The BA (Hons) Law at the University of Cambridge is a prestigious three-year undergraduate program focused on providing a thorough legal education. It emphasizes analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and legal interpretation, designed for students aiming to gain a deep understanding of legal principles and their practical application.
The curriculum covers essential subjects such as Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Contract Law, Tort Law, Land Law, and Jurisprudence, ensuring a solid foundation in English law. Students can also specialize in areas like International Law, Human Rights Law, or Commercial Law through elective modules.
Cambridge’s unique supervision system encourages personalized learning through small-group discussions led by experts, complementing lectures and seminars. This approach enhances students' abilities in legal reasoning and argumentation.
Practical experience is a key part of the program, with opportunities to engage in mooting competitions, pro bono work, and legal research. These experiences prepare students for legal practice and qualify them for further legal training to become solicitors or barristers in the UK.
With access to world-class faculty, the Squire Law Library, and a thriving legal community, the Cambridge Law degree is among the most prestigious and competitive globally, offering students excellent prospects for future careers in law and beyond.
Mooting and Legal Debates
Cambridge offers extensive mooting opportunities, with competitions like the De Smith Moot, Clifford Chance Cuppers, and national/international moots. Students develop practical advocacy and legal reasoning skills under real-time pressure.
Cambridge Pro Bono Project (CPP)
Students engage in real-world legal research for NGOs, charities, and law firms through CPP, producing reports that support litigation, advocacy, and law reform.
Internships and Vacation Schemes
Supported by the Careers Service and Faculty advisors, students undertake mini-pupillages, internships at top law firms, and placements with NGOs or government departments.
Legal Research Experience
Opportunities exist to assist supervisors (professors) with academic legal research, particularly in constitutional law, jurisprudence, and international law. Some students may even co-author papers or reports.
Law Faculty Research Centres
Students can attend workshops, conferences, and symposia hosted by centres such as the Centre for Public Law, Institute of Criminology, or Centre for European Legal Studies, and sometimes volunteer with research initiatives.
College Law Societies
These student-run societies host guest lectures, workshops, mock trials, and networking events—often in collaboration with leading chambers and law firms.
Access and Outreach Projects
Many law students take part in access programmes, giving presentations or mentoring prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds—practical experience in legal communication and teaching.
International Law Activities
Cambridge supports summer schools and international programs, including international law internships, seminars at The Hague, or UN-related research work.
Vacation Research Funding
Colleges and departments offer funding for independent legal research or travel linked to a student’s academic interests, often used for dissertation preparation or global legal exploration.
Cambridge Human Rights Law Society & Other Networks
These societies offer active involvement in human rights research, conferences, and awareness campaigns, connecting law with activism and public policy.
Postgraduate Study: Cambridge law graduates often pursue further academic and professional qualifications, including the LLM at Cambridge or other top institutions globally (e.g., Harvard, Yale). Many continue to doctoral research with a PhD in Law, or obtain diplomas in commercial arbitration, human rights, or intellectual property law.
Cambridge law alumni are frequently recruited as Solicitors or Barristers, with many securing training contracts or pupillages at leading firms and chambers such as Freshfields, Slaughter and May, or Essex Court Chambers.
Career paths include corporate law, litigation, and legal consultancy for major international organisations.
Cambridge provides a strong academic foundation for those pursuing judicial careers, academic positions, or policy development.
Graduates often work in international law, representing governments and NGOs at bodies like the UN, ICC, and European Court of Human Rights.
Many transition into consulting, finance, and public policy, applying analytical and strategic skills across sectors.
Roles in non-profits and NGOs are common, particularly in fields like human rights, climate law, and development work.
Cambridge’s vast alumni network and global reputation create access to leadership roles across law, politics, and business worldwide.
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