In anticipation of the upcoming Study Support Event 2023, we spoke to the Undergraduate Laws tutors who will be teaching at the event, to give you an insight into their personalities.

John Strawson

Professor of Law, teaching Jurisprudence and legal theory

I start my day with…a glass of water.
My advice for new students on this module …read, read, read!
What to expect from my sessions…think on your feet – legal theory is fun.
I’ve just finished reading…Francine Hirsch, Soviet Judgment at Nuremburg: A New History of the International Military Tribunal (Oxford University Press, 2020).
My guilty pleasure is…buying books.
How I got to where I am today…lucky genes and judgment.
If I wasn’t doing what I am, I’d like to be …a theoretical physicist.
One item on my bucket list is… attend the New Year Concert in Vienna.

Amanda Taylor

University of London Teaching Fellow, teaching Equity and Trusts

I start my day with… breakfast followed by walking the dog if its not pouring with rain. 

My advice for new students on this module … try to relax into the subject. Absorb it and try to think like a human being rather than a machine. 

What to expect from my sessions… hopefully a bit of fun mixed in with the ground work to help you comprehend the topics.

I’ve just finished reading… about scary monsters. My granddaughter thought it was great fun! 

My guilty pleasure is… a couple of squares of dark chocolate. 

How I got to where I am today… by just being me.

If I wasn’t doing what I am, I’d like to be … a photographer in a warm country. 

One item on my bucket list is… learn Spanish well enough to converse in it.  

Dr Laura Lammasniemi 

Associate Professor, teaching Criminal law 

I start my day with… A big cup of black coffee and a short yoga. 

My advice for new students on this module … Is to take your time with understanding case law. Criminal law is an interesting module but often students find the volume of cases difficult. My advice is to take your time with the cases, make good notes, and always consider: why have been asked to read this case? Why is this case important? If you can answer these questions, you have cracked it. 

What to expect from my sessions… A lot of questions, discussion, and even the occasional debate. Criminal law is all about making good arguments and I want to hear your thoughts and arguments. 

I’ve just finished reading… Rósa & Björk by an amazing new Nordic crime writer Satu Rämö. It’s a detective story set in the distant fjords of Iceland. I have lived in England for 20 years but I was born in Finland. I like reading Nordic literature to stay up-to-date with what is going in the society and culture. 

My guilty pleasure is… Rupaul’s Drag Race! 

How I got to where I am today… Is a winding story. I lived in different countries and had different jobs before I even started my law degree. Sometimes students ask me if it is too late to start studying law later in life, if they had career in something else, or have been busy raising their families and my answer is that it’s never too late. I once knew a a law student who started a LLB in their 80s. 

If I wasn’t doing what I am, I’d like to be … A ceramic artist? If only I was a more gifted potter! 

One item on my bucket list is… Visit Galapagos Islands and swim with turtles. 

Ioannis Glinavos

Senior Lecturer in Law, teaching Contract law

I start my day with… checking the performance of my social media posts. 

My advice for new students on this module … to think about how the content of what you are learning, links with your everyday experience. Contract law is all around us. 

What to expect from my sessions… a lively (and sometimes unorthodox) take on the issues with emphasis on the practical. 

I’ve just finished reading… Kevin Hart’s “It will all work out”. 

My guilty pleasure is… ramen noodles, which is a crime for a Greek chef. 

How I got to where I am today… persistent work and patience (the latter does not come easy). 

If I wasn’t doing what I am, I’d like to be … I’d like to be a professional chef. 

One item on my bucket list is… to cook a whole lamb. 

David Thomas

University of London Teaching Fellow, teaching Property law

I start my day with… Bread and butter with marmite and peanut butter. Delicious! Then I join an online writing group for two hours of focussed study and writing before I do anything else with my day. 

My advice for new students on this module … Property law is unlike other modules in this law degree and it requires distinct skills. It is based heavily on statute, and precision matters much more than general statements; you have to be a pedant. That is where the pleasure of the subject lies as well; mastering it is very satisfying. It is not essential, but I also love the historical roots to the subject. 

What to expect from my sessions… Please do the preliminary preparation – you will get much more out of the sessions, and make it a  richer experience for us all! I do use breakout rooms, to give you a chance of learning from your peers; they can be very enjoyable. But they won’t last too long and the rest is discussion of the questions in the learning overviews. Bring your questions with you – there is no such thing as a wrong or silly question; they are all good. 

I’ve just finished reading… “Slug”, by Hollie McNish, a very engaging poet who never writes about the law. 

My guilty pleasure is… Indian food, from all parts of South Asia. 

How I got to where I am today… I was just lucky, I guess! 

If I wasn’t doing what I am, I’d like to be … A poet and writer of novels (if only I had the talent)! 

One item on my bucket list is… To visit the Taj Mahal.