Law: What Do You Really Study?
Laws, arguments and real cases - learn to think and write like lawyers.
What Do You Study in Law? Core Subjects, Year by Year
What do the degree courses cover?
Open a course to learn about its main topics and see what the work looks like in practice.
What do you learn in the course?Contract law?
Learn when a promise becomes a binding contract and what happens when a party does not fulfill it. We analyze offer and acceptance, intent, good faith, defects in excision and remedies such as enforcement, rescission and compensation.
Main topics
- conclusion of a contract
- Good faith and defects in will
- Interpretation and content of the contract
- Violation and medication
What does it look like in practice?
For example, they analyze an aborted negotiation and check whether a contract has already been concluded or whether the withdrawal was done in bad faith.
What do you learn in the course?constitutional law?
The course deals with the basic rules of the state: the powers of the government authorities, the relations between them and the protection of rights. Read legislation and judgments and learn how a court examines a violation of a right and the justification for it.
Main topics
- The structure of government authorities
- fundamental rights
- judicial review
- proportionality and balances
What does it look like in practice?
For example, they examine whether a law that violates freedom of expression is intended for a proper purpose and whether the violation is proportionate.
What do you learn in the course?penal law?
Learn when behavior imposes criminal liability. Breaks down a crime into a deed and a state of mind, examines experience, complicity and defenses, and discusses the limits of the state's power to punish.
Main topics
- The basics of the offense
- Criminal intent and negligence
- Experience and partnership
- Disclaimers of liability and penalty
What does it look like in practice?
For example, an incident is analyzed to distinguish between intent, recklessness and negligence and to check which offense, if any, was completed.
What do you learn in the course?Jurisprudence?
The course asks what a law is, why it is obeyed and what is the relationship between it and morality, justice and power. Philosophical concepts are compared and applied to legal disputes.
Main topics
- Positivism and natural law
- Justice, rights and morality
- Interpretation and judgment
- Obedience, authority and legitimacy
What does it look like in practice?
For example, it is discussed whether a judge should apply an unjust law as it stands or interpret it in light of moral principles.
What do you learn in the course?Tort law?
Learn when a person or organization must compensate for damage they caused. Dealing with duty of care, negligence, causation, liability without fault and calculation of compensation.
Main topics
- negligence and duty of care
- Causation and damage
- Torts and special liability
- Defenses and Indemnities
What does it look like in practice?
For example, they check whether a business should have anticipated a safety hazard and whether the hazard itself caused the claimed damage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Law
Is a degree in Law difficult?
There is no single answer — difficulty depends on your background, the institution, and your chosen study pace. According to this site's estimate, The degree has a relatively small quantitative component, so mathematics is usually not the main obstacle, and some of the reading material is in English. A good way to assess fit is to review the course map on this page: if most of the subjects interest you, the effort will usually feel worthwhile.
How long does a degree in Law take?
Usually 3–4 years; sometimes offered as a graduate degree (Professional degree; structure varies by country). Exact duration varies by institution and depends on course load and the track you choose.
Law or Economics — which is right for me?
The degrees most closely related to Law are Economics, History, and Philosophy. Their differences are usually in emphasis rather than the overall subject, so the fastest way to decide is to compare their course maps — what you actually study in each program, year by year. You can also open the degree comparison tool to view the differences side by side.
How do you become a lawyer?
The pattern is similar in most countries: a recognized law degree, a period of supervised practice (articling, training contract or clerkship), and a bar or licensing exam. The details — degree type, length of training, exam format — vary significantly by jurisdiction, so plan for where you intend to practice.
Is there math in a law degree?
Almost none. The studies are built on intensive reading, writing and text analysis — case law, legislation and legal scholarship. The workload is heavy, but it is verbal rather than mathematical.
What can you do with a law degree besides practicing law?
Regulation and compliance, corporate governance, public policy, journalism, academia and business. Legal training in structured argument and risk analysis is valued well beyond courtrooms — many graduates never litigate at all.
Where can you study this?
Law is taught in two main models: as an undergraduate degree (LL.B) in the UK, Israel, Australia and much of Europe and Asia, or as a graduate degree (JD) after a bachelor's, as in the US and Canada. Check which model applies where you plan to practice before choosing.