The case of R v Dudley and Stephens [1884] first ignited my fascination for criminal law. The case involved defendants choosing to murder the weakest member among them for the purpose of their own survival. An issue the case frequently calls into question is whether the defendants should be charged for murder, considering the dreadful circumstances which they were in. I was unsure as to whether the judge should convict the defendants of murder when the act was committed out of necessity. I was struck to discover that necessity could not be used as a defence to the charge of murder. On reflection I realised that morality and law cannot be used interchangeably as it provides others the means to justify their wrongdoing.

During a work placement at Clarke Willmott, I was briefly introduced to the case of Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] to better my understanding of concepts within tort law. The case involved Mrs Donoghue falling ill on consumption of a drink bought for her. I was surprised to find Mrs Donoghue was able to take action against Stevenson when she had not bought the drink herself and when she was not in a binding contract with the manufacturer. From further research I found that compensation was acquired by Donoghue’s lawyers arguing injury was caused through Stevenson’s negligence. I was impressed by the reaffirmation of how the law can lead to the betterment of citizens in society; in this case this was reflected by the ruling developing awareness within manufacturers that they have a duty of care to the consumers of their product.

Completing a work placement at solicitors firm Bevan Brittan further cemented my desire to study law at degree level. Throughout the placement, one field that particularly sparked my interest was Clinical Negligence. I learnt that clients may not receive a desirable outcome as this is dependent on the identification of whether negligence was due to actions of the defendant directly. Investigating a claim of negligence led me to find that although there had been a breach in the duty of care provided; this did not mean the outcome was solely a result of this breach. In this case, the underlying medical condition caused the same outcome for the patient/claimant in any event. In completing my work placement I was able to gain an insight into the types of field I could progress to after a degree in law. This work placement was invaluable and led to my better understanding of concepts such as causation which from my further research, I know will aid my studies as a law student.

During the National Warwick Conference, my participation in Debate Mate allowed me to develop my critical analysis skills as well as becoming more resilient. My on-going participation in the Pathways to Law program gave me the opportunity to work with students from different schools to discuss key topics in relevant cases.This has enabled me to develop teamwork and communication skills by building working relationships with peers.I believe that these skills will enable me to form and present an articulate, coherent judgement on cases, whilst enabling me to be a confident student that is able to go beyond my academic responsibilities and involve myself in the wider commitments of university life.

The discussion surrounding the way in which moral attitudes differ to the law and the difficulty in establishing the occurrence of negligence continue to fascinate me and I’m sure this fascination will transcend and exemplify itself into my further study of the advanced study of law. I am a conscientious, resilient student who is ready to commit to the responsibilities that the study of law at degree level entails.