Reading Law

Students that engage in studies of the law are often described as ‘Reading Law.’ Whether you plan on VCE Legal studies Unit 1 & 2 followed by Unit 3 & 4, or merely use your studies to increase your knowledge of the law, these links that follow will help you.

The language is different. The expressions, terms and concepts will be new. How many subjects require you to form an opinion about a matter? Most of your previous studies require you to memorise material and regurgitate it back to your teacher or examiner. This is not the case in the law.

The study of law requires you to read a lot of material, watch the news online and form opinions. Whether your opinion is right or wrong does not matter, what matters is how you present both sides of the argument, then give an opinion based on those points. This will be something new for VCE students and requires practice.

Your notetaking skills, summaries of legislation and cases will also be new. You will not be able to rely on the teacher giving you handouts on everything. At Unit 1 & 2 Level, you are preparing yourself for your studies in Year 12. It is important to develop your note taking skills now as these will increase your chances of receiving a high ATAR in Law in year 12. Head to the news agents or officeworks store and see what type of notebooks or stationery that is available that will suit you. Your teacher will be able to guide you in these matters.

Peter F Hughes

Cooper, Letter to a young law student.

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/profiles/glesnerfines/letter.htm

Professor James R. Elkins
College of Law, West Virginia University

http://myweb.wvnet.edu/~jelkins/orientation/

VCAA RESOURCES

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/legalstudies/exams.html

OTHER VCE STUFF

http://www.vcehelp.com.au/vce-legal-studies-resources-147/

http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/education/learning-a-teaching-resources/vce

http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/law.html