BA Anthropology and Law

Our BA Anthropology and Law brings together two different, but complementary fields – with an equal focus on both areas.

Through anthropology, you’ll explore how our lives are shaped by religious, political and economic systems. You’ll engage in debates about social justice, multiculturalism, race, gender and the direction of political and economic change in today’s world.

The law components delve into the legal system and the technical procedures needed to practise law. As this is a qualifying degree, you’ll be able to progress straight to the LPC (Legal Practice Course) when you graduate.

The programme provides full training in anthropological research methods. There’s also the chance to complete an in-depth ethnographic study, take part in our summer fieldwork placements scheme, and apply for a year abroad with one of our global partners.

You’ll be encouraged to critically evaluate topics and see the world from new perspectives – all within a friendly, supportive, yet academically challenging environment. Our academics are leaders in the field. We were rated as the best anthropology department in the UK for our research (REF 2021) and 3rd in the UK for law in the QS World University Rankings 2023.

• Our BA Anthropology and Law programme is accredited by the Bar Standards Board for the purpose of a qualifying law degree. Since Autumn 2021, the process to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales is via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).
• The new SQE assessment has two stages, with the first being focused on legal knowledge, broadly similar to that supplied in law degrees at present, and the second on practical vocational skills. While a law degree or diploma will no longer be necessary to the process of qualifying, a law degree is likely to remain the most effective and reputable way of acquiring the knowledge that is required to complete the first stage of the SQE.

Please refer to our website and www.sra.org.uk/sra/policy/sqe for further information and updates.

If you wish to gain further insight into social anthropology, we suggest that you look at one or more of the following books. The general introductory texts will allow you to get a sense of the discipline's coverage, while the ethnographies will allow you to dig deeper into specific isues and give you a flavour of the primary materials you will be engaging with during your degree. We've offered a wide selection to allow you to choose texts that mesh closely with your personal interests.

General introductions to anthropology

• R Astuti, J Parry and C Stafford (eds) Questions of Anthropology (Berg, 2007)
• C Geertz The Interpretation of Cultures: selected essays (Basic Books, 1973)
• M Engelke Think like an Anthropologist (Pelican, 2017)

Ethnographies

Gender, poetry and emotions:

• L Abu-Lughod Veiled sentiments: honor and poetry in a Bedouin society (University of California Press, 1986)

Cyber-ethnography, the virtual:

• T Boellstorff Coming of Age in Second Life: an anthropologist explores the virtually human (Princeton University Press, 2008).

Gender, sexuality:

• S G Davies Challenging Gender Norms: five genders among the Bugis in Indonesia (Thomson Wadsworth, 2007)

Hunter-gatherers, shamanism, cosmology:

• P Descola The Spears of Twilight: life and death in the amazon jungle (The New Press, 1998)

Race, education and achievement:

• S Fordham Blacked Out: dilemmas of race, identity and success at capital high (University of Chicago Press. 1996)

Economics, globalisation:

• R J Foster Coca-Globalization: following soft drinks from New York to New Guinea (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008)

Medical ethics, law, feminism:

• F Ginsburg Contested Lives: the abortion debate in an American community (University of California Press, 1998)

War, anti-colonialism/nationalism, religion:

• D Lan Guns and Rain: guerillas and spirit mediums in Zimbabwe (University of California Press, 1985)

Postcolonialism, exchange, modernity:

• C Piot Remotely Global: village modernity in West Africa (University of Chicago Press, 1999)

Christianity, morality, conversion:

• J Robbins Becoming Sinners: christianity and moral torment in a Papua New Guinea society (University of California Press, 2004)

Introductions to law

• J Adams and R Brownsword Understanding Law (Sweet and Maxwell, 2006)
• T Bingham The Rule of Law (Penguin, 2011)
• A Bradney et al How to Study Law (Sweet and Maxwell, 2005)
• F Cownie, A Bradney and M Burton English Legal System in Context (Oxford University Press, 6th ed, 2013)
• E Finch and S Fafinski Legal Skills (5th edition, Oxford University Press, 2015)

Legal issues explored from an anthropological perspective

A fascinating and influential overview of the ways in which legal systems and punishments reflect historical/cultural shifts in the way in which power is practiced and statecraft is conceptualised:

• M Foucault Discipline and Punish: the birth of the prison (Penguin, 1979)

Current "gold standard" of legal anthropology; focuses on how law is brought into being:

• B Latou The Making of Law. an ethnography of the conseil d'etat (Polity Press, 2009)

Colonial law, legacies for postcolonial societies:

• M Mamdani From Subject to Citizen: contemporary Africa and the legacy of late colonialism (Princeton University Press, 1996)

Classic account of the paradoxes of legal practice:

• S Merry Getting Justice and Getting Even: legal consciousness among working-class Americans (University of Chicago Press, 1990)

Fascinating insight into how law and punishment operates in Melanesia:

• A Reed Papua New Guinea’s Last Place: experiences of constraint in a postcolonial prison (Berghahn, 2003)

The Department of Anthropology is world-leading and internationally renowned – rated the top anthropology department in the UK (Good University Guide 2024).

Our work is rooted in ethnographic research: we explore how different societies and communities work. We ask big questions about what people have in common and what makes us different – challenging traditional assumptions and ideas.

Anthropology has been taught at LSE since 1904. The department rose to prominence under Malinowski – the founder of British social anthropology. Many of the leading figures in the field have taught and/or studied at LSE. Today, we strive to work in the best radical traditions of the discipline while constantly pushing our thinking in new directions.

The department offers a mix of undergraduate and postgraduate study opportunities, including a single honours degree in Social Anthropology and a joint undergraduate Anthropology and Law programme.

We have a dynamic and active research community. Long-term anthropological fieldwork is a key strength of our department. Most staff are involved in ongoing field research, in both well-established and emerging fields. Our academics also work at the intersections with other disciplines, including history, cognitive psychology and religious studies.

The department has strong international links. Leading scholars from around the world come to LSE as visiting academics. Postdoctoral fellows and PhD students also make important contributions to the department’s research.

We’re proud to welcome students from all over the world and diverse academic backgrounds to our vibrant, welcoming and inclusive department.

Learn more about our programmes and research.

Department of Anthropology

We consider each application carefully, taking into account all the details you’ve included on your UCAS form, such as:

• academic achievement, including predicted and achieved grades (also see specific information about this programme in the "entry requirements" above)
• subjects and subject combinations (also see specific information about this programme in the "entry requirements" above)
• your personal statement
• your teacher’s reference
• educational circumstances

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency, although this is not needed at the application stage. See our English language requirements page.

We’re looking for students who demonstrate:

• an interest in diverse cultures and societies
• an ability to ask incisive questions
• strong analytical skills
• a creative and flexible approach to study
• intellectual curiosity
• self-motivation and a willingness to work hard
• excellent time management skills
• an equal interest in anthropology and law.

Formative unassessed coursework

All taught courses include formative coursework, which is not assessed.

This coursework prepares you for summative assessment, which counts towards your course mark and the degree award. We use a wide range of formative assessment methods, including essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams and many others. Feedback on coursework is an important part of the learning experience. Your coursework will be marked and typically returned within two weeks – provided it’s been submitted on time.

Summative assessment

Summative assessment counts towards your final course mark and degree award. Summative assessment for anthropology courses is either by coursework (which usually involves one or two substantial essays per course), a take-home exam, or an unseen examination. Law courses are normally examined wholly by unseen examination. This assessment will vary from course to course and from year to year.

You’ll receive feedback on any summative coursework as part of the assessment for individual courses (except on final submitted dissertations). Feedback is normally given before the examination period.

Learn more about the current formative coursework and summative assessment for each course in the relevant course guide.

Find out more about LSE’s teaching and assessment methods.

Our BA Anthropology and Law graduates have proven very employable both inside and outside the legal profession. This is a qualifying degree, meaning you can go straight from graduating to taking the LPC (Legal Practice Course), and recent leavers have secured training contracts at world renowned law firms, whilst others have been taken on as analysts and consultants. Others still have used the legal and social insights gained in their degree to set up their own NGOs or start their own businesses.

The analytical, critical and communication skills and legal and social insights gained within the BA Anthropology and Law provide an excellent foundation for many careers and can be applied to a wide range of industries. For example, recent graduates have gone on to work in journalism, development, medicine and counselling, law, human rights, nursing, teaching, business, theatre and film. The programme also establishes a good grounding for research in critical legal studies, or vocationally-oriented training in fields such as policy and planning.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Further information on the Bar Professional Training Course

Further information on the profession of solicitor

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.