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Twitter is a fantastic platform for law students. It isn’t as serious as traditional news outlets or platforms like LinkedIn. It is also very customisable, as you can choose who you receive content from.

A while ago I decided to make a second Twitter account dedicated to legal news. I already had a lot of politics and law on my page, and I decided that it would be best for my mental health as a student to separate these away from the memes and jokes; the political content can be disheartening at times and it’s so much better to only see it when I want to. This allows me to go to my day-to-day Twitter account when I’m having downtime, and gives me a constant source of legal news which I can check when I’m actually in the mood to read it. Here are my recommendations on which accounts to follow.

Joshua Rozenberg 

Joshua Rozenberg  is a lawyer and journalist who also hosts BBS Radio 4’s Law in Action podcast. He tweets and retweets breaking legal news stories from all areas of law, which will keep you informed on what’s happening, and will also engage with his followers from time to time, discussing the stories and pointing out the finer details of the law. He is a very well-respected and well-known member of the legal community, and his feed will help you stay abreast of the current news stories, potentially more than any other account on this list.

The Secret Barrister

If you haven’t heard of The Secret Barrister , you’re in for a treat. They are an anonymous legal blogger turned twitter author, who provides a more lighthearted and funny view of the law, without sacrificing any serious analysis. Their focus is predominantly on legal aid and the poor reporting of legal stories in the old media. They constantly mock lax journalists who are misreporting stories, which is both satisfying and funny to watch, as well as other, more cheery ventures such as live tweeting a legal analysis of Legally Blonde and Blue’s ‘All Rise.’

The UK Supreme Court

The Supreme Court  tweet links to their own judgments, as well as giving a brief summary of the case. Where Joshua Rozenberg and The Secret Barrister are useful on a personal level if you are interested in the law, the Supreme Court is useful on an academic level. If you know the topics of your coursework and exams, you will be able to keep an eye on the relevant cases currently coming out of the highest court in the land. This will in turn allow you to have better analysis in your essays as you can reference the newest position of the law, and will boost your marks.

Legal Cheek

Legal Cheek  are actually a legal news website that is focused on students. They provide a less dry analysis than some other sources, and some other more fun articles too. They link these articles on their twitter, as well as putting out videos and other content from time to time. They can be a good reprieve from some of the heavier material, and are much more digestable in long bursts without sacrificing quality.

Honourable Mentions

Ian Dunt: – Ian Dunt is the editor of politics.co.uk, and therefore provides a more political view of things. As such, his opinions may not align with yours, but it’s worth finding commentators who do.

Times Law: – The times provide legal analysis and opinion; it is behind a paywall but it is very high quality if you have the money to spare.

Transparency Project: – the Transparency Project focuses on family law and family courts in England and Wales; if this isn’t your thing, check to see if there is a similar page on your chosen area of Law!

Sarah Langford: – Sarah Langford is a Barrister and Author who provides a good light take on the Law, who has also published a fantastic book that gives you a behind the scenes look at her time as a Barrister.

CPS: – the CPS publish summaries of certain cases, which can be interesting to read if you are considering a career in Criminal Law

RollOnFriday: – RollOnFriday is a legal community website, similar to LegalCheek, that is less student-oriented but will become more useful as you progress through your legal career, and is still worth following as a student.

Maintaining your account

As well as setting up your new Twitter account, do remember to keep it maintained. If your feed is too full you may miss an important post, so don’t be afraid to unfollow anyone. Conversely, if you see the same account being retweeted a lot and want to follow them, that’s always a good idea too! If your feed is full but you don’t want to unfollow anyone, you can also turn off retweets for any accounts who are clogging it up by retweeting too much. It’s important to keep an eye on the quality of your feed: if it gets too busy or too substandard, it starts to lose its point.