Cambridge Law Students and Applicants

Hmmm, looks like there're no lawyers around!
If you really want to talk to someone (maybe you have some specific questions?), PM me and I'll put you in touch with a lawyer or two who might be able to help.
Though they will all say "Concentrate on your A Levels" if you've not already secured the grades. :wink:

x

Reply 2

Well come on, surely he's allowed the odd five minutes off working for A2's!!

No no never! :wink:

Reply 3

Presumably that's because Gardner is an extremely clever and dedicated man, who makes his living by reading the full cases and being fully informed. Jim Arnold is just an undergraduate trying to scrape his way through an obscene number of essays.

In reality, a balance of the two methods is probably what's both necessary and possible. :smile:

Reply 4

fitzbilly

I agree with most of what Jim Arnold has said, but I don't fully accept point three about never reading cases in full. It's true that case summaries will provide sufficient information a lot of the time. However, if you rely on summaries alone, do not expect to get a great mark in the exams.

At the risk of sounding like an examiner, the best candidates are those who engage with the areas of the law that are controversial or uncertain. One of the best ways to do that, other than by referring to academic literature, is to show that you've read, understood and evaluated the most important judgments. Obviously, you don't have to read every judgment in full, but you should be able to identify the most important ones and read those.

Reply 5

Well, I think Professor Gardner was talking about what he tells his undergraduates, and what he did when he was an undergraduate, rather than what he does as a law professor!

Of course - but he would have been an exceptional undergraduate, given his status and expertise now. The normal undergrad, realistically just trying to make sure they get their 2:1, will more likely resort to all the shortcuts they can think of in order to keep head above water.

I'm not advocating those shortcuts for automatic use, however; and it's definitely not the way to get the top marks. Most undergrads, though, are not going to get the top marks.
I guess what I really mean is that if people are that interested, they will find the time to read, in full, those things that are important to them. And it's only really the fundamentally interested and hardworking who are going to be the type of undergrad that Gardner undoubtedly must have been. :smile:

I'm not sure any of that makes sense! *headdesk* Time for a cup of tea, methinks...

Reply 6

I admire the fact that you can even consider studying Law! :biggrin:

Reply 7

Hi,

I am in for law in 2008 at St. John's. I'm not too sure how I should prepare myself during my gap year. Should I try to do preliminary reading as much as possible? Can any lawyers tell me the life in Cam of a typical law student? Thanks

Reply 8

Llamaaa

15

I would do the pre-lim reading if you have time, but not necessarily. For tort, read tony weir introduction to tort law, and for roman read nicholas or borkowski. Or don't. My college was nice enough not to set me any pre-lim reading, but I read nicholas and weir anyway so that I knew something before coming. I'd take the time more to relax as life at cambridge is pretty stressful.

In the first year you have about 11 lectures a week and two supervisions (one a fortnight for each subject); expect to get about 5 or 6 hours of reading for each supervision, and that is only the essential or recommended part of the list. You get 2-4 essays for each subject a term, depending on your supervisor. In the meantime you are expected to pass your precious few hours of time off networking with various law firms and inns of court. It is like you are constantly on parade.

x

Reply 9

Desmond Hume

5

Just to say: I'd like to think that if I learned that I had a 30% chance of death that close to my law exams, I too would go on to sit them anyway. But, well done to you for actually going ahead and doing it.

When you say 'lawyers' in the above post, do you really mean 'law students'? So in fact do you detest 'law students' rather than 'lawyers' (as you say); or do you detest both?! The 'shallow creatures' that you refer to can be found in all the law schools in the country. I recognise, however, that this could be more problematical for you because of the far smaller number of law students at Cambridge who are in the same college as you and at the same stage as you. I wouldn't like to be in that position! Play with Natasha from now on!

I have to say though, as a personal concession, I am guilty to an extent of bigging myself up and enjoying the feeling of being more successful than others. However, I never think or want others to fail in order for me to achieve that level of satisfaction. If I want that feeling, which I do because I enjoy the 'competition', I'd earn it. Either way, its not a feeling that I'd want to be publicly displayed but would rather enjoy it in my own time.

Reply 10

Thanks for sharing, though your experience sounds daunting. i am not sure if i can withstand the huge pressure at cam, as i can imagine there will not only be pressure from the heavy workloads, but also from the keen competition among the peer. Seriously, sometimes i do worry about going psycho after staying there for three years....

Anyway, I'm gonna realx during my gap year n' try to do some pre-lim as you suggested. Hopefully things will turn out better than expected in the end.

Reply 11

Btw, any St. John's Lawyers here? Wanna get to know a couple before I really get in next year

Reply 12

Llamaaa

15

what i said was unfair, and I am sorry. The lawyers in my college are not like that and I don't know what came over me. They are all lovely :smile:

Reply 13

Wow! how come your view changed drastically? Well i do believe that lawyers are not that bad, though it is probably true that some of them are quite mean. Glad you're cheerful again. Wish u a wonderful year!

Reply 14

Desmond Hume

5

Hey Katie, what are you doing in your gap year? Something constructive and interesting I hope! Or, are you just relaxing ahead of your upcoming turbulent years?!

Reply 15