Would you use a private tutor to help you gain a better understanding of law?

Do you mean at A level or University? If it's the latter then definitely not. If someone can't cope with the course without a tutor in the early years - which is presumably what you'd be dealing with - how on earth can they hope to deal with writing dissertations, essays and understanding the course in later years when you wouldn't necessarily have the expertise to assist them?

Reply 2

OP

Thanks for your response Norton. I only tutor at university level, though there are plenty of people who work at A-level too.

With regards to your second point; there are many reasons why people use a personal tutor (I have found). Personally (though I am bound to say this), using a personal tutor doesn't necessitate that they aren't able to deal with the pressure. It can be as simple as not getting your head around a particular aspect of law or perhaps a second pair of eyes to look over work to ensure it reads well etc.

Most people have this as standard, a family member in the know or something similar. I see the role as a personal tutor (specifically in law) to help people get a better understanding of the law. Not to teach it! People pay enough in uni fees for that.

Thanks for your feedback.

Reply 3

Original post by lawtutornw

Thanks for your response Norton. I only tutor at university level, though there are plenty of people who work at A-level too.

With regards to your second point; there are many reasons why people use a personal tutor (I have found). Personally (though I am bound to say this), using a personal tutor doesn't necessitate that they aren't able to deal with the pressure. It can be as simple as not getting your head around a particular aspect of law or perhaps a second pair of eyes to look over work to ensure it reads well etc.

Most people have this as standard, a family member in the know or something similar. I see the role as a personal tutor (specifically in law) to help people get a better understanding of the law. Not to teach it! People pay enough in uni fees for that.

Thanks for your feedback.

Well I still disagree, I think by University people should be capable of working themselves. Especially since the people that can afford tutors could well have got into university on the back of having tutors for multiple subjects. Does there never come a point where people have to work for themselves? If you don't understand something at University level why can't you just read the textbook? If that's too hard then read a law basics book, if that's too hard email the course leader. If THAT'S not enough then you are not good enough for University.

At my old University we had to specifically affirm that we had 'Not sought or used the services of any professional agencies to produce this work', frankly I think paying a tutor as a second pair of eyes would fall foul of this.

Reply 4

ktwolves

Getting help in law forums is a form private tuition albeit free of charge

Reply 5

zara55

Original post by lawtutornw

Hi,

I have been working as a private tutor, specialising in law for some time now; I would just like to conduct some market research.

Would you use a private tutor to help you gain a better understanding of law?

Any feedback on good/bad experiences and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

James
Law Tutor NW

If it's A/AS level, for sure, why not? Lots of parents pay for that kind of help. Or do you mean Undergrad?

Reply 6

TimmonaPortella

21

Unless you had "Dr" before your name or "QC" in front of it, I'd be wary of trusting you to teach me the course. If either of those conditions applied, you'd be too expensive.

edit: to be fair, there are some great pre-doctorate supervisors around. Unless you were part of an institution, I wouldn't trust you.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 7

cliffg

7

I' m with Norton and Timmona on this, I'm afraid. I have access to a group of very competent academics and tutors who will make themselves available for one to one or e-mail discussions if needed. I also have 24/7 access to a first class law library and more databases and on-line resources than I could ever read. Without trying to be dismissive, I'm not sure what you could offer that's not already available to me through my university.

Reply 8

Kaykee93

13

Honestly, if I had the money, then yes.
I'm constantly trying to find better definitions for legal concepts, and if there was someone around to help me understand things quicker, it'd be great.
That being said, I wouldn't want a tutor to look over my assignments before I hand them in - it just wouldn't seem right. I'd only use a tutor to help me get a better understanding of the law.
I know I'm not stupid, and I am smart enough to be in uni, but everyone needs a little help sometimes.

Reply 9

zara55

Original post by TimmonaPortella

Unless you had "Dr" before your name or "QC" in front of it, I'd be wary of trusting you to teach me the course. If either of those conditions applied, you'd be too expensive.

edit: to be fair, there are some great pre-doctorate supervisors around. Unless you were part of an institution, I wouldn't trust you.

I suppose it's possible someone doing this privately all the time might be even better than a supervisor, but I agree I would really want to take a close look at how qualified they are.

Reply 10

Forum User

19

I suppose it depends on what institution you attend. No doubt a law tutor would be entirely useless to Timmona since he has access to top academics and the group sizes are small enough so that if there is something you don't understand you can presumably always get that issue dealt with in tutorials. Plus, the better the course, the harder it will be for someone who is not already a top academic to teach it.

But for people attending a 'less good' institution, where the tutorials might have a dozen people, it is easy for someone to not have time in class to get to grips with a point they don't understand, and furthermore, the course is 'easier' so you don't necessarily need a top academic to explain it. TBH I would back myself to do a reasonable job teaching the contract law course at BPP and I only studied it last term as a 1st year undergrad. I also think that the students who are struggling and need a tutor may be the ones who wouldn't have the slightest idea what to do with a first class law library and an online database because they misunderstand some basic point in a major way and that prevents them progressing. Conversely students who were good enough to get into Oxbridge or whatever good university are never going to be in the position where they can't 'teach themselves it'.

Personally I would never use a tutor but I can see that they might be valuable to someone who is finding it really tough going for some reason.

Reply 11

OP

Original post by zara55

If it's A/AS level, for sure, why not? Lots of parents pay for that kind of help. Or do you mean Undergrad?

I specialise in undergrad, simply because there are different examining bodies with entirely different marking criteria so I wouldn't be able to competently advise.

Thanks for your feedback.

Reply 12

OP

Original post by cliffg

I' m with Norton and Timmona on this, I'm afraid. I have access to a group of very competent academics and tutors who will make themselves available for one to one or e-mail discussions if needed. I also have 24/7 access to a first class law library and more databases and on-line resources than I could ever read. Without trying to be dismissive, I'm not sure what you could offer that's not already available to me through my university.

Not dismissive at all; thanks for your feedback. If you have those services available to you (as I did) then excellent! You probably wouldn't need/want a tutor.

I believe (as do many!) that a private tutor can add a lot extra in terms of understanding the law and ultimately the grade at the end.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by Kaykee93

Honestly, if I had the money, then yes.
I'm constantly trying to find better definitions for legal concepts, and if there was someone around to help me understand things quicker, it'd be great.
That being said, I wouldn't want a tutor to look over my assignments before I hand them in - it just wouldn't seem right. I'd only use a tutor to help me get a better understanding of the law.
I know I'm not stupid, and I am smart enough to be in uni, but everyone needs a little help sometimes.

You raise some good points. The understanding legal issues thing is very common. A lot of my clients want to ask a quick question, either by email, text or phone. It comes down to the individual relationship. I always explain what I will and will not do. I am happy to look over work and offer my opinion (that being of a first class graduate in law) but I wouldn't write an assignment for somebody or amendments to the core text. I use the comment feature in MS word mainly.

Thanks for your comments.

Reply 14

OP

Original post by zara55

I suppose it's possible someone doing this privately all the time might be even better than a supervisor, but I agree I would really want to take a close look at how qualified they are.

So would I! and if they are CRB cleared, what their experience is etc. I think when speaking to a PT for the first time you should treat it like you are interviewing them!

Reply 15

jacketpotato

20

Original post by Norton1

Well I still disagree, I think by University people should be capable of working themselves.

But you don't learn by yourself. You use reading lists and you go to lectures/tutorials. Its not like they just lock you in a room with Chitty on Contracts and leave you to get on with it.

Personally I don't see any reason why people shouldn't use a tutor if they think they would benefit from it. Sometimes it is really helpful to have something explained to you in person. It doesn't have to be a Dr or QC, lots of universities use postgrad students to teach undergraduates so they should be able to tutor as well.

Reply 16

Original post by jacketpotato

But you don't learn by yourself. You use reading lists and you go to lectures/tutorials. Its not like they just lock you in a room with Chitty on Contracts and leave you to get on with it.

I think you've drawn an entirely inapt distinction. Working by yourself is obviously broader than being locked in a room with Chitty on contracts and clearly involves reading lists and attendance at lectures and tutorials. I think that you've put forward a fundamentally weak argument if you're suggesting the difference really lies there.

Reply 17

ktwolves

Original post by Norton1

I think you've drawn an entirely inapt distinction. Working by yourself is obviously broader than being locked in a room with Chitty on contracts and clearly involves reading lists and attendance at lectures and tutorials. I think that you've put forward a fundamentally weak argument if you're suggesting the difference really lies there.

He meant locked in room, never allow to go out until the day of the exam.

Reply 18