What About Law: Studying Law at University

by Catherine Barnard (Editor), Janet O'Sullivan (Editor), Graham Virgo (Editor)

Most young people considering studying law, or pursuing a legal career, have very little idea of what learning law involves and how universities teach law to their students. The new edition of this book, which proved very popular when first published in 2007, provides a 'taster' for the study of law; a short, accessible presentation of law as an academic subject, designed to help 17- and 18-year old students and others decide whether law is the right choice for them as a university subject, or, if they have already made the choice, what to expect when they start their law degree. It helps answer the question 'what should I study at university?' and counters the perception that law is a dry, dull subject.
What About Law? shows how the study of law can be fun, intellectually stimulating, challenging and of direct relevance to students. Using a case study approach, the book introduces prospective law students to the legal system, as well as to legal reasoning, critical thinking and argument.
This is a book that should be in the library of every school with a sixth form, every college and every university, and it is one that any student about to embark on the study of law should read before they commence their legal studies.
All of the authors have long experience in teaching law at Cambridge and elsewhere and all have also been involved, at various times, in advising prospective law students at open days and admissions conferences. Listed as one of the 'Six of the best law books' that a future law student should read by the Guardian Law Online, 8th August 2012.
See the detailed website for this
www.whataboutlaw.co.uk.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, School, Legal

222 pages, Paperback

First published October 12, 2007

Reviews

[liv mccoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant book for outlining key areas of law such as criminal, tort and contract. However, I found the areas of equity and land law to be quite confusing as someone studying law at a level and wanting to take it as a degree. Would definitely recommend but prior knowledge of law is needed to understand the harder to grasp concepts contained in this book.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book that has just further excited me to go on to study law at university.

[Damo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatively easy-to-understand book that has been a great read for me as a prospective law student. Some of the chapters (specifically EU Law and Equity) put my head in a bit of a tailspin (alright, a massive tailspin) but they didn't affect my interest, if anything they've made me want to do further reading.

[Ji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I'm about to take a law course, and this book shows me I've less to be dreading (memorization...sigh) amd more to be excited about!

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite reads in 2024!

The authors talk about law — which is everywhere, all around us, all the time — with so much care and fascination that it’s impossible to remain indifferent. They explore interesting questions about the tension between morality and the legal system: what makes a law “good” or “just”? Are those two separate things? When making a judgment on a legal case, should we be more concerned with the facts of the case, or the precedent this decision will set for future cases?

I was also riveted by the contemplation on language — “words can only convey a crude approximation of meaning: they are the distorted echoes of ideas.” Words are always an approximation, and language is flexible. As a result, legal wording frequently enables judges and lawyers to find a suitable interpretation of statutes. With that in mind, are judges the tool of the legal system (making decisions by interpreting the law and facts), or is language the tool of the judge (interpreting the law after having made an instinctual decision)?

Overall, really thoughtful and informative read!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening! From the splendid collaboration between Catherine Barnard, Janet O'Sullivan, and Graham Virgo is born 'What About Law?' and absolute must read for any prospective or current law student, as well as anybody interested in the workings of the English legal system. The book itself is divided into different chapters, each covering one of the seven core subjects that must be learnt to understand the law in its broadest scope. Cleverly utilising in each chapter an intelligent case study, the authors and other collaborating parties explain the law in real terms – with real-life applications and real-world consequences. This not only makes the whole notion of the law, which is usually thought of as abstract, much more tangible, but it also lives up (extremely true indeed) to my expectations and their argument: that the law isn't a dry, technical, and merely descriptive subject. That studying and practicing and reflecting upon law is both essential to our activity as citizens and it is also absolutely fascinating. With its folds upon folds and controversial statutes and judge-made precedents, the reader is engulfed by a world that engulfs us on a daily basis, whether it be you buying a book or the neighbor taken away as a terrorist suspect. It is a definite must-read and extremely enlightening. To any and everyone who wants to understand any and everything about what it means to live and be alive within the rule of law, I hands down recommend this book. Wow, just wow.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was a good introduction to UK law. Explained in chapters on various specialities of law (Contract law, land law, equality, constitutional law...), the authors achieve a simple, easy-to-read narration based on different examples, or cases, for each chapter.
Personally, the main idea that I got from this book is that the discipline of law is not just only a set of rules established on past experiences that cannot be moved; law is something else, it is a way of reading cautiously, analysing the context and being creative. Law is multi-disciplinary act of the mind that results in the achievement of legal justice, which is not, please note, justice by itself.
For a better understanding of the subject, I think the authors should have tackled the issue of what is the difference between law and justice and how this can be sometimes conflictive in more depth. However, I am aware that such debate is worthy of a separate book as it would not suit the purpose and intention of the authors.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very clear and concise introduction to the study of law. It was a bit on the short side and there is definitely a lot more to cover, but overall this is a well written and powerful book with great case studies. My biggest criticism is that What About Law? exclusively focuses on UK law. While this - in and of itself - is fine, there is no real warning in the title or on the jacket that mentions regional boundries. I would have liked to learn more about Civil Law rather than purely focusing on Common Law, but I definitely do not regret picking this up. A great guide.

[Lime Street Labrador · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introducing and giving a taste of some areas of laws, from criminal to contract, chapter by chapter. Nothing particularly insightful or illustrative, but nothing terrible either. Not much to gain (or lose) from reading (or missing) it.

[Bella Kulle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite introductory book on reading law at university. In particular, I love how much critical thinking is involved in reading this book and understanding the author's analysis. Truly a fantastic read, highly recommend.

[Jubilation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got me into law school :')

[Sandli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read for law schoolites !

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

I'm applying to study Law next year and this book has helped me gain a basic understanding of the main types of law.

[Dayrius Tay Jiale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought-provoking introduction to the fundamentals of law, leveraging upon case studies and hypotheticals to illustrate legal principles and thought processes.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally so good , so interesting

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Suzie Mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect introduction to the foundations of law.

[Gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful introduction to studying law with some good outlines of key concepts and cases!

[Muskan Shafat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting book that introduces you to literature and history of law, to give you an understanding of what studying law looks like and it’s different branches. While one book can’t suffice to paint a perfect picture of such a vast disciple - this book is certainly a good first step in the right direction.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the early chapters (criminal, tort for example) but got bored reading later chapters (land, EU). Wanted to study Law at uni but now don’t, not because of this book though.

[Alireza Ghazi-Torbati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It showed me different aspects of studying law which has inspired me to pursue it further. I would recommend this book to any prospective law student.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. Whilst it's aimed at anyone considering law as a course to study, it would also be a very useful for those needing to grasp some legal basics. I found it easy to read and strangely griping. The book covers major areas of law by using cases as examples and tools to explain the law. Areas covered include criminal, land, contract, tort, equity, constitutional law and EU law. It's also surprisingly short at about 220 pages, not a huge text book which will take you ages. Overall a very useful book,mi would recommend it as a good starting place for anyone needing an introduction to law.

[wenshuren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always find law fascinating and think that lawyer is intelligent bunch, good at articulation and speaks well. Law differentiates right and wrong. It is also the title of this book attracts me to own and read, and hoping one day I will have an opportunity to study law. Law has different faces depends on how lawyer interprets it in different situation and I specially like this "Studying law involves a lot of hard work, reading, understanding and learning difficult rules, and much of this will be the result of independent study."

[Sydney Bender · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely helpful in detailing the different realms of law and the general mindset of lawyers. The majority of the cases used are interesting, even the property law example. I also like the detail with which the UK law system is explained; being American, I was nervous the book would assume some basic UK government/court knowledge, but it makes everything intelligible. For its purpose, this book deserves 4 or 5 stars.

[Joyce Ngo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good introduction to many aspects of law (criminal, tort, land, property etc) with interesting cases discussed. What I like the most is it also includes the background of the case (which explains its significance) and it includes dissecting opinions and criticism for the case mentioned. Highly recommended for aspiring law student

[Raz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book for prospective or current students. Overviews of key areas, real cases to think about, and engaging writing. Makes the law interesting and so relevant.

[Mital · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for any student who is thinking about studying law in the future.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting introduction to the study of law. The authors quote an interesting landmark case for every law topic, which makes everything less boring and a lot easier to understand.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

gave such a fab insight into the different core modules I will be studying in law at university.

[Angus J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great insight to inspire prospective students or giving an overview of the academic study of law.