The course tutors are Nancy Eisenhauer and Pavlos Eleftheriadis. In addition, the Principal of Mansfield College as of 2011 is a very distinguished lawyer, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, a leading human rights barrister and campaigner.

Mansfield is one of the smallest Oxford colleges. This creates an informal and friendly atmosphere, but without sacrificing academic rigour. Contact between tutors and students is easy and frequent. The College tutors teach about six core subjects between them: Constitutional Law, Introduction to Law, Contracts, Administrative Law, Jurisprudence and European Community Law.  In recent years Mansfield law students have won the Vinerian Scholarship for the best performance on the BCL, the Wronker Prize for Jurisprudence in the FHS and in 2010 the Herbert Hart Prize in Jurisprudence and Political Theory in the BCL.

Law has been taught at Mansfield since 1969. Each year the College admits about five undergraduates. The College welcomes applications for the four-year course, Law with Law Studies in Europe, as well as for the main three-year course. In addition the College usually takes two or three graduates reading for higher degrees or for a second B.A. in Law. At any one time there are about twenty law students at Mansfield. There is a separate College law library and a vibrant student law society. Mansfield is also very conveniently located only a few minutes away from the Law Faculty and the city centre.

Law students at Mansfield are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, both from the UK and overseas. There is no preference for any particular A level (or equivalent) subjects. We consider any candidate who demonstrates the ability to organise information quickly and efficiently and present a well-constructed argument. The National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT) will be taken by all candidates. This test, established by several universities in England including Oxford, is designed to provide an assessment of a candidate’s potential for law degree courses. It is not a replacement for A level (or equivalent) qualifications. It will be used as an additional piece of information for selection decisions alongside A levels, GCSE results (or equivalent qualifications) and the other information available to law schools on a candidate’s application form, as well as, where applicable, the candidate’s performance in interview. Candidates will receive at least two interviews at Mansfield. These will normally cover general issues, such as why the candidate wants to study law and a discussion of topical legal issues and/or hypothetical cases. No prior knowledge of the law is required either for the interview or the LNAT.  No written work will be required. 

Dr Eleftheriadis specialises in public law, European Union law and jurisprudence. He has published widely in both areas and was a Visiting Professor in European Union Law at Columbia Law School in 2001. Before coming to Oxford he taught at the London School of Economics. His book Legal Rights was published in 2008 by Oxford University Press.  He is also a barrister and practices in public and European law from chambers in the Temple. 

Nancy Eisenhauer specialises in public international law and international dispute resolution and, when not teaching, acts as a private legal consultant in primarily investor-State, treaty-based arbitrations.  She is a graduate of the University of Chicago and its Law School, where she served as a Bigelow Teaching Fellow immediately upon graduation.  More recently, she served as an Attorney-Adviser for the U.S. Department of State.  Prior to joining the State Department, she practised domestic and international litigation and arbitration at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Useful Links

• Faculty of Law
• University Course Detail