Law

The Course

The B.A. in Law consists of three years, known as Parts IA, IB, and Part II of the Law Tripos. There are four mandatory subjects in the first year, but in the second and third years, there is an extensive range of options. The contents of the course are explained in the Law Faculty’s handbook.

Further information about the details of the Law Tripos is contained in the Law Faculty's Prospectus.

Studying Law at Clare

As you will (probably) know by the time you read this, there is no such thing as the 'Law Course at Clare'. Clare lawyers, in common with all other Law undergraduates in Cambridge, attend university lectures and take university examinations. So why choose Clare for Law?

First and foremost, the Law Fellows at Clare like to think that they encourage their students to adopt a broad and critical approach to the study of legal subjects. We think that it is not enough to learn what the law is: students also need to know why it is like that and whether and how it might be changed. In other words, we aim to place the law in its broader social, historical, economic and political context. One measure of the success of this approach is that a good proportion of Clare lawyers (much higher than the University average) choose the optional dissertation in Part II of the Law Tripos. This gives students the opportunity to submit an extended essay in place of one examination. A significant proportion of Clare Law graduates go on to take a further degree, whether in Cambridge or elsewhere.

It is worth noting that Clare Law students have recently studied at European Universities or have been awarded the College's Mellon Fellowship to study Law at Yale University for two years.

Many papers of the Law Tripos (notably all four papers in Part IA of the Law Tripos) are supervised within Clare or by former students of Clare who are now Fellows in other Cambridge Colleges. Neil Andrews, who is the convenor of the Contract paper, teaches that subject in the second year. He also encourages students to take his Civil Procedure paper in the third year and his dissertation course, also in the third year, concerning 'Justice, and the Legal Process'.

What else distinguishes Law at Clare? We have two Law Reading Rooms in Clare (called the Lipstein Law Reading Room and the Turpin Law Reading Room). These are probably the best such facilities in Cambridge. They include a computer section. The reading rooms are very well stocked with student text-books, law reports and periodicals. In one of the two law reading rooms, Law students at Clare often discourse with each other, enjoying lively discussion on legal topics!

Other students within Clare and Law students in other colleges would also recognise that Clare lawyers have a good social life. We hold regular lively parties, at the beginning of the academic year, at Christmas, in the Lent Term, and in May Week. We also have an Annual Dinner with a visiting speaker (usually a leading judge or practitioner). In recent years, a number of Clare lawyers have been involved as office-holders in the University Law Society, and have been very active in organising speaker meetings, prison visits, the student magazine etc. There has also been a healthy tradition of participation in University Mooting competitions.

The Clare Law Fellows are also willing to accept into Part IB of the Law Tripos committed students who wish to change from other Tripos subjects after their first or second years. Three such students 'changed into Law' in 2009-2010.

Admissions Requirements

The College is keen to attract applicants with a strong interest in the academic and intellectual challenge of Law. At recent admissions rounds, bright candidates displaying genuine excitement at the prospect of reading this subject have tended to stand out.

Offers are based on A2 level (or equivalent) examination results. No particular combination of subjects at A2 level (or equivalent) is required.

A typical offer would be A*AA at A2 level or 7,7,6 (40+ overall) in the IB or the equivalent in other educational systems.

Interviews

Candidates applying for Law will be asked for interview in December. All candidates will be interviewed twice.

Fellows in Law

Mr Neil Andrews Reader in Law, Director of Studies at Clare. He teaches Contract Law and Civil Procedure.
Dr Kirsty Hughes Turpin-Lipstein Fellow in Law, who teaches Tort Law and Constitutional Law.