Law (A Level)
Details
Qualification
A LevelExamination Board
Cambridge OCRSpecification
What Do I Need To Study This Course?
6 in English Language.
What Will I Study?
In Year One you will study Law Making and the Legal System, which includes people who work in the Legal System, and how the Civil and Criminal Courts work. You will also study Criminal Law, including Property offences, Homicide and Defences. You will also start learning about the Law of Torts including Negligence and Nuisance. In Year Two you will complete the Law of Torts. You will also study Contract Law including offer and acceptance and how a contract can come to an end. Finally, you will study the Nature of Law which considers the Rule of Law and how the law interlinks with justice, morality and society. This is a fascinating final topic, drawing on all learning from the course. All three substantive areas of Law studied are mandatory for qualifying Law degrees.
How Will I Be Assessed?
The course is assessed in three exams only, containing a combination of essays, knowledge and application questions. Each exam is two hours long and is worth 33.3% of the total grade.
- Paper 1: Legal System and Criminal Law
- Paper 2: Law Making and Tort Law
- Paper 3: Nature of Law and Contract Law
What Next?
A Level Law provides a strong foundation for a diverse range of degrees and careers.
Many students further their studies in Law and/or enter the legal profession. This could be through a Law degree (LLB) to pursue a career as a Solicitor or Barrister or an alternative graduate route. Those wishing to enter the world of work often look to become paralegals or alternatively join level 7 Legal Apprenticeship schemes to become a Solicitor (combining work with a Law degree).
Law is also highly valued across a wide range of industries and careers outside the legal profession, such as in banking, accounting, business management, the charity sector, journalism, property and construction, estate agency services, the civil service, insurance, publishing, media, local government and social work.
Suggested Reading List
Read or watch legal news stories on any form of media!
Books:
- With the Law on our side: How the Law works for everyone and how we can make it work better – Lady Hale
- The Rule of Law – Tom Bingham
- The Secret Barrister – The Secret Barrister
- Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies by The Secret Barrister
- The Legal Profession: Is it for you? – Charles Ward
- Letters to a Law Student- Nicholas McBride
Useful Websites for Law and legal careers information:
www.legalcheek.com
https://thesecretbarrister.com/
http://ukscblog.com/
https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/author/adam1cor/
www.thejusticegap.com
https://www.lawcareers.net/
Useful podcasts:
- I am The Law
- Thinking Like a Lawyer
- Law in Action
- Sword and Scale
- Up and Vanished
- Every Case Tells a Story
- RightsUp- Oxford Human Rights Hub
- BBC Sounds has a wide range of Law based podcasts to explore such as The Law Show.
A Level Law allows students to learn about a fascinating subject, one which covers many aspects of life.
Students of A Level Law will:
- Develop an understanding of law and how it works
- Learn more about society from a legal perspective – both contemporary and historical
- Learn about the interaction between law and morals, justice and society
- Learn about different areas of law – e.g. criminal law, contract and tort
- Make connections between law and other subjects such as business, economics, history, politics and technology
- Develop academic skills, including analysis and evaluation
- Be able to make an informed decisions about their future academic and career path.