Bristol or Durham for law?

Wow that really sounds like an uphill struggle. Oh well, nobody said getting a first was easy.

Wow that really sounds like an uphill struggle. Oh well, nobody said getting a first was easy.

Does the refurbishment of the library means the wills memorial building library will be closed this/next year?!

You really do have to know the subject. To be in with a realistic chance, you need to be developing and refining your knowledge of the case law and surrounding academic commentary/theoretical underpinnings throughout the year. Unless you're an unmitigated luminary you won't get a first from doing the standard student revision-cum-learning a few weeks before exams start.

Ah so consistent work is the key. Is there any specific method to knowing both the case law and commentary/underpinnings well?

Broadly speaking, reading a ****ton. Buying a good casebook for each subject will also save you a lot of time during term time and may spell the difference between getting through all the prescribed cases or not. Casebooks provide you with a brief outline of the facts of each case and the most important section, or sections, of the judgment(s) given. That can cut a 30 page case down to 2-3. If, at a later point in the course, you want to delve deeper into particular cases, it is easy to do so. But something to appreciate early on is that there is a lot of flak in law readings (cases in particular), and it is an important skill to be able to quickly find the relevant information in them.

I would suggest that the best thing to do is to buy one of those bedevilled nutshells-esque books early on to give you an idea of the framework, and then build your knowledge of the case law around that framework. Doing it from the ground up, that is, learning things case by case the way the course is delivered to you, does not work so well for me. I prefer to know the broad brushstrokes first and then qualify them/back them up with case law later.

Thanks for the advice.

Any particular casebook that you would recommend for a first year Bristol law student? I'll be doing contract, tort , law & state, constitutional, criminal.

Very far north and perhaps a culture shock having lived always in the south east?

I have got offers from Durham Bristol and Exeter - while I shall probably put Exeter as my insurance, I need to decide between the former two as to which to put as my firm choice. This is how I see it:

Bristol:

Pros: Location and surroundings are very nice, facilities seem very good, the Wills Memorial building where Law department is housed seems very nice. The grades are AAA. Accommodation seems nice, especially catered halls (much like Durham's colleges), albeit slightly far out.

Cons: Bristol seems to be moving down league tables and there seems to be a general consensus that departments such as law are not how they once were. Not sure how much truth there is in this? Compared to Durham and Exeter, both of which have been recently added to the Russell Group and appear to be on the up. Then again, whenever I tell anyone I've got an offer from Bristol, they seem very impressed, and it seems Bristol are quite snooty when giving out offers.

Durham:

Pros: Collegiate system seems to be very good and supportive, easy to get to know people. Accommodation sorted in college, as is food - all catered. Brand new law school department building opening by science area. Academic wise, Durham seems very good and on the up in league tables and general performance.

Cons: Grades are A*AA which might/will be hard to achieve. Location! Very far north and perhaps a culture shock having lived always in the south east? But then again, I am told there are quite a few posh types and a lot of the student body comes from down south, so probably not an issue. But the surrounding area is no where near as nice as Bristol. Then again, Durham itself is small and compact and whilst areas outside of Durham itself are horrible, its compactness as a city makes up for its northern location.

Basically, for me, Durham wins on academic position/perception and the fact it is a collegiate university but not keen on it being so far north and how I would adapt to that/whether culture is very different. Bristol trumps on location and buildings, but my only concern is whether academically it is declining..as opposed to Durham and Exeter, both of which seem to be improving in recent years.

Has Bristol had its time at the top and will decline now? If I had Durham's academics and college system in Bristol's location and buildings, it would be perfect. Suppose I shall have to sacrifice on something. Ultimately though, I think the type of people who attend both are very similar, which probably matters more than all the other element.

Hopefully this is useful for others considering and any help/advice or other opinions would be much appreciated.

I say go to Durham, you seem like the kind of snobby **** who usually goes there anyway.
Seriously, **** Durham students.

Can only agree, since when was it ok to just write off the only of the North East, people do live there you know

The funny thing is I don't even know any north eastern people who go to Durham (I went to school there). The only people who went from my school were a couple of posh *****.
Newcastle>Durham.

First post :-)

I’m graduating from Bristol this summer. I’ve been a long time reader of TSR and thought I’d join and add my opinions as from reading these forums for a while you sometimes get the impression some are less than critical of their own departments! I’ll try and be as honest as I can. I’ve kept my head down this year (It is pretty embarrassing how little I have been out tbh…) and should hopefully get a 2.1 now after a fairly mediocre second year.

PROS:

1) If you are going down the TC route Bristol is a good name for the CV. The law firms recruit heavily and there is a load of extracurricular stuff to do (mooting...debating) in the law dept. The Law department has a pretty decent reputation within the legal sphere.

2) Bristol as a city is great in terms of nightlife. Perhaps something you won’t get at Durham?

3) I liked the strong hall culture which might have had something to do with most halls being in Stoke Bishop which is quite a distance from Wills Memorial. The walk belongs in the pro column though as it keeps you fit :-)

CONS:

1) Despite a good attendance record and trying to make use of office hours I didn’t really feel anyone in the department knew me by name. I’ve generally felt quite anonymous at times during the past three years especially during deadlines periods.

2) Some of the “teaching” has left a little to be desired ( EU! Jurisprudence! ). General point here is don’t expect much in the way of help from the department in return for your (soon to be) 9k fees. In contrast to other posts here I have found the library at least fairly well stocked.

3) I've found the department and the uni more generally a little – I’m struggling for the right word – stuffy? Even as a pretty small c conservative, former grammar school boy there are times I’ve felt a little out of place socially.


All in all I've made some great friends here and should get my 2.1 (hope this isn't hubris!) but I wouldn't take too much notice of those who talk of Bristol law's department with an almost hushed reverence.

I can answer anything specific if you quote me.

What do you mean by this? People tend to be posh or there are literally too many people? Thanks