School of Law News
May 2012
Sports News
Magic Circle firm Linklaters LLP have kindly agreed to sponsor the School of Law rugby and netball teams in 2012/2013. We are extremely grateful for rtheir support.
The football team will again be sponsored by Pannone Solicitors. We are very grateful for their continued support.
The University of Manchester Review of Law, Crime and Ethics
The first publication of the above, a student journal, showcasing the breadth of work covered in the School of Law – law, criminology and ethics, was launched at a reception in Christie’s Bistro on Tuesday 8th May. Congratulations to all concerned in the production of this high quality publication, but a special thanks to Michal Kniec, Editor-in-Chief, without whom this project would never have come to fruition.
Student Societies Elections
Elections for the new committee members of the various Student Societies are currently underway. Some of the Societies have already chosen their new committees. Jeff Leblanc has been re-elected as President of MULS, a position he held so successfully during 2011/12, Chris Law has been elected President of the Legal Advice Centre Society, and Niall Boyle was elected to the position of President of FLUB for 2012/13.
Alumni Event
The first event of our new Alumni Network was held at the London office of Allen & Overy, in Bishops Square, London , on Thursday 29th March 2012..
This took the form of an informal gathering, with a welcome by Lord Daniel (Dan) Brennan KCSG, QC, a Manchester Law graduate, with an introduction by our new Head of School, Professor Geraint Howells, and was attended by members of the Law School staff and a representative of the University Alumni Office, together with 40 London based alumni.
We hope to hold another gathering in Manchester in the autumn.
Singapore and Malaysia Internships – Summer 2012
Successful applicants (over twenty in total) have been informed of their placements with law firms in Malaysia, and the placements for the Singapore based internships will be announced shortly.
Mentor Scheme 2012/2013
Peer Mentors for 2012/13 have now been selected, and mostly trained. A new student Co-ordinator has also been selected. Katie Walsh will take over this role from Anna Sharp
March 2012
MCFC Sponsor Legal Advice Centre Society
Manchester City Football Club have kindly agreed to sponsor the Legal Advice Centre Student Society.
We are very grateful for their generosity.
Law Lecturer Shortlisted for Award
Professor Rodney Brazier has been shortlisted for the LawCareers.Net Law Lecturer of the Year Award. Rodney is one of six lecturers shortlisted, from a total of over 220 nominees.
The award will be made at the LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards (TARAs) held at the Swiss Re Building (AKA ‘The Gherkin’) in the City of London on Thursday 24 May 2012.
This is a richly deserved recognition of Rodney's talents and popularity. We wish him well!
Mediation Competition
The final of the Mediation Competition , held in conjunction with the London School of Mediation, and in which our students were in competition with students from Liverpool University, took place on Wednesday 21st March. A panel of distinguished mediators, headed by Lord Justice Sir Brian Neill, acted as judges.
We are delighted to announce that one of our Manchester students, Nateisha Anderson, a third year LLB student, was the overall winner of the competition. Nateisha was awarded a place on one of the LSM’s mediation courses, together with a cash award.
For further infomation please go to:
http://www.schoolofmediation.org/manchester-pip-liverpool-just/
Well done Nateisha!
Internal Mooting Competition
Congratulations to Elizabeth (Lizzie) Handley on winning the final of the Internal Moot Competition, which took place on 15th March.
Congratulations also to runner-up Dalton Hale.
Well done both!
Legal Advice Centre Vacation Placement Scheme (2nd & 3rd Years)
Following on from the success of last year’s Legal Advice Centre Vacation Placement Scheme, we have decided to make this an annual event. This year’s placement will commence on Monday 2nd July and finish on Friday 13th July.
The first week will be based on conducting cases at the Legal Advice Centre, under the supervision of Dinah Crystal, Neil Allen and local lawyers.
The second week will include various sessions with both local lawyers and Magic Circle firms, and will include interview skills. There will also be marshalling at the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester.
The scheme will be held in conjunction with the College of Law in Manchester and there will be 20 places available for School of Law students and 20 places for College of Law students. Many sessions will be held at the College of Law.
LawWorks and Attorney General Student Awards
The School of Law was shortlisted in the Best Law School category of the LawWorks and Attorney General Student Awards. The Awards were held in the afternoon of Tuesday 27th March at the House of Commons.
We were named as runner up to the University of Hull, beating the Universities of Sheffield and Northumbria and BPP.
Well done to all concerned!
Student Societies
The Student Societies are very busy organising their final events for the year, and with elections for the new committees. The Mooting Final will take place in our new Moot Room on Thursday, 15th March, and the DLA Piper Debating Society Competition Final will take place in the Whitworth Council Chamber on Thursday, 22nd March. The Guest Judge this year is local radio personality Alan Beswick.
MULS Sports Day,sponsored by Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer, will take place on Friday, 16th March.
February 2012
Summer Internships in Malaysia and Singapore
There will be a meeting in the DLA Piper Student Common Room on Thursday 1st March at 1:00pm for students interested in undertaking internships in Singapore and Malaysia during the summer 2012 vacation.
Full details of the internships programmes will be given by Dinah Crystal and application forms will be available.
Please note: You will need to be able to cover all the costs yourself – these will include travel, accommodation, food and spending money.
Mediation Competition 2012
The second annual Mediation Competition, run in conjunction with the London School of Mediation is now underway. Application forms are available from the DLA Piper Student Common Room.
Closing date for applications is 14th March 2012. The final of the competition will take place on Wednesday 21st March from 2pm in University Place.
We are pleased to announce that Sir Brian Neill has again agreed to judge the competition.
Public Lecture Series 2011/12
Professor Rodney Brazier’s lecture ‘From Asquith to Clegg: Is Lords Reform Impossible?’ took place on 21st February to an audience of students, staff and invited guests and was a resounding success!
The text of Rodney’s lecture is available on the School of Law website:
http://www.law.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/public_lectures/documents/public_lecture_series.pdf
The final lecture in the 2011/12 series - “What it’s like to be good – Neuroscience, ethics and law” by Professor John Harris, will take place on Tuesday 20th March in the Whitworth Council Chamber from 5.15pm.
Mentor Scheme 2012/12
We have now started the process of recruiting student mentors for 2012/13. We are also seeking a new Student Co-ordinator, to take over from Anna Sharp in 2012/13.
We would like to thank Anna for all her hard work this year. She will be a difficult act to follow!
Law in the City 2012
A total of 27 first year students travelled to London, accompanied by Dinah Crystal, to take part in this year’s Law in the City event. The students thoroughly enjoyed the day, although tiring, and we have received some very positive feedback.
'Firstly can I say thank you for giving me the opportunity to attend Law in the City, it was truly amazing! The highlight was definitely being able to walk around such 'cool' and amazing buildings and being able to get a feel of what a top City law firm is like’, commented one student.
Whilst another added:
‘Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the day, particularly the case study as I feel I was provided with a hands-on approach as a City lawyer’.
January 2012
Student Societies
MULS did not win the overall award in the National Placement and Internship Awards 2012 - Best University Society, but received a framed certificate confirming their nomination as one of four finalists, and the only Law Society to be nominated.
Mediation Competition – Briefing Session 15th February
Jonathan Dingle from the London School of Mediation will be giving a briefing session prior to this year’s Mediation Competition. This year’s competition will be held in conjunction with the University of Liverpool, but will be hosted by Manchester with the final taking place on 21st March.
The briefing session will take place on Wednesday 15th February from 3.15pm in University Place, room 5.206 and will last for approximately one hour. At this session, the selection questionnaire will be handed out. This is an elimination exercise to select the finalists and will take the form of multiple choice questions.
This is the second year we have held this competition and it is again sponsored by the London School of Mediation, who once again have very generously provided the prizes. These will include places on the LSM Mediation courses plus cash awards.
Please try to attend if at all possible.
Law in the City
Are you interested in finding out more about a career as a commercial lawyer?
'Law in the City' is a one day programme organised and held in London each year by top international commercial law firms Hogan Lovells, Clifford Chance, Herbert Smith, Allen & Overy and Slaughter and May. It is unique to the University of Manchester and exclusively for students in the first year of their undergraduate law degree. This year's event will take place on Tuesday 21 February 2012.
The programme includes talks, interactive sessions (including a business case study), lunch, and the opportunity to meet and quiz trainee solicitors, lawyers and graduate recruiters from each firm about living and working in London, the realities of practising commercial law, and the career opportunities available to you. We will, of course, reimburse reasonable travel expenses. Please visit the Law School website (www.law.manchester.ac.uk) for further details.
Civil Procedures Lectures
A series of three lectures on Civil Procedures to be hosted by HH Judge Stewart QC – Senior Judge at the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester will be delivered on the following dates:
- 9-10am Tuesday 31st January
- 9-10am Tuesday 7th February
- 9-10am Tuesday 14th February
All lectures will take place in University Place, theatre A. This is a fantastic opportunity, unique to the School of Law, and a certificate will be awarded to students attending all three lectures. Judge Stewart is very kindly giving his time for the benefit of our students. Please make every effort to attend.
CV and Application Skills Workshop
Dinah Crystal and Norma HIrd will be running a CV and Application Skills workshop on Wednesday 8th February from 3pm until 5pm in Roscoe, room 2.3. The workshop will be limited to 40 students. If you are interested in attending, please send a copy of your CV to Maureen.Barlow@manchester.ac.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 2nd February. You will also be required to download an application form from a firm of your choice to take along to the workshop. One of our students, Alexandra Simon, will also talk on how to make a successful training contract application.
December 2011
Legal Advice Centre Chosen as Social Responsibility Flagship
The Legal Advice Centre has been chosen as a University Social Responsibility Flagship, one of six projects which show the difference staff and students are making to local, national and international communities. The Legal Advice Centre was the first Flagship to be featured in the University’s ‘Unilife’ magazine.
Student Societies
MULS have been shortlisted as one of four finalists in the National Placement and Internship Awards 2012 – Best University Society, the only Law Society to be nominated. The Award will be presented at a ceremony in London in January.
This is a fantastic achievement – Well Done MULS!
Launch of Moot Room
A vey successful launch of the School of Law’s new Mooting Room took place on Thursday 8th December. This involved a mock moot with local bar and bench taking part, together with students, and was judged by judges from the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester.
Civil Procedures and Advocacy Lectures
His Honour Judge Stephen Stewart, a senior civil designated judge at the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester, will be presenting a series of three lectures on civil procedure early in semester two and Dr Nicholas Braslavsky QC will also be presenting a series of six Advocacy lectures, commencing early in February.
AND FINALLY
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012
October 2011
Legal Advice Centre Society
The Legal Advice Centre Society, which was formed during the last academic year, has recently elected its first committee. The President of the Society is Jelizaveta Busygina (Liza) and is ably assisted by eleven other committee members. The society hopes to hold their first social event in November.
Student Societies
The societies held a very successful sign up event in Jabez Clegg during Welcome Week, and are now busily planning their programmes for the year. MULS have launched a new website, which is very informative and details the events of all the societies – www.mulsonline.com
Manchester Student Law Review
Michal Kniec, a third year student has begun a peer reviewed student journal to be called The Manchester Student Law Review. Michal will act as Editor-in-chief of the journal, which will exhibit the best academic work, both undergraduate and postgraduate, and will be published at the end of the year.
Civil Procedures Lectures
His Honour Judge Stephen Stewart, a senior civil designated judge at the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester, will be presenting a series of three lectures on civil procedure early in semester two. Please look out for further details at a later date.
Harry Street Lecture
This year, the Harry Street lecture will be given by Geoffrey Robertson QC at 5pm on Friday 18th November 2011. The lecture title will be “From Murdoch to Assange - do moral ethics matter?" and will take place in the main lecture theatre, Samuel Alexander building.
The lecture will be preceded by tea in Christie's Bistro from about 4.00pm and followed by a wine reception (for staff and students)
September 2011
Welcome!
The School of Law welcomes all our new and returning students for the academic year 2011/12. We hope you have a very successful and enjoyable year.
Student Societies
The newly elected committees of the student societies have been very busy over the summer organising talks, workshops and social events. The sign up for the societies will take place at Jabez Clegg on Wednesday 21st September from 4pm.
Law Firm Presentations, Case Studies and Workshops
The programme of case studies and workshops begins on Tuesday 27th September, from 3pm until 5pm, and will run throughout the semester. The law firm presentations will begin week commencing Monday 10th October. A printed programme will be available shortly, and information on all sessions will be circulated via email and the plasma screen in the Law School foyer.
August 2011
Internships in Malaysia and Singapore
The programme of internships in Malaysia was successfully completed in July by twenty two School of Law students. The feedback we have had from the students is truly excellent, with comments such as “I had the most fantastic time. The firm were immensely generous with their time and enabled me to experience Malaysian culture in ways that would not have been possible alone. I have gained so much and cannot emphasise enough how much I appreciate having been given the opportunity”, and “It was truly a great experience, I learnt a lot and am happy to have had the opportunity to do it.”
The internships in Singapore are taking place in August and September.
Summer Vacation Placement Scheme at the Legal Advice Centre
In conjunction with the College of Law, a Legal Advice Centre Vacation Placement Scheme was piloted in July. The first week of the two week scheme was spent in interviewing clients, researching their cases and sending letters of advice. The second week consisted of workshops by leading firms and Chambers (including the Legal Advice Centre’s founding sponsors Clifford Chance) on every aspect of becoming a lawyer. Students also spent a day at the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester during the second week. It is hoped the Scheme will become an annual event.
Student Societies
Ramesh Pani has been elected President of the Mooting Society for 2011/12. The School also has a new Mooting Officer - Dr Adam Tucker takes over from Dr Imogen Jones. We would like to thank Imogen for all her work with the Mooting Society over the last few years.
Case Studies and Workshops
The School of Law, in conjunction with the University Careers’ Service, offers a series of case studies and workshops, often facilitated by City and local law firms and Chambers. These sessions take place on Tuesday afternoon between 3pm and 5pm and are timetabled to allow all students to participate.
New for 2011/12:
- Interview skills – delivered by a former partner of a large City law firm, and alumnus of Manchester
- Advocacy skills – delivered by a leading QC and Head of Chambers in Manchester
- Law in the City for first year students - organised by five leading City law firms, which involves a day in London for selected students and includes talks, interactive sessions, and the opportunity to meet and quiz graduate recruiters, trainee solicitors and lawyers from each firm
June 2011
Legal Advice Centre
International law firm Hill Dickinson have recently agreed to co-sponsor the Legal Advice Centre at the School of Law, and will replace Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, the previous co-sponsors. Clifford Chance will continue to sponsor the Centre, as they have since the Centre opened in 2000.
Summer Vacation Placement Scheme at the Legal Advice Centre
The Legal Advice Centre is this year piloting a two week Vacation Placement Scheme in conjunction with the College of Law in Manchester. Twelve students from the School of Law and twelve from the College of Law will take part in the scheme. The first week will consist of training and client appointments (real clients from the general public), and the second week will be taken up with workshops, kindly facilitated by lawyers, plus a day’s marshalling at the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester. If successful, it is hoped this will become an annual event.
Internship in Singapore
Hill Dickinson has this year kindly offered a vacation placement to one of our Singaporean students at their offices in both Manchester and Singapore. Yi Rong Ang, a third year LLB student, has been awarded the internship this year.
Beachcroft Award
The School of Law would like to thank Beachcroft, a leading national commercial law firm, for kindly offering to donate a week’s placement at their Manchester office to the second year student with the highest mark in the Employment Law exam.
Student Societies
Following the announcement in last month’s student news of the new MULS President, several of the other student societies have recently held elections for their new committees. The new President of the Streetlaw Society for 2011/12 will be Umar Rauf and FLUB (Firstyear Law, University and Beyond) has selected Owen Coyle to be their new President.
May 2011
Summer Internships in Singapore and Malaysia
Preparations for the internships in both Singapore and Malaysia are now well underway. Over 20 students have been accepted onto the programme in Malaysia, and approximately 15 in Singapore. The Malaysian programme will consist of a two week placement with a law firm in Kuala Lumpur, whilst the students going to Singapore will be based at the Law Society of Singapore Pro Bono Division.
School of Law Mediation Competiton
The finals of the inaugural Mediation Skills competition took place on Friday 1st April. The London School of Mediation, who kindly sponsored this competition, thought that the standard was very high and that the students were a credit to the Law School. The winner of the competition was Daniel Bomsztyk, who received a cash award plus a place on the London School of Mediation commercial mediation course. Runner up Hasina Desai also received a cash prize and a place on the course. The other four finalists, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, Elizabeth Handley, Lawrence Flynn and Alexander Ling, were each awarded a cash prize.
Student Societies
The past few weeks have seen the finals of the Mooting competitions and the Debating competition taking place. The winner of the Main Moot competition was Pip Moss and Ramesh Pani won the Mini Moot competition. The guest judge at the final of the debating competition was Edwina Currie and the winning team was Aarti Sreenivas and Fabian McNeilly. The other societies have also held their final events of the year, with a particularly successful careers’ information session organised for first year students by FLUB.
The MULS Ball takes place on Saturday 30th April at the Town Hall in Manchester. This year’s theme is ‘Circus Spectacular’.
The School of Law is grateful for the support of our Student Societies’ sponsors – Allen & Overy, DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Eversheds and the College of Law.
New President for MULS
Jeff LeBlanc has been elected President of MULS for 2011/12 and will take over from Sara Hamzawi on 30th April. The School would like to thank Sara and her committee for all their hard work over the past year.
March 2011
New Head for School of Law
Professor Geraint Howells has been appointed as the New Head of the Law School. He will take up his post in September.
Summer Internships in Singapore and Malaysia
We are currently requesting applications from students to take part in our programme of internships in Singapore and Malaysia. This is the third year of this programme and involves students spending two weeks during the summer in either Singapore with the Law Society of Singapore Pro Bono Division, or in Malaysia at a law firm. Students can apply for both countries, but must have pro bono experience for the programme in Singapore.
School of Law Mediation Competiton
We have had to postpone the date for the finals of this competition. The new date will be Friday 1st April. The finals will be held from 2pm until 6pm in University Place.
Streetlaw Society
The East Manchester Co-ordinator of the Streetlaw Society, Tom Semple, has been very busy lining up presentations to various organisations. These include a workshop for volunteers at the Mustard Tree homeless shelter, a presentation to the Prince’s Trust in Harpurhey and stop and search presentations for the Manchester College.
Legal Advice Centre Society
Following interest from some of the Student Volunteers at the Legal Advice Centre, a new student society has been formed. The society will aim to promote the work of the Centres (both on campus and in East Manchester), offer workshops, arrange community outreach programmes e.g. in schools, develop the use of bi-lingual student advisors to provide a translation service for clients, and to fundraise through social events.