The Open University in the UK offers OpenLearn, giving free access to some of their learning resources. You’ll find materials on a range of subjects. Try as many as you like for free. Some are ‘tasters’ of longer courses for which you need to register and pay, and some are standalone offerings. A variety of multimedia are used – some are written only, while others include audio and/or video material.

Below is just a small selection that caught my eye:

Starting with law explores key legal concepts such as legal capacity and the rights and responsibilities of the individual. You can examine how laws are made, and how they affect us at different points in our lives. This unit is ideal if you are a beginner or returning to study.

Can a past failure count against a future contract bid? In the light of G4S’s failure to delivery sufficient security staff for the Olympics, does the law allow past performance to be taken into account when awarding Government contracts?

Judges and the law: How do judges make law? This unit examines how the common law system works, the differences between ‘civil code’ and ‘common law’ systems, and the advantages and disadvantages of the common law system. The role of the judiciary in the law-making process is explored by examining the origins of common law, the system of precedent and the rules of statutory interpretation.

What makes a good barrister? In this video, a panel of legal experts consider what it is that makes a good barrister.

To access all of the OpenLearn resources on law, click here.

You might also be interested in this post about free resources from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).