Law - A Level
Law affects many aspects of your daily life and the lives of the people you come into contact with. It provides your ‘statutory rights’ when you are buying something from a shop; it protects the interests of musicians allowing them to profit from intellectual property; it allows the police powers to stop and search members of the public, but it also requires officers to obey exacting rules when they do so. Even the government must obey the law – the Prime Minister’s closest aide and members of the House of Lords are not immune from arrest and common legal process.
Lansdowne has delivered A Level and Degree programmes in Law for many years and acquired staff and resources that would not ordinarily be found in a Sixth Form College. The course itself is divided into two halves. The two AS units require students to gain general background knowledge of the workings of the English Legal System, whereas the A2 gives students an opportunity to study a substantive area of Law – the law of contract.
What will I study in Law?
AS Units 1 and 2
English Legal System: An understanding of the civil and criminal courts is fundamental. You will learn about the powers courts have to order redress and impose sanctions, and the role of the different individuals who go to make up the legal system: for example, the police and their powers, judges, barristers, solicitors and magistrates. You will also learn how disputes can be resolved without resort to court action.
Sources of Law: The UK has a common legal system, meaning that law is largely made by judges on a case-by-case basis – the doctrine of precedent. You will also examine how the government and the European Union play an increasingly significant role in the law making process.
A2 Units 3 and 4
Law of Contract: This unit will give you an idea of what it would be like to study Law at university. We will examine how contracts are formed (the rules of offer and acceptance) and what lies within the contractual bond (terms of contract). Finally, we will examine what can go wrong with contracts: for example, if one of the parties enters a contract whilst mistaken about the circumstances.
Law of Contract Special Study: This paper is based on pre-released materials and is synoptic in nature.
How will I be assessed?
All of the exam papers are assessed by written essays. There are no short answers or structured questions.
Do I need to have studied Law before?
No, absolutely not. None of the students on the A level Law course at Lansdowne will have studied the subject before.
Who will teach me?
Asad Lahda read Law at King’s College, London and qualified as a barrister (Lincoln’s Inn). He also holds an Advanced LL.M. degree in Public International Law from Leiden University (Netherlands) with a specialisation in Peace, Justice and Development. His main interests lie in Public Law, both domestic and international, with a particular focus on Human Rights and Extradition, as well as International Dispute Settlement. Outside of Lansdowne, he continues to practice Law as an advocate.
Jem Barton-Hanson read Law at Queens’ College Cambridge joining Lansdowne in 1993 while taking bar examinations. Since 1993 he has taught a combination of Law, Information Technology and Computing.
Which subjects complement Law?
Law combines well with Humanities, especially other essay-based subjects like History, English Literature and Philosophy. A successful study of Law also requires students to apply logic and reasoning: many great lawyers had an early background in scientific disciplines like Mathematics and Physics
Which careers can Law lead to?
Students who enjoy their studies in Law will generally go on to read Law at university with a view to training as either solicitors or barristers. However the language and logic skills that students acquire during the course can be used great effect by people following careers in science, politics or the civil service.