“I had initially dismissed the criminal law module as an exercise in frustration and broadly unapplicable outside of England and Wales, but Dr. Serene provided readings that made the material engaging and related it to other areas of law.
She began by making sure I had a strong foundation in the law by asking me to explain my understanding of concepts and assigning readings to deepen my knowledge.
Her honest and direct feedback to practice exams allowed me to make the relevant changes to my writing style to be successful within the programme. She was able to provide the structure and feedback that independent learning lacks.
We moved through each topic systematically, revisited them when necessary, and made sure that we focused on topics that I was interested in so I could connect with the material. By completing topics and then immediately attempting practice questions, I was able to retain more of the material and understand how to apply it to each question. During the semester, we looked at the source material for the law in addition to general readings and this helped me recall information better and understand the context it had been developed in.
Dr. Serene also encouraged getting into the habit of writing notes, summarizing them later, and then summarizing them again later which helped me understand what was important about a topic and enabled me to concisely explain ideas in the exam. I applied the same tactic to completed problem questions and this enabled me to refine my writing and produce high-quality answers.
Beyond criminal law, she helped me prepare for the recent tort and public law exams where I feel I was successful using many of the same techniques I used for studying criminal law. Additionally, she provided invaluable advice in deciding what I will do after completing the programme.
I am always impressed by the amount of work she does both during and outside of our scheduled meeting times by providing relevant feedback and quickly responding to inquiries.
She has provided invaluable instruction, and I look forward to completing my final year with her help.”
Ian
Toronto, Ontario
