The Open University used to send copies of the core textbooks to Law students prior to the start of the module (and may still do so on some other subjects; I've heard mixed reports). They've since switched to using Law Trove which gives online access to the text of a much wider range of books from Oxford University Press. But many students find it easier to read from physical paper books and will seek to obtain new or second hand copies of the core textbooks for modules. And at other universities, especially those with physical seminars, the situation can differ and physical copies may be essential.
It may seem tempting to rush out and buy a full set of Law books at the start of a course. They may even seem to be good gifts for someone else. But, as I hope to explain, this can be counterproductive. Book buying is a complicated affair best handled over the whole of the course.
If you're thinking of giving a textbook as a gift, be aware that there isn't one standard set of textbooks across the country. Each university chooses its own set of books. In some areas of Law one book is so dominant that it is very widely used but in others there's a range of potential core textbooks and many different choices are made. Also for gift-givers even if you read Law at the same university previously do not assume the same book will still be used, even if a new edition has recently been published.
Law is a field where things change quickly and there is a high turnover of editions. As I've previously discussed, many books go through new editions every few years, sometimes as quickly as every year for statute books. The textbooks and casebooks that are core on the Open University degree haven't turned over quite as fast, but of the eight I either used or would have used on Level 1 and Level 2 modules, no less than six already have new editions out. A full set of the eleven books used on non-SQE modules purchased in 2022 for someone taking Law part-time over the next six years would have seen at least five superseded by new editions by the time the relevant module started and at least another five superseded by the end of the degree (the sole exception at the moment is Peace & Stevens' Trusts and Equitable Obligations, most recent edition 2022). Someone studying full-time might be luckier with the turnover but if they'd started in 2025 then at least four books would have newer editions by the time they reached the relevant module and another two had new editions published so close to the start of the year that the previous books might have been used.
And that's even before one makes their optional module choice final. No one student is going to need all eleven books. Books on Business and Employment Law or Evidence Law are not going to be much help if one ends up taking Family Law and International, Environmental and Space Law instead.
So it's best for the student to control the buying and to do so spread out across the degree, only obtaining the latest editions close to starting the relevant module. With that in mind, here are a few tips.
Double check both which books you need access to and which editions. Not only are there multiple editions out there (some of which use very similar covers - looking especially at you EU Law: Text, Cases, and Materials), but there are a number of similar titled books by the same author(s) such as Poole's Casebook on Contract Law and Poole's Textbook on Contract Law, both now by Merkin and Saintier. That one has definitely caught a few people out. Look up the book on the publisher's website (for the OU this is usually Oxford University Press's Academic section) to see if there's a new edition out this year and double check whether the brand-new edition will be used or the previous one. Sometimes a new edition published in the summer is deemed too soon for use in modules in the immediate next academic year (and the position can differ for modules starting in September/October with those starting in January/February). If the older edition is listed, try sending an email to see if you can get definite confirmation whether that's up-to-date or not.
High street bookshops will be unlikely to have most of the books on the course lists and/or mentioned on this blog on their shelves. These are specialist books with a limited lifespan and general demand is limited. The main exceptions tend to be Law dictionaries and longer life opinion pieces such as The Rule of Law by Lord Bingham of Cornhill or Justice: What's the right thing to do? by Michael J. Sandel. All of these I've often found in high street bookshops.
Larger bookshops in city centres and/or near universities may have some of the textbooks on shelves (in central London I've certainly seen a good many at both Foyles on Charing Cross Road and Waterstones on Gower Street) but don't expect to find absolutely all the ones you need there, especially if the bookshop is nearer other universities whose own Law courses prescribe different textbooks.
Ordering online is the best way forward but remember to compare prices. Also look out for discount codes that are sometimes provided through universities. And make sure the order goes to an easy-to-reach address or a good collection point.
Second hand copies are fine providing they are the edition you need. Make sure to look around, not just on regular sites like Amazon and eBay but also on sites like Vinted where many students offer their no-longer-needed books. You can even find books offered on social media groups but exercise caution about the buyer. As always, check carefully that you're buying the correct edition. Some books are much easier to find at cheap second hand prices (or deep discounted new editions) than others so the more you can save on one book the more you can put towards another.
Good luck buying!
(Photograph my own.)
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