Law tutors for your course and goals

A school specification, a degree module and an admissions test need different preparation. Give the tutor the course title, assessment and legal system before planning lessons. If you are learning out of interest, name a question you want to understand, such as how courts use earlier decisions.

This constructed introductory example uses criminal damage in England and Wales to demonstrate legal reasoning. Use examples from your own specification for school-exam practice.

The facts: Alex, an adult, deliberately scratches a neighbour’s bicycle, intending to damage its paintwork. Alex knows the bicycle belongs to the neighbour. For this exercise, assume there is no lawful excuse and no other defence.

The weak answer: “Alex is guilty because the bicycle is damaged.” That jumps from damage to a conclusion without considering the other requirements.

The rule and application: Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 requires damage or destruction of another’s property, intention or recklessness as to that damage, and no lawful excuse. Scratched paintwork supplies the damage; the neighbour’s ownership supplies the property connection; Alex’s deliberate aim supplies intention. The exercise expressly removes lawful excuse.

A better response: “On these facts, the elements of basic criminal damage are met: Alex intentionally damaged the neighbour’s bicycle without lawful excuse.” Each part of the conclusion now has a reason.

For a follow-up, replace the assumption about lawful excuse: when scratching the bicycle, Alex honestly believed the neighbour was entitled to consent and had agreed to the damage. On these changed facts, section 5(2)(a) supplies a lawful excuse. Damage and intention remain, but the original conclusion no longer follows. Underline the changed fact and rewrite the part of the reasoning it affects, explaining why the absence-of-lawful-excuse requirement is no longer met.

Start with your module rather than a general request for “LLB help”. Glasgow’s English Law of Contract module, for example, combines legal principles with research, writing and problem-solving. Its Scots Law degree shows why the legal system also matters. A tutor should work with the authorities and assessment expectations relevant to your course.

For case reading, try a four-part note: the legally relevant facts, the issue the court had to resolve, the rule used to decide it, and the reason that rule mattered. Then add one changed fact that could make the case less useful for a new problem. This turns a case summary into practice in deciding when an authority applies.

For an essay, consider the constructed question “Should judges have more freedom to depart from precedent?” A weak plan lists advantages and disadvantages without taking a position. A more useful provisional position is: “Judges should have limited freedom to depart from outdated precedent, but they should explain why correcting the rule outweighs the loss of predictability.” Support and test those propositions using your module’s cases and reading before committing to a conclusion.

The LNAT overview distinguishes verbal reasoning from legal knowledge. Start with the official preparation resources: LNAT does not recommend paid coaching and endorses no preparation provider. If you choose additional tuition, use it for feedback on reading and argument, alongside those materials.

Here is a short invented reading exercise, not an LNAT question: “During a trial, the library opened on Sundays. More students used its study desks, so councillors proposed making Sunday opening permanent.”

Which statement is supported: “Councillors proposed continuing Sunday opening”, or “Every student prefers studying on Sundays”? The first follows from the passage. The second adds an unsupported claim about every student’s preference. The correction is to point to the words that support your answer and identify what the alternative has added. Try writing another plausible but unsupported statement, then explain why it goes beyond the passage.

For essay practice, turn an opinion into a reason, consider a serious objection and explain your response. LNAT’s hints and tips emphasise defending a position and using straightforward language. A useful feedback question is whether each paragraph advances that position rather than restating it.

Use the free introductory meeting to discuss your goals and how the tutor would approach the work. A relevant legal background is useful, but also ask about teaching your level and assessment. Agree one observable starting goal, such as explaining why a case supports a rule or applying a rule without skipping an element.

Latimer’s tuition is primarily online and one-to-one. Microsoft Teams is the default lesson platform, with alternatives by agreement. For legal reading or writing, arrange a way to view the same extract and your own notes during the lesson. If you need in-person tuition, discuss location and travel as an individual arrangement.

Each tutor sets their hourly rate, shown on their profile. Lessons are invoiced afterwards on a pay-as-you-go basis. Agree the lesson length and practice workload when comparing costs: the useful question is what you will be able to work on during and between sessions. There is no charge to submit a matching request. The guide to how Latimer works explains the wider service.