All is fair in law and war, but who will be the season’s finest?
Law school could well be its own period drama; from the battle to secure a training contract/pupillage, to the personalities that duel each other every seminar. But with universities shut during lockdown, law students have had to turn to Netflix for the latest scandal.
Reaching over 82 million homes worldwide, Bridgerton is now the streaming platform’s most-watched original series of all time. For those who can’t wait to get their season two fix, here are ten of the most and least favourable Bridgerton characters as the people you meet at law school.
1. Daphne Bridgerton
Miss Daphne Bridgerton, the season’s diamond, is the teacher’s pet of any law school. Arriving half an hour before the lecture starts to reserve two front-row seats for themselves and their textbooks, they know the lecturer on a first name basis and can’t wait to get their hands on the next reading list. They fear ruin more than anything, which involves getting anything less than a first class degree — “You have no idea what it’s like to have one’s life reduced to a single moment!”
2. Simon Basset, The Duke of Hastings
Having secured a TC on a complete whim, Basset is the law student everyone loathes (but secretly envies). While their contemporaries drown in grad scheme applications, they spend all their time on sports committees, most notably, BoxSoc. Despite their TC luck however, they’re not actually set on law — after all, they only applied for the LLB and not PPE to spite their dad.
3. Eloise Bridgerton
As a scandalously high achiever, this law student constantly bags themselves first class grades with little effort. Nonetheless, they couldn’t think of anything worse than a typical legal career and have their sights set on a PhD in critical legal theory or feminist studies. Famous for their one-liners, they are not someone to challenge on a point of law — “Go on, then. Chastise me.”
4. Penelope Featherington
One of the quieter law students, but a complete underdog. Need that book for your essay? They took it out on a long loan a week ago but won’t be fessing up.
5. Anthony Bridgerton
The Law Soc micro-manager. They have a google calendar for every Law Soc event of the year and completely undermine the law ball ‘committee’ each year. They have serious authority issues and are not someone you want to be paired with in a ‘group’ project.
6. Benedict Bridgerton
As a bit of a law school outsider, they spend all their time with the philosophy and classics students. The law library is far too elitist for this outcast, who instead prefers to work in an off-campus independent cafe.
7. Lady Danbury
The law school personal tutor every fresher wants as a surrogate mum. They head up the law school pro-bono team/PEC committee and will happily take you under their wing.
8. Queen Charlotte
Privy to every affair, the law school dean is always on the lookout for the season’s finest academic achiever. They have the most prestigious role in the law school and adjudicate the biggest scandal of them all, plagiarism.
Alongside maintaining good academic conduct, they’re also one to indulge in law school gossip every now and then and love an exposé.
9. Prince Friedrich
The ultimate law school nice guy. They let everyone borrow their notes and would probably let you plagiarise their essay given half the chance. They’re being offered TCs left right and centre but keep turning them down in search of a “true cultural fit”.
10. Cressida Cowper
The law school snitch. Whether you’re five minutes late to the lecture, scanning and scranning, or borrowing someone else’s notes to prepare for a seminar, they’ve always got something to say about it.
And finally…
11. Lady Whistledown
You might not know them, but they certainly know you.
Whether you stole paper from the printer on the sly, or are an infamous chatterbox in the silent area, the law school librarians are the eyes and ears of any law school. As the complete gurus of Westlaw and LexisNexis, it’s absolutely critical you win their favour.
As the season begins, they place bets on which rookie law students will sink or swim. After all, “the brighter a lady shines, the faster she may burn”.
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