Introductory Timetable

We finally have the timetables for the introductory lectures! They run from 9.00am to 12.30pm each day. Here are the topics that are going to be covered:

Thursday 2 October
Introduction to Cambridge and the Law Faculty
Practical issues: from safety to communications
Introduction to Law and Sources of Law
Structure of the Courts

Friday 3 October
Legal Institutions
Reading a Case
Introduction to Legal Information Technology

Saturday 4 October
Reading a Statute
Judicial Reasoning in Relation to Cases and Statutes
Studying Law

Three Day Introductory Course

Another affiliated student (not at my college) and I have known for a while about this three day course that all affiliates, and those transferring into law from another subject have to take. However, we only recently found out (of our own volition) when this is supposed to run, the dates being from the 2nd to the 4th of October.

I was concerned by this; firstly, by the fact that I had already contacted my college to ask whether I could arrive earlier and been told it would not be possible, and secondly, that my college's induction day would fall in the middle of the three days!

However, my college has not only now said I can come earlier (30th of September) but rearranged their induction day for BA(Aff) Law students to fall on the 1st of October, so that it will no longer interfere with the course, which is great. The only thing I'm slightly worried about now is that my parents won't be around on the 1st, so I hope we can get any necessary paperwork out of the way on the 30th.

Medico-Legal Work Experience

I have just finished two weeks in my local hospital's legal services department. Although they made a concerted effort to give me relevant tasks, I did end up doing a substantial amount of admin/PA duties; not that I mind!

One of the most interesting things I got to do were attend two inquests at the Coroner's Court (both ruled 'accidental death'), but just being able to read some of the medical negligence or litigation cases going on at the hospital was worth my time there.

I realise that we live in an extremely legally savvy age, where 'Slip, Trip or Fall' firms advertise on TV in nearly every ad-break, but it is still shocking to actually realise that people do take out cases against those people who are generally working towards the greater good.

However, for its size, there were actually very few active cases, and I learnt that a lot of 'victims' abandon their claims halfway through. Although the work was very paper-based (solicitor-like in nature), I found the area of law one which definitely appeals to me.