What A-level Law covers
The English Legal System
Court hierarchy and jurisdiction, sources of law (statute, case law, EU law's continuing role, delegated legislation, statutory interpretation rules — literal, golden, mischief, purposive), civil and criminal procedure, alternative dispute resolution (mediation, arbitration, tribunals), the judiciary (selection, training, independence), the legal profession (barristers vs solicitors), legal aid and access to justice.
Criminal Law
Foundational concepts (actus reus including causation, mens rea — intention and recklessness — strict liability), non-fatal offences (assault, battery, ABH, GBH — s.20 and s.18), homicide (murder, voluntary manslaughter via loss of control or diminished responsibility, involuntary manslaughter — gross negligence and unlawful act), property offences (theft, robbery, burglary, fraud), defences (insanity, automatism, intoxication, self-defence, consent, duress).
Optional third paper
- Tort Law — negligence (duty, breach, causation, remoteness), occupiers' liability, nuisance, vicarious liability
- Contract Law — formation (offer, acceptance, consideration, intention), terms, vitiating factors, breach and remedies
- Human Rights — ECHR articles, the Human Rights Act 1998, key Convention rights and their UK application
What tutoring focuses on
Named-case recall
Mark schemes reward case citations. Strong students recall: case name, year, court (House of Lords / Supreme Court / Court of Appeal), key facts, the legal principle established. R v Cunningham [1957] for subjective recklessness; R v Adomako [1995] for gross negligence manslaughter; Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] for the modern duty of care; Caparo Industries v Dickman [1990] for the three-stage duty test. Tutors build systematic case recall using flashcards and structured rehearsal.
IRAC scenario application
Most A-level Law marks come from scenario-based questions where students apply the law to a fact pattern. IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) is the standard analytical framework. Many students recite rules without explicit application to facts; tutors drill the application step systematically — quoting specific scenario facts and explaining how each rule's elements are or aren't satisfied.
Evaluation in essay questions
Some questions ask students to evaluate the law — discussing whether a rule is satisfactory, whether reform should be adopted. Strong essays evaluate against named criteria: clarity, certainty, fairness, social policy. They reference Law Commission proposals, academic critique, and recent appellate court tensions. Tutors drill explicit evaluation frameworks.
Current legal developments
Strong A-level Law students follow recent Supreme Court judgments and Law Commission reports. Tutors help build the habit of legal-news engagement and integrate recent developments into example banks.
Choosing a Law tutor
- Confirm the board — AQA, Eduqas, and OCR have similar core content but distinct paper structures and emphasis on the optional third paper.
- Confirm the third paper choice — Tort, Contract, or Human Rights. Tutors are usually stronger on one than the others.
- Law-degree backgrounds — particularly useful given the named-case recall depth. Tutors with LLB or qualifying-law-degree backgrounds add credibility.
- For pre-Law-degree applicants, mention that A-level Law isn't a Law-degree requirement; the tutor should be able to advise on alternative routes (Politics + History essay-subjects route is a common alternative).