The course
Study of law at Homerton College follows the normal pattern in other Cambridge colleges. Much useful information is to be found on the Law Faculty's webpage and in its publications (see below), including other variants in the course, and particularly the Double Maitrise. A brief summary of the salient features of the standard law degree is offered here.
Part IA of the Law Tripos is studied in the first year; this comprises Civil Law I (Roman law), Constitutional Law, Tort Law and Criminal Law. The overall aim is to provide an introduction to English Law and the Wider Western Legal Tradition - no knowledge of the law is required in advance!
Various optional subjects may be studied in the second year (Part IB) and, especially, third year (Part II). In addition, a number of papers are effectively compulsory for those who wish to obtain a "qualifying law degree", viz. one which entitles the holder to proceed to professional legal training in England and Wales. In practice, everyone wishes to obtain such a degree and chooses her papers accordingly. Options are increased in Part II by the possibility of taking two "half papers" in place of one ordinary paper, and also the "seminar courses", which involve the preparation of a substantial, independently researched dissertation.
Students in their first year of law typically have two small-group supervisions per week, in addition to the lectures organised by the Faculty of Law, delivered in its splendid modern building. The supervisions may be with the Director of Studies at Homerton or, more typically, with a specialist in the particular field who may be a fellow or doctoral research scholar at another Cambridge college. Learning is largely by independent reading, guided by the supervisions, and supplemented by lectures. The Tripos is assessed by closed-book examinations at the end of each academic year, although essays and other written work will be required by supervisors, to monitor progress, during the course of the year.Application and Interviews
If you are following an A-level curriculum (we can certainly consider equivalent qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate), usual conditions of the offer will be that you obtain specified grades at A-level: typically A*AA (without specifying which should be A*). Any combination of academic subjects are acceptable for Law. No specialist knowledge of the subject is expected for the interview process.
Those who are invited to attend for interview will have a general and a subject-specific interview as part of the admissions process: one interview will be with a Tutor or college officer who may well have an academic interest in one element of your subject, and your second with the Director of Studies in Law. We try to conduct our interviews in a friendly and informal manner and no special preparation is necessary. Applicants for Law will have to take a test at interview, for which details are available on the Law Faculty website at the URL below.
