law at University, typically for three years, and then take the relevant vocational course.

Graham Virgo, Professor of English Private Law and Deputy Chair of the Law Faculty Board at the University of Cambridge, discusses the benefits of studying a law degree if you wish to progress into the legal professions. Considerations include the breadth and depth of knowledge acquired, the opportunity to learn to think like a lawyer, the opportunities for critical engagement and to develop other legal skills, and the cost.

As Jonathan Hirst QC, a leading barrister and former Chairman of the Bar, has said: "In my view, pupils who have done an undergraduate law degree start with a very considerable advantage over those who have tried to cram in everything in less than a year. A Law degree allows a student to gain a broader and more mature understanding of the subject."

For more information about studying a Law degree at the University of Cambridge, see http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/admissions/

This entry provides an audio source for iTunes U.