Letters to a Law Student

Letters to a Law Student

I have just finished reading a book entitled Letters to a Law Student, A guide to studying law at university by Nicholas J. McBride. Once I read it, I curse my luck of not been given the opportunity to encounter a book such as this during my reading years. If only I am able to do so, my personal understanding and enthusiasm to study law would be better.

The book communicates with its readers via a series of letters from an academician, who obviously comes from a legal background, to a hypothetical prospective law student, Sam. The letters discuss matters beginning from advising Sam or the readers on which course to choose, the advantages of a law degree, the prospects of a law graduates, university placements (though the placement matters are relevant to UK students only) to the more complex yet interesting issues such as the rule of law and legal reasoning and deduction.

The way the author describe the rule of law is outstanding. In just a few pages, the principles of the doctrine of rule of law, its effect and its application are succinctly discussed. This outstanding discussion of the law does not stop at rule of law but it also discusses other general overviews of the law. It poses questions against the law which some are unthinkable, novel and it has the effect to encourage readers to delve interestingly further into the subject of law.

The book also touch on the definition of law by Frederic Bastiat, which I am sure will ring our thinking bells on our understanding and acceptation of the meaning of law. That discussion is of course philosophical but aren’t law and philosophy are closely related?

Another thing that is interesting in this book is the discussion on law graduates job prospect. During my reading years the professors always say that there are three main job prospects for law graduates in Malaysia, which are private practice, the judicial and legal services (which include in house counsels), and academia. However in Letters to a Law Student, there is no mentioning of academia. I wonder why?

All in all, a must read for law students and graduates.