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Cambridge is the best university in the UK for studying law, according to the latest edition of The Times Good University Guide.
The guide, published today and available in full at Times Online, ranks Cambridge ahead of Oxford for legal studies despite its rival coming out as the best university in the country overall.
Also in the top five law schools are London School of Economics, King's College London and University College London.
UK'S TOP TEN LAW SCHOOLS
1. Cambridge
2. Oxford
3. LSE
4. King's College London
5. University College London
6. Aberdeen
7. Durham
8. Leicester
9. Dundee
10. Southampton, Nottingham (tied)
For the full table and university scores, click here
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Is Dundee 9 or 15? it says 9 above but 15 on full table?
You can study both Scots and English law at Dundee as part of a 4 year degree which allows you to do the Diploma in Legal Practice or the LPC or BVC without any additional years or conversion course! It is known as a dual qualification!
Louisa, Dundee, Scotland
Kudos Leicester!
It always was a top ten uni. also we beat all the other big civic rivals - ie. notts, brum, mancs. thoroughly happy to see them riding the wake of the 05 class' success (tee hee hee)
S K VERSANI, London,
Northumbria should be higher than that! With its SLO constantly receiving awards for its legal services to the community and a fantastic exempting course it sets an extremely high standard for its law students!!
Emma, Billingham, England
Great to see Leicester doing well! Another satisfied recent graduate here.
Gareth Jones, Oxford, UK
This is a list of undergraduate (LLB) and postgraduate (LLM) law schools. That's why the College of Law is not represented in any part of the entire leage table. Glad Southampton has finally been recognised as one of the top ten. Absolutely brilliant law school.
Richard, Nottingham, England
Where's the College of Law of England and Wales??? Biggest law school in the country?! amazing staff and fab course... I am currently studying for the GDL and im loving it! I would recommend it to anyone who wants a fab start to a legal career.
Georgia, Birmingham, UK
Glad Newcastle is so high. Top class law school :-)
Sam, Newcastle, England
Open book exams!!?? Disgraceful! At Leicester we wouldn't even dream of having such a thing, maybe that explains why it is climbing the ranks. It deserves every praise for delivering such a high standard of law teaching. Long may it continue!
Places like Bristol and Edinburgh are falling.
Rufus, Oxford, England
Erm.... The College of Law of England and Wales??
James, Guildford, United Kingdom
As an employer of law students I have found Cambridge, KCL and City to be top students over the long term. It does however come down to the individual and not the Uni.
Robert, London,
Funny that King's is higher than UCL: according to the table UCL has a better standard of research (5*A vs King's 5A), higher entry standards (467 vs King's 449) and better graduate prospects (90% vs King's 84%). So where the King's overall score of 93.2 comes from is anyone's guess...
Paddy Quiltern , Sussex, England
I am currently reading Law at the LSE and I have found that the course has far exceeded my expectations!
The library is the largest political science library in THE world and what I particularly enjoy about LSE is the socio-economic and political slant the courses entail.
Sonia Chauhan, London, UK
I went to King's College to study Law and found the course to be good but their careers service and training contract help to be dire. I understand you have to fend for yourself but a little help would have gone a very long way.
Faiza , Brighton, UK
Charlie: King's is certainly one of the top law schools in the country in terms of its academics. Whilst the law school is housed in a rubbish building, the library is FANTASTIC. Because of the library, I would place King's above LSE (therefore top in London) for quality of education.
Ray, London,
Jack,
I think the point made you failed to recognise was that Scots Law students do not NEED to do a conversion course.
It sounds like you say in your bit if students at Scottish Universities want to practice at all we MUST convert to English Law.
We CAN practice Scots Law in Scotland after all.
Garry, Dundee, UK
Garry, I'm afraid that is correct. If Scots law graduates wish to practice in England they must take the GDL, although partial exemption in a few subjects may be granted which have been taken at degree level. Total: 5/6 years (if they wish to practice in England) as opposed to 3.
Jack, Cambridge,
My undergraduate law degree will commence at King's in September. I used its ranking as a basis for my decision to study there. Lets hope it lives up to my high expectations!
Charlie Bingham, Bristol, UK
Hopefully King's will return to the glory days of 1999 when it was third in the country for law. UCL top five, you must be joking, i'd rank them 9 based on the duffers in their dept.
Michael, London, UK
Nick, I certainly shouldn't think open book exams would improve a student's analytical skills, when time spent absorbing knowledge often increases your ability to properly compare the law. Open-book encourages laziness and makes it easier to get a 2:1.
James, Manchester,
Well Done Leicester! As a new graduate from the law school I am pleased to see the department getting the recognition it deserves!
Rachel , Leicester ,
"Scottish universities have 4 year law courses and need a further year conversion course to English law. 2 years more. "
Not correct at all. Scots law graduates don't need a conversion course at all. We can practice Scots law after all. Also, Dundee University teaches Scots and English law.
Garry, Dundee,
It's sad to see that UCL have taken a fall from when I went there and it was 3rd place. The teaching was excellent and the people who taught us were simply inspiring (for example Ronald Dworkin). I don't understand how a university with open book exams can rank ahead of us.
C, Bromley, England
If King's students have open book exams I would think they produce students better able to analyze a legal problem than the students who spend their hours memorizing things that can easily be found when practicing and need not be remembered. Keep it up Kings.
Nick, Canberra, Australia
Leicester in the top ten! I cannot wait to be part of this University.
Achan M.I, KAMPALA, UGANDA
Leicester has well -earned its place amongst the UK 's best law schools... brilliant teaching, great research and an fantastic law fair .. with many of its graduates working in top city firms !
Sajeed Sheikh, Coventry , England
Good to see Leicester climbing the ladder once again!
Oliver, Leicester, UK
Emily - obviously Edinburgh's not all it used to be.
M, London, UK
Good to see Keele there at 25 - brilliant university. Sadly, let down by one of its strengths - it has lower entry requirements to give people not already privileged a chance. How can Oxford be 2nd when its research score is 5B. All that privilege, EVERYONE should be research active.
Graham, Oxford, UK
Helen - the OU is not listed because (happily!) it does not impose entry requirements; see column 2 in the table. But its success is widely known in law, and OU law graduates are, in my expereince, exceptionally good.
Kate, Rugby, England
Is it meaningful even to rank faculties teaching different legal systems? One could have a ranking for EU law and International law, perhaps UK constitutional law (although it is taught differently in England and Wales compared to Scotland), but comparisons must be like with like.
John Scott, London,
And yet again the Open University is not listed.
Helen Nugent, Daventry,
Scottish universities have 4 year law courses and need a further year conversion course to English law. 2 years more.
Further, Leicester was like 27th last year for law. It is ridiculous it is so high.
Queen Mary and Bristol just miss out of this top 10, but they should be in there.
Jack, Cambridge,
King's ahead of UCL? That's ridiculous.
Sonia, London,
im sorry but university of Edinburgh have got to be at least ranked 6th! i dont understand!
Emily, edinburgh, uk
but king's students have open book exams!
Josh Lehman, London, UK