A central aspect of legal education in Oxford is learning to make a proper legal argument. This is a creative activity and calls for originality and inspiration as well as information and accuracy.

Average intake: 8

  • St John's students study in the Oxford Law Faculty, which includes some of the UK and world's leading legal scholars.
  • Law students have their own well resourced Law Library in College, in a purpose-built setting in the new Kendrew Quadrangle.
  • St John's has a thriving law society, the Holdsworth Society, which includes students, tutors and alumni. Each year this holds dinners and other social events and organises the popular Holdsworth Mooting Competition. 
  • Hogan Lovells, a major firm of solicitors, sponsors a prize for the best performing second year lawyer.
  • St John's welcomes applications for Law with Law Studies in Europe.
  • Law alumni from St John's include the former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sir Stephen Richards (Judge of the Court of Appeal),  Sir Nicholas Hamblen (Judge of the Court of Appeal), Sir Keith Lindblom (judge of the High Court), Nigel Carrington (Vice-Chancellor of University of the Arts, London), Alistair Burt M.P. and Shaheed Fatima (barrister, awarded the Liberty/JUSTICE ‘Human Rights Lawyer of the Year' 2007). Many others have gone on to notable careers as barristers, solicitors and legal scholars, as well as a broad range of careers outside the legal profession.

Watch two St John's students talking about studying Law:

Related information

Law & Law with Law Studies in Europe tutors