Letters to a Law Student
By Nicholas J McBride
Review by Louie M (Law)
I picked up a copy of Letters to a Law Student whilst I was still unsure of what I wanted to study at university. I had enjoyed doing some work experience at a firm of solicitors, but I didn’t really know what studying Law would entail, or whether it was the right subject for me.
I was recommended Letters to a Law Student by one of my friends who was, at the time, studying law themselves. They suggested that the book would be useful for anyone thinking about doing a Law degree.
The book takes the form of a series of letters from a law teacher to an A Level student who goes on to become an undergraduate Law student. There are twenty-five letters in all, and they are split into five different sections. In the first section, the letters addressed the exact kind of questions that I myself was asking in the run up to the university application process: “why law?”, “what skills do I need to have to study Law?”, and “if I want to be a lawyer do I need to study law at university, or are there other options?”.
Having confirmed that Law would be a suitable path to pursue, the second section provided useful guidance relating to how to make a successful application. One of the letters gives advice on how to interview well, another on the common traps to avoid in your application, and another on the LNAT (the compulsory admissions test for law at Oxford and a handful of other universities).
The remaining sections of the book contain advice on how to get the most out of studying law, how to do well in exams, and how to get started with a career in law.
I found Letters to a Law Student very useful in helping me decide that I wanted to study law, and helping me to make a successful application; I still have a copy sitting on my bookshelf in case I need to turn to it again.
Letters to a Law Student by Nicholas J McBride
ISBN-10: 1292149248
ISBN-13: 9781292149240
Try checking the availability of this book at your school or local library or explore second hand bookshops and websites. You may also wish to purchase from either Amazon or Blackwell’s.
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