LAW1111 and LAW1114 books

[M_BONG]

Hey guys!

Is it necessary to buy the Foundations of Law pack consisting of:
1. Foundations of Law: A Custom Publication for Monash
2. Mastering Law Studies & Law Exam techniques
3. Lexis Nexis Concise Legal Dictionary

It costs around $230 in total - just wondering if that is worth it? Can I get by without having this?

I will definitely buy the Unit Reader/Faculty notes but $200 for notes for a subject that really isn't 'real' Law seems superfluous?

Also, the Criminal Law text (for LAW1114) -Text & Cases [Waller & Williams] 12th Ed. 2013 Lexis Nexis

Is that necessary as well?

Thanks heaps!:)

[Professor Polonsky]

The concise legal dictionary won't actually come in handy for LAW1111, but it very well might be useful along the way for all sorts of random stuff. You might think that Google will solve most of your queries -- and it probably will, there are some decent legal dictionaries online -- but they're mostly American, and even the British ones aren't entirely comprehensive or applicable to Australian law.

Mastering law studies is okay. I don't think it's too expensive, from memory? If you find you struggle with exam techniques, which a lot of new law students do (*raises hand*!) it's not a bad resource.

Yeeeeees you're going to need the crim textbook. Doing any law unit without the casebook is going to be a struggle. Going solo for your first one is just ridiculous.

[M_BONG]

The concise legal dictionary won't actually come in handy for LAW1111, but it very well might be useful along the way for all sorts of random stuff. You might think that Google will solve most of your queries -- and it probably will, there are some decent legal dictionaries online -- but they're mostly American, and even the British ones aren't entirely comprehensive or applicable to Australian law.

Mastering law studies is okay. I don't think it's too expensive, from memory? If you find you struggle with exam techniques, which a lot of new law students do (*raises hand*!) it's not a bad resource.

Yeeeeees you're going to need the crim textbook. Doing any law unit without the casebook is going to be a struggle. Going solo for your first one is just ridiculous.

Aweosme! Was hoping you'd reply because you give really good advice haha

what about the foundations of law textbook? It's the most expensive, costing around $135.. Also, would a different legal dictionary be just as good? This costs around $65... (sorry a bit broke atm due to transition to uni so have to scrimp and save everywhere lol)

[lynt.br]

Foundations of Law is a new unit in 2015 so no one will know if the book is needed or not. If it is a custom Monash publication that probably means it is important but maybe go to the first week of lectures first to get a feel for how necessary it is.

If you are short on money then skip mastering law studies and the legal dictionary. You can just borrow mastering law studies from the library because it is a short read from memory and you don't exactly need to keep it around (it has sample exam answers in it but I highly doubt they are actual exams written under timed conditions because of how they are written). To be honest I have never used the Australian Legal Dictionary once throughout my degree. There has never really been a situation where wikipedia/google/Laws of Australia encyclopedia couldn't find me the answer. Having a flick through it now, it does seem pretty useful as a general resource for someone just starting out in law for defining legal concepts, but it is not essential.

Yes you need the crim book. Plus it's co-authored by Louis Waller, a living legend of the Monash law faculty

[Professor Polonsky]

Aweosme! Was hoping you'd reply because you give really good advice haha

what about the foundations of law textbook? It's the most expensive, costing around $135.. Also, would a different legal dictionary be just as good? This costs around $65... (sorry a bit broke atm due to transition to uni so have to scrimp and save everywhere lol)

Aw, thanks

You can definitely skip the legal dictionary for now. There are also two that you can access online through ezproxy (on the Monash library website) here. So it's definitely not pressing. I guess I just got used to it since I bought it haha.

lynt.br made a very good point with grabbing the mastering law techniques book from the library -- it's not such a short read (272 pages) but the good stuff re: exam techniques is only pretty much a couple of chapters of it.

So it might be best for you just to grab the faculty reader for LAW1111 and the crim textbook.

[M_BONG]

Problem solved, thanks heaps guys