Equity and Trusts

• published: 05 Oct 2014
• views: 6

BOOK REVIEW OPTIMIZE LAW REVISION EQUITY AND TRUSTS Companion Website By Judith Riches ISBN: 978 0 41583 373 8 ROUTLEDGE TAYLOR & FRANCIS GROUP www.routledge.com THESE “OPTIMIZE: YOUR BLUEPRINT FOR EXAM SUCCESS” TIPS FOR THE DIFFICULT SUBJECTS OF EQUITY & TRUSTS ARE SUPERB FOR YOUR FINAL REVISION PROGRAMME! An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers What Judith Riches has produced here is an excellent statement of the main points of study covering 13 topic areas for Equity and Trusts, optimizing the law and catering for undergraduates looking for a departure from the traditional law texts and revision materials available. The “Table of Key Cases” provides a particularly useful aid to learning. As publishers Routledge state, you can always trust the “Optimize law revision- result focused” series of books because they have been produced with the learning needs of the students firmly in mind for revision. The companion website also gives you additional advice and exercises online as well. What Riches sets out in this excellent “Optimize” book is a formidable explanation of what is readily recognized as one of the hardest legal concepts – Equity and Trusts - in easily understandable terms for what is are difficult areas of law for many to study (and teach) although it may look superficially easy to some as much is statute based! As with all the Routledge text books, this particular title is one of the best on the market giving a full introduction into the way in which equity and trusts operates in England and Wales with ‘Chapter Maps’ and sections on putting the learning into practice whereby learners can use the material throughout to good problem-answering use to maximize the marks sought. The ‘Chapter Summaries’ are also very useful allowing the learner to pull all the threads learnt together to assist the student with a strong measure of progress as the “Optimize” series develops. We also consider that this book has a much wider potential readership for anyone interested in the development of equity and trusts law as a topical area to study. One of the main reasons why we feel that the Routledge series of legal textbooks to be of outstanding value both in terms of cost and in content is the way in which their authors (all legal experts) explain substantive legal issues in such a readable fashion. For both tutors and students, a decision on which textbook or revision book to use is always difficult but it is clear to us from the feedback we have received from students that the Routledge texts lead the legal field and the Optimize series are particularly welcome. Many of their titles also have excellent links to websites sometimes marked as ‘companion websites’ as we have mentioned and they also add much assistance to the hard-pressed learner and is a great additional tool for all. We would also say that the formats used by Routledge for their books are very much of a mainstream formula for legal texts which eases the student into methods of legal reasoning for those just beginning their legal studies and for all undergraduates: they certainly helped us with our preparation so do ensure you look very carefully at all the titles they have on offer! For the ‘Optimize’ series do look at the guide to the companion website initially in order to get the study tips and advice. Then read the Preface and Guide to use the book in detail because they deal with important matters which you may wish to consider such the length of the answers; common pitfalls; expressing points of view; and suggestions for exam technique. The “Optimize” structure of the innovative ‘Chapter Maps’ is also of high significance when you come to sketch out your answer in the exam hall. So, for us reviewing the book, the companion website is an innovation! Therefore, do look at the features at the beginning of the book which will assist with your learning and engagement with the subject matter. This book covers all the main topic areas on undergraduate and professional law syllabuses and it provides a full understanding of each with supporting resources from the web link given which will give the student an indispensable foundation of understanding of this important area of equity and trusts. There is much food for thought throughout this excellent undergraduate “Optimize” series for their topicality, and on where we are now, and where we are going with current matters involving the concepts of equity and trusts for the 21st century. Thank you Routledge!