How accurate is Legally Blonde?

By far the best known portrayal of studying Law in fiction is Legally Blonde. And today it's been given a special twenty-fifth anniversary re-release (hence why I'm doing this post rather earlier than planned.)

Based on a novel by Amanda Brown, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber and Jennifer Coolidge:

Or there's the trailer for the anniversary re-release:

Does it bear any resemblance to my study of Law? To be honest very little. Regardless of how well it represents the US law school experience (or whether the portrayal of the murder case bears any resemblance to any legal reality), it's set at an in-person full-time law school in the United States. Almost everything is different from a distance learning part-time university here and going through every difference would be tedious. But there are a few bits in it that felt familiar such as the large amount of reading. Or there's the moment where Elle struggles to get a book from the top shelf, a common experience in the library I mostly use. And a computer is essential for both our studies even if it took Elle time to realise this.

There is almost an entire subgenre of YouTube videos of US lawyers and educators assessing Legally Blonde for its accuracy so perhaps it's best to just present one of those from Learn Law Better (website at Learn Law Better):

But however accurate it is, Legally Blonde has become part of law student culture globally, with many a law student marking references to it that most others instantly recognise. So it's good to be familiar with it.

And what about Legally Blonde 2? Well it's set after law school so not relevant here. And frankly it's one of those sequels the world could have done without. And I haven't seen the musical or Legally Blondes (the trailer for that is... urgh) or the new prequel TV series.

How accurate are media portrayals?

Both studying Law and studying with the Open University have been portrayed in fiction, though I'm unaware of any that combine the two or even just any showing anyone distance learning Law at any other institution. But there are portrayals out there and invariably people ask if they bear any relation to reality.

The answer is it depends...

As will soon be discussed here, the Open University's methods of teaching have evolved over the years as technology has advanced. That in turn means many older depictions are based on a different study environment. Although some aspects of studying alone remain the same, others are no longer part of an OU student's experience. By far the most obvious in older depictions are the lectures that used to be broadcast on television, often at antisocial hours.

As for depictions of legal education, the more prominent ones are of American law schools. They are somewhat different from British ones. For starters Law in the US is a graduate degree primarily taken by those intending to work in law, so the student body is on average older and more vocationally focused than the average found in an in-person British law school. And a US law school with its own dedicated facilities is more of its own world than a British law department in a larger university. That's even before we get onto the tropes like having to know to do reading for the very first class or the Socratic Method of teaching (though when composing this post I did have a tutorial where the tutor went through students by name and asked us to take each problem in term). Or the various general tropes about university, in particular the 'College Is "High School, Part 2"' trope outlined at TV Tropes (hardly an academic source but handy for this kind of commentary), though for a US law school it would be Part 3.

But even if the depiction isn't accurate that doesn't prevent a film or TV series or book from being good to watch. And some have become part of student culture, often providing common reference points. From time to time I'll highlight a few here and comment on just how close their depiction is to current realities.

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Why study with the Open University?

There are many different reasons why someone studies with the Open University, but they ultimately come down to accessibility and flexibility. The OU is built around the twin values of open access to higher education, generally not have prerequisites for enrolling, and the ability to study wherever and whenever through its distance learning model.

So there are some OU students studying because they have missed out on previous qualifications and are seeking to get a foot on the ladder. Others have more traditional backgrounds but prefer the advantages of the OU study model that means they don't have to interrupt their lives and instead can study at home and study at a pace suitable for them, varying the number of modules they take as and when. Or there are those studying at a different time of life. There is no typical OU student.

The Open University is a very different student experience from the traditional conventional one, with much more independent learning, but it is a widely respected institution with graduates in and from all walks of life.

For me, having been to "bricks and mortar" institutions in the past, the OU offers the opportunity to study in a very different way without tying myself down in one location for a few years or putting the rest of my life on hold. It's given me the opportunity to read a subject through to full degree that part of me feels I always should have taken back in the day but got diverted from for a variety of reasons. Now I can strive to achieve a law degree for both professional and personal reasons.

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What subjects should you study beforehand?

One of the defining features of the Open University is the open entry of its courses. For most undergraduate courses one does not need formal qualifications to enrol or to have studied particular subjects before.

Nevertheless, people still want to know what subjects are good to take before studying Law, whether for an OU degree or for a more traditional university with entry requirements.

If one looks around at advice available both on- and offline there's a lot of variety on suggested subjects. But the most important point seems to be that very few UK law schools have formal subject requirements. They're more concerned about applicants demonstrating skills and abilities, including getting good results, than about how many subjects one has from a particular list. So if you're contemplating A Levels and thinking as far ahead as studying Law at university then you don't need to panic.

Choose subjects you're good at (if you're already taking them) and are interested in. Don't pick a hard subject you have no interest in out of some mistaken belief that you will need it to get accepted onto a Law degree. But it certainly helps to have at least one essay based subject on your list.

Popular recommendations

That said there are some subjects that are seen as particularly good preparation for a Law degree because they overlap on the key skills, whether essay writing, handling documents, analysing texts and so forth. But if you go to seven different websites you'll get seven different lists of recommendations. However, the subjects that come up the most in recommendations are roughly as follows:

• English Literature
• History
• Politics
• Mathematics
• Sociology
• Economics
• Psychology
• Philosophy

English Literature and History come up by far the most in lists of recommended subjects because of the essay writing, dealing with texts with sometimes complex language, analysis and so forth.

Not all these subjects are offered at all schools and colleges so don't worry if you can't take them.

What about A Level Law?

Notable by its absence from this list is A Level Law, though it does still appear on some recommendations. In practice an applicant does not need this to study Law at university and in the past some university Law schools have actually been sceptical, openly preferring students who haven't studied the subject before though this hostility appears to be diminishing. This 2017 piece Legal Cheek: Should I study A-level law if I want to do a law degree? captures a sense of the debate about it nearly a decade ago, especially the comment about the few students who had taken it being told to forget everything they had already learned at the outset of their degree, but increasingly it seems the scepticism is wearing off and the A Level is no hindrance to applicants.

Many schools and colleges do not offer Law at A Level and this has not caused a problem. In 2025 14,973 people took the exam, compared to the most popular subject, Mathematics, taken by 112,138. Not everyone taking A Level Law will have applied to or been accepted to read Law at university so it's likely to still be held by a minority of Law undergraduates. There were at least 27,150 accepted that year but that figure only cover those applying through UCAS and not those who successfully apply directly, which includes many part-time and distance learners such as most Open University students. (All figures from The Law Society Gazette: A-Level results day: Law degrees more popular than ever.)

What about Fashion Merchandising?

Someone always asks this question because of a particular well known film about studying Law (which is going to come up again on this blog). I am not aware of any A Level formally called "Fashion Merchandising" but there is an A Level in Fashion and Textiles. (Here are the specifications for one version, AQA A-level Design and Technology: Fashion and Textiles 7562.) I have no idea how law schools admissions officers feel about this one beyond it being a practical subject and taking at least one essay based subject is preferred. But fashion is a massive industry with a lot of legal issues (e.g. regulations, intellectual property, contracts and more) and an aspirant fashion lawyer is to be taken seriously. Indeed one university actually offers a Master of Laws in Fashion Law.

Is the LNAT required?

The Law National Aptitude Test or National Admissions Test for Law (the website seems a little confused on the brand name; perhaps they're trying to preserve the acronym "LNAT" because it sounds like the "LSAT" taken in a number of other countries) is an aptitude test used by a handful of universities in order to deal with large numbers of applicants with similar predicted grades. It tests skills and ability, not knowledge of Law. Currently, only nine universities in the UK and three overseas universities use it - see Do I need to sit the test? on the LNAT website for the up-to-date list.

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What is a law school?

This question may seem surprising. The term "law school" is now widely used in this country but this is a relatively recent development and some have asked just what it actually means.

In the UK a "law school" is usually just the section of a university or other higher education institution that teaches Law. It appears that nearly all such sections now use the term "Law School" or "School of Law" in their name regardless of how the university normally and traditionally uses the terms "school", "department" and "faculty". Of course there are a few exceptions (and some cases where the website still has material predating the latest renaming).

One doesn't really "go to law school" in the UK. Instead, one goes to a university or other provider and studies Law or indeed any other subject there. A university law school rarely has the independent identity and distinct facilities of, say, a medical school or a business school. Rather the students usually all mix in together.

This stands in contrast with countries where many law sections are distinct divisions of the university with their own admissions, facilities and identity. In some Law is only available as a graduate entry or postgraduate subject. Thus, "going to law school" really does convey something very different from "going to university to read Law". This has brought the term "law school" into wider use globally and almost certainly explains why many a UK university now uses the term when "department" would be more consistent.

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Why study Law?

Being with a university where one generally doesn't have to write personal statements when applying to courses, there often isn't a simple off the shelf answer to this question (let alone some text that can be simply copied and pasted). And often people find it hardest to put their personal reasoning into written form. Instinct governs us more than we realise. The decision is still taken carefully and rationally but isn't always the easiest to write up.

But there are many reasons people study Law. Not everyone is studying because they want to be a lawyer. Many are studying for the broader skills and application. At its base, Law constitutes the rules of society. Understanding how the rules operate and how to apply them is a natural reason to be drawn to the subject. The skills one develops through the study of the subject are highly transferable whilst the knowledge of a Law graduate can be extremely useful in many different jobs.

The study of Law can lead one in many different directions, both professionally and personally. There is something about understanding the order of things that is attractive. It's a rigorous subject not to be entered lightly, but studying it can be highly rewarding.

If you're looking for tips for a personal statement for an application then this post is going to be a disappointment. But ultimately everyone has their own reasons for being drawn to a particular subject and it's not always easy to put them into words. Often they just know this is the right course.

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Links and references on this blog

The keen eyed amongst you will notice that many links and references on this blog are not formal academic ones.

That's because this is an informal blog, not a formal academic submission. And doing references properly can be a little stressful.

One of the surprising features of the Open University Law courses are the mixed reference systems, with both Harvard referencing for general sources with inline citations and OSCOLA referencing for legal sources with footnotes. (For those wondering, OSCOLA is an imperfect acronym for The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities.) They're essential for assignments (yes even the ones where you have to write a blog post entry) but not for here.

That said if I mention a case I'll try to include the full reference (though inline rather than trying to work out how to do a footnote on here). Similarly, if I mention a journal article I'll usually copy & paste the recommended reference (rather than converting it to strict format), including a link to an online copy, at the end of the post. But if I link to a webpage it will just be a straightforward direct link. And if I mention a book I'll generally just link to its entry on the publisher's website.

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Images on this blog

This blog uses a number of pictures in an attempt to make a look a bit more visually interesting. A quick note on sources and copyright.

A few are photographs taken by myself and credited as such. These remain my own copyright.

One or two are lifted from commons sites and (hopefully) attributed properly.

The rest are generated with Artificial Intelligence, specifically using Microsoft 365 Copilot by giving text instructions to describe a general idea and then refining it. So they're not fantastic. Indeed, a lot of AI-generated content is rubbish. (The graphic on this post in more ways than one!) That's even before we get onto my sense of humour. And they're subject to the copyright of AI generated images.

This is not a formal academic blog so the normal advice to avoid using AI at all doesn't apply here. Only graphics are generated with AI. All the text is written by myself (or quoted and linked).

(Image created with Microsoft 365 Copilot. A good example of why not to use AI!)

An introduction

I'm a Law student and I'm studying with the Open University.

This blog has been created to help share the experience and, hopefully, answer some questions along the way. At the moment I'm in the final stages of Level 2 of my Bachelor of Laws degree and it seemed a good moment to start this blog.

This isn't the first time I've studied at university but my previous experiences were at physical attendance "bricks and mortar" institutions many years ago. Distance learning is a very different experience and some posts will cover how Open University studying is done these days.

I'll also try to explain some of the terminology as we go, whether it's what "Level 2" actually means or explaining just what the "Foundations of Legal Knowledge" actually refers to. Or what the routes are for becoming a barrister or a solicitor and how they affect education.

Both Open University studying and studying law are different from my previous studies and I'll try to cover how so. And I'll have a look at one or two media portrayals that seem to be behind a lot of questions that get raised.

So come aboard for the ride.

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Happy Birthday Sir David Attenborough!

Happy Birthday Sir David Attenborough OM GCMG CH CVO CBE FRS FSA FRSA FLS FZS FRSGS FRSB!

Oh and not forgetting his Open University honorary degree, Doctor of the University (DUniv). (One of many but nobody seems to know the exact number.)

Sir David is best known for his work as a natural historian but he was also Controller of BBC2 from 1965 to 1969. During this time he directed the channel to find its identify, oversaw the introduction of the first colour television not just in the UK but the whole of Europe and was instrumental in setting up the broadcasts for what was then going to be called "the University of the Air". Apparently he was the one who suggested it might be better with a different title.

So a Happy 100th Birthday to the last survivor of setting up the Open University and so much more!

(Yes this blog won't launch for a while just yet and, as we'll see, this post is out of the norm. But I couldn't let this celebration pass.)

(Photo from BergenChamber, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.)