The Law To Know

A program, not just a course

Foundations of Law, Year 1

How lawyers think, find the law and write, and the first great subjects: contract, tort, crime and the constitution.

9 courses, about 40 hours of study, a Program Diploma and a With Distinction tier. $69 for everything, once (the courses are $135 separately).

Get the whole program

The first year of any legal education teaches two things at once: the habits of mind that make a lawyer, and the subjects that everything else is built on. This year starts with reasoning, research and the history of the law, then takes the private-law subjects of contract and tort, criminal law, constitutional law, and the two institutions that make and apply the rules, the legislature and the judiciary. The courses are written to be read in order, each with exercises and graded quizzes, and many of the examples are drawn from US and UK law, with comparisons where they help.

The path, in order

  1. Step 1Legal Reasoning and ArgumentCoreModule 1 freeabout 5.5 hoursHow lawyers build, test and answer arguments: rules, precedent, analogy and the weak moves to avoid.$15 on its own
  2. Step 2Legal Research & WritingCoreModule 1 freeabout 5.5 hoursFinding and checking the law, and writing the office memo and the persuasive brief in plain language.$15 on its own
  3. Step 3History of LawCoreModule 1 freeabout 4 hoursWhere legal ideas came from: ancient codes, Roman law, the common law and the Latin you will meet.$15 on its own
  4. Step 4Contract LawCoreModule 1 freeabout 4 hoursOffer and acceptance, terms, breach and remedies: how promises become enforceable.$15 on its own
  5. Step 5Tort LawCoreModule 1 freeabout 4 hoursIntentional torts, negligence, strict liability and defamation: who pays for harm.$15 on its own
  6. Step 6Criminal LawCoreModule 1 freeabout 4.5 hoursAct and intent, homicide, crimes against persons and property, inchoate offences and defences.$15 on its own
  7. Step 7Constitutional LawCoreModule 1 freeabout 4 hoursJudicial review, federalism, separation of powers, equality, due process and the First Amendment.$15 on its own
  8. Step 8LegislatureCoreModule 1 freeabout 4 hoursHow laws are made: the legislative function, how a bill becomes law and how statutes are read.$15 on its own
  9. Step 9JudiciaryCoreModule 1 freeabout 4.5 hoursHow courts are organised, compared across systems, and how constitutional review works.$15 on its own

What you will be able to do

  • Build a legal argument from rules, precedent and analogy, and spot the weak points in someone else's.
  • Research a question, check that the authority is still good law, and write it up as a memo or a brief.
  • Explain how a contract is formed and broken, and what a court can give for it.
  • Analyse a harm as a possible tort and a possible crime, and say how the two differ.
  • Describe how laws are made, how courts are organised, and what a constitution limits.

Who it is for

  • Anyone starting to study law, in a degree, a conversion course or alone.
  • Students who want a second explanation of the first-year subjects, with practice questions.
  • People in other professions who work with lawyers and want to understand how they reason.

Certificates

Each course issues its own Certificate of Completion. The program adds two more: a Program Diploma when every core course is passed, stating the study hours (about 40 hours of study across 9 core courses), and a Program Diploma with Distinction. They are certificates of completion from TheLawToKnow, not an accredited qualification or accredited continuing professional development.

Study time is estimated from the content: reading at 170 words a minute, the exercises and the quizzes. It comes to about 40 hours for the 9 core courses and about 40 hours with the recommended electives. It is an estimate of an attentive student’s time, not a promise.

Program Diploma

  • Pass each of the 9 core courses (an average of at least 75 across its graded modules).

With Distinction

  • The Program Diploma.
  • An average of at least 90 across the core courses.
  • A pass of at least 85 per cent on the timed program exam: 45 questions, 5 from each core course, 75 minutes. It can be retaken.

Sign in to see your progress and claim your certificates.

Try any course first: Module 1 of each is free. The whole program is $69 once. It unlocks every course and is the only way to earn the program diploma.

Individually Priced

Sold SeparatelyIntroductory Price

Foundations of Law, Year 1 is sold separately

Foundations of Law, Year 1 has its own price and is not included in an All-Access Membership. Unlock it on its own:

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Common questions

How does the price work?
Each course is $15 on its own. The whole program is one purchase (the price is on this page) and unlocks every course in it. An All-Access Membership opens the same courses too, with a certificate for each one you pass, but the program, its diploma and its exam are bought separately. Module 1 of every course is free to try.
What do I get at the end?
Each course issues its own Certificate of Completion when you pass its quizzes. When you have bought the program and passed all nine core courses you can claim the Program Diploma, which states the program and its study hours. A With Distinction tier is also available: it needs a course average of at least 90 across the core courses and a pass on a timed program exam.
Are these diplomas accredited?
No. They are diplomas of completion from TheLawToKnow, not a degree, a licence to practise or accredited continuing professional development, and they do not replace the study a university or a professional body requires. If your professional body gives credit for study, you need to ask it and may need to apply yourself.
Is this a law degree?
No. It follows the order in which a university teaches the foundations, but it is a self-paced study program, not a degree or a qualification to practise. Many examples come from US and UK law; each course says where the law you work under may differ.
Is any of it legal advice?
No. The people and situations are invented for teaching. The courses are general education.