Housed in an impressive modern building with up-to-date facilities and an outstanding library, the Cambridge Law course is surprisingly flexible; though mostly centred on UK law, there are options to study international and civil legal systems as well. You can also include elements of theory and sociology if you so wish. You may have the chance to spend a year studying abroad.
In first year, all students take the same mandatory modules. This is designed to give you a strong foundation in four of the foundational law subjects required by the SRA – Civil, Constitutional, Criminal, and Tort law.
In second year, you have the freedom to choose five papers; many will take Law of Contract and Land Law, but other options range from history to criminology.
In your third year, you will also take five papers, with even more flexibility. Again, many will choose Equity and EU Law, though you also have the option of picking any second-year modules you have not previously sat, as well as new modules such as Conflict of Laws and Labour Law. There is considerable flexibility, as you may take two ‘half’ papers to replace one ‘full’ module – these cover topics such as Banking Law, Personal Information Law, Animal Rights Law and Philosophy.
In addition, you can write a 12,000-word dissertation – the writing of this is supported by a seminar course. Options for dissertation titles span Feminism, Tax Law and Policy, Tax Law, Criminology, and even Medicine.
The Law Faculty at Cambridge is quite large, with over 250 applicants accepted per year. It is equally competitive, with an average of 6 applications per place in the last 3 years. Whilst no one A-Level is needed to take this course, essay-based subjects will be useful. As you might expect, many graduates go on to pursue legal work, often working for big-name corporations or the government. This degree qualifies as a law degree validated by the SRA and Bar Standards Board, as long as you take the right combination of subjects.
