Profession-related Opportunities
City alumni Alexander Clevewood Ng is the Scholarship Officer at Middle Temple and he is running a weekly Q & A session for those wanting more insight into the process. He studied the BVS with us, funded courtesy of a scholarship award from Middle Temple. These sessions are open to all and would certainly be beneficial to non-Middle Temple members too! Join Alexander to gain some insider knowledge and most importantly, get some support for embarking on the scholarship application process.
When: 14:30 to 16:30 every Tuesday (from 24 September to 1 November). Note that there will however, be no session on the 1st October.
Mode: Online via MSTeams (use link below and ignore mention of applications!).
If any problems with the link: Meeting ID: 373 605 851 055 Passcode: i2VjWm
Note: You do not need to be a student member to apply at Middle Temple, but you would need to become one if you are lucky enough to secure a scholarship through the process.
You can also find further information online (external link).
This week the PNBA launched an essay competition in honour of Baroness Carr, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, and President of the PNBA.
The competition is aimed at law students who have not yet secured the next step in their legal careers (for example) a pupillage or training contract and with a view to fostering interest in professional negligence law.
The title for 2024-2025 is “General use of the six-stage test for negligence set out in MGT/Meadows [2021] UKSC 21 would clearly improve the law in this area”
The top three essays will be given to Baroness Carr to choose the eventual winner. The winner’s essay will be published in the Journal of Professional Negligence.
Timeline and key dates
- 7 October 2024: competition opens
- 5 November 2024: competition closes
- January 2025: prize winners announced
Prizes
The competition prizes are available in the following categories:
- The winner: £200 and publication in Journal of Professional Negligence.
- The runner-up: £150
- Third place: £100
All prize winners will be offered work experience in one of the Chambers of the PNBA’s Executive Committee.
Take a look at the competition rules and plagiarism policy, as well as the PNBA website.
You can also find further information online (external link).
The Bar Council's Law Reform Essay Competition is aimed at developing and fostering an interest in law reform. Students and pupils are invited to submit essays making the case to reform English, Welsh and European law.
The Law Reform Essay Competition 2024 is now open.
- Subject: Essays should identify and make the case for a law reform that is desirable, practical and useful. Essays must be about a reform to English, Welsh or European law. The proposed reform presented in the essay can be legislative or a proposal to a reform to English common law.
- Format and submission: Essays should be submitted in MS Word format, in an attachment to an email to LawReform@BarCouncil.org.uk.
- The essay must include a word count at the foot of the essay.
Timeline and key dates
- 4 July 2024: competition opens
- 24 October 2024, 17:00: competition closes
- Early December 2024: prize winners announced
Prizes
The competition prizes are available in the following categories:
- The winner: £4,000, and their essay published on Counsel magazine's website
- Runner-up: £2,500
- Best GDL entry: £1,500
- Runner-up GDL entry: £1,000
- Highly commended award: 2 x £500
We hope that the prize money will be used to contribute to the legal education or legal career of the prize winners.
All prize winners will be invited to meet members of the Law Reform Committee at a small reception held at a set of chambers.
Make sure you head to the website for a full run down of ther rule and how to apply!
You can also find further information online (external link).
As we did last year, the Student Experience Team have teamed up with DWF to run a mentoring scheme. The Mentoring Scheme will provide you with access to a trainee solicitor, who will offer practical support, guidance, and encouragement. There will also be in person and virtual events providing great opportunities to network and find out more about DWF. The scheme is ideally suited for both Undergraduate (2nd and 3rd year) and Postgraduate Law students.
Whilst the scheme is open to all the above, preference will be given to those who are yet to secure a Training Contract as the scheme will focus heavily on applying to Vacation Scheme and Training Contracts.
To apply please complete the form at link below. Any questions to Jane Bradley-Smith.
You can also find further information online (external link).
British and Irish University Commercial Awareness Competition
In 2020, a group of undergraduate law students at the University of Essex realised two facts. First, around 80% of all training contracts offers were made to students from Russell Group universities. Second, there are tremendously talented law students at non-Russell Group universities who lack the proper platform to showcase their talent.
To reconcile these two facts, this group came up with an idea: a commercial awareness competition designed specifically for undergraduate law students at non-Russell Group universities with the aim of allowing these students to showcase their talent to leading law firms. In short, to level the playing field.
Together with Mr. Denis Viskovich and students from other universities, they formed the British & Irish University Commercial Awareness Competition. Today, BIUCAC is the largest commercial awareness competition in the UK, operating as a symbol of the potential that non-Russell Group students possess.
The Prizes are:
1st PLACE
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One week's work experience
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A trio of conversations with:
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A lawyer from a practice group of your choice
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A trainee
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A Personalised CV review, assessment centre and interview top tips with the early careers team
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A £100 Amazon voucher
2nd PLACE
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A place on one of the firm's summer vacation schemes (June/July 2025)
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Lunch and networking with a couple of trainees and members of the graduate recruitment team with one guest of your choice
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A call with a lawyer from a practice group of your choice
3rd PLACE
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A place on a summer vacation scheme at any one of three UK offices in 2024 (Birmingham, London or Manchester)
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An lunch and networking with a couple of our trainees and graduate recruitment team
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A personalised CV review, mock interview and assessment centre training with the early careers team
4th PLACE
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A place on a vacation scheme or training contract assessment centre
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An application and interview advice session from a member of the early careers team
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A discussion with a lawyer from a practice group of the finalist's choice
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£100 amazon voucher
You can also find further information online (external link).
Can you spare 4 hours a week to volunteer at this charity? Not only do you get valuable experience, you can make a real impact to peoples lives through Hoarding UK.
About the role: You will be providing remote (office based/virtual) advocacy support for people impacted by hoarding behaviour (PwHB) who may be facing a variety of situations including legal, financial, psychological and discriminatory abuse/neglect. You will be working with trained colleagues to alleviate housing, benefits, mental health and other problems experienced by HUK's participants. HoardingUK (HUK) works to bring services together to improve person-centred, cost effective and time managed support.
The role:
- Volunteer at HUK a minimum of one half-day (4 hours) each week.
- Provide timely support to those using the service .
- Maintain a caseload of up to three clients at each advice session.
- Comply with HUK's case-management procedures, training programme and other relevant policies and procedures.
- Work collaboratively to create an action plan with participants and professionals.
- Assist in facilitating phone, correspondence, emails to statutory services and others.
- Signpost to relevant external services based on participant need. • Keep accurate records.
- Promote choice and control.
Who should apply:
- Trainees/professionals with interest/experience in mental health, housing, social care, legal frameworks, etc.
- Passionate people committed to standing for rights.
- People with lived experience of mental health and/or hoarding behaviour.
- The ability to work sensitively and professionally with people who may be facing a variety of situations including discriminatory abuse and systemic neglect.
- A commitment to values of HoardingUK Training on hoarding behaviour, advocacy and other relevant areas will be provided.
If you are interested, please email recruitment@hoardinguk.org for an application pack.
You can also find further information online (external link).
The Open University is carrying out a research project to co-produce open educational resources with stakeholders that will provide knowledge, awareness, confidence of, and use of GenAI for understanding legal processes and accessing legal information. The resources will address ethical and responsible knowledge of and skills to use GenAI. The research is being funded by UKRI Responsible AI.
There are a few spaces for students to take part in an online workshop on 11th December 2024 (12-2pm). £25.00 voucher for attendees! If interested, let Emily know.
Getting the right mentor at this stage in your career can make all the difference. For those of you unsure what your next steps should be, it is always worth applying for something like this to get you moving in the right direction.
Schemes: Walker Morris Mentoring Scheme 2024/2025 Now Open!
We are excited to announce that the Walker Morris Mentoring Scheme for 2024/2025 is now open for applications! If you’re a 2nd or 3rd-year university student, this is your opportunity to gain a mentor for a year who will guide and support you in taking the next step in your legal career.
Successful applicants will be notified by email by early November and invited to a welcome evening at our offices in mid-November.
Please complete the below form to apply!
You can also find further information online (external link).
Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.
The 10,000 Interns Foundation, is dedicated to providing paid internships for Black students and graduates across a range of UK industrues (including law!)
Here is how it works:
- Submit an application. Choose up to 3 sectors, and submit your application with a cover letter and CV for each. Make the most of our application training sessions to help you prepare
- Complete interviews and assessments. Our companies will then review applications focusing on your potential and experience. Companies will reach out directly should they wish to take your application forward
- Recieve your offer, start training. Successful candidates will be emailed details of their role, and get access to extensive pre-internship training and development through the Foundation
- Your internship begins. Start your paid, 6-week+ internship, be supported by a mentor, and kickstart your career.
Sounds easy right? Head to the website now for more inforamtion, and get your applciation in!
You can also find further information online (external link).
Progression Pathways: accelerating your student success is a programme designed to enable Black students to engage with development training at an earlier stage in their journeys. This project supports our Access and Participation Plan goal to “reduce completion gaps between our Black students and their White peers.”
The programme will give you the chance to reflect on how you are seen and how you want to be seen, while also providing strategies and tools to help you identify and use your strengths to move forward in education and employment.
Programme aims:
- Clarify personal goals: help you define your personal aspirations and create clear, actionable goals
- Enhance personal growth: foster resilience, self-awareness and adaptability for your personal development
- Build a supportive network: encourage the development of a strong community and your sense of belonging
- Strengthen communication skills: improve your communication and active listening skills for effective relationship building
- Manage personal brand: equip you with strategies to craft and manage your personal brand
- Empower self-improvement: inspire continuous self-reflection and growth for your ongoing success.
By the end of the programme, you will leave with a set of actionable takeaways and a personal plan to advance your studies and personal development. You will also have had the opportunity to create lifetime memories with peers from a similar background, establishing a sense of belonging and genuine connection. These objectives aim to create a comprehensive and enriching experience for our students of colour, helping you on your journey to progression and personal growth.
Programme Outline
9/10/2024 - Meet and Greet
Kenny Imafidon shares his personal story from prison to author and entrepreneur. Black networking event and introduction to the programme.
9/10/2024 - Christmas Party
An opportunity for students to celebrate their achievements with festive games and activities.
28/01/2025 - Training Workshop
Accelerating your student success - propelling you into your successful student journey. We will explore our identities, address our saboteurs and work to improve your positioning at university and beyond
April - Digital Literacy Session
LinkedIn Learning session on leveraging LinkedIn and improving your online presence for future careers.
June/July - End of year celebration
A chance to get off campus and celebrate successes this year
Who the programme is for
The programme is open to students who identify as Black African, Caribbean, Mixed or Other.
How to apply
Applications for the programme will open on 9 October 2024.
You can also find further information online (external link).
Progression Pathways: accelerating your student success is a programme designed to enable Black students to engage with development training at an earlier stage in their journeys.
This project supports our Access and Participation Plan goal to “reduce completion gaps between our Black students and their White peers.” The programme will give you the chance to reflect on how you are seen and how you want to be seen, while also providing strategies and tools to help you identify and use your strengths to move forward in education and employment.
Call for Applications opens on 9th October. See document attached for full details of the programme and benefits on offer.
4PB is thrilled to announce the return of its Financial Remedies Essay Competition for the second year, a testament to our commitment to nurturing excellence and innovation in the field of financial remedies.
As a leading family law set, we recognise the value of continuous learning and the exchange of ideas for the advancement of family law practice. With this opportunity, 4PB aims to encourage current law students, as well as those who have completed their studies and are actively seeking pupillage, to explore the realm of Financial Remedies law in hope that they will be inspired to consider a practice in this area of law.
The title for this year’s essay is:
“The law on maintenance should be reformed to provide for a formulaic approach.”
Answer in no more than 1,000 words (excluding citing sources and references).
Submission Deadline:
Thursday, 7th November 2024
Prizes
The judging panel will select one essay as the winning entry and up to 2 additional essays as the top entries alongside the winner.
The Essay Competition winner will be awarded:
- A £500 monetary prize,
- The opportunity for their essay to be published in the Family Law Journal,
- An invitation to the 4PB Finance Group Annual Seminar and Reception on Wednesday, 27th November 2024,
- An invitation for a mini-pupillage.
The Essay(s) selected as a top entry will receive:
- An invitation to the 4PB Finance Group Annual Seminar and Reception on Wednesday, 27th November 2024,
- An invitation for a mini-pupillage.
All entrants will be invited to the reception at the 4PB Finance Group Annual Seminar.
You can also find further information online (external link).
Location: Bethnal Green, East London
Bursary: £1,165.13 per month
Length: 6 months, 22.5 per week (3 days a week)
Closing date: 9am on Monday 11 November
CWJ is inviting applications to our unique paid internship for women from underrepresented groups to work with our lawyers who focus their work on holding the state to account for violence against women and girls. There are two positions available: January 2025 or July 2025.
The internship is open to any woman who :
- Is of Black, Asian and/or minoritised ethnicity, and
- Has completed or is in the process of obtaining a law degree/or law conversion course, from a non-Russell Group University (a list of Russel Group Universities is available)
We particularly welcome candidates from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds and candidates who have a disability or long-term health condition.
About Us:
Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) is a thriving and rapidly expanding legal charity which has undertaken a wide range of highly publicised strategic legal challenges and collaborative projects through partnerships with women’s sector organisations.
Our Mission: To hold the state to account to challenge discrimination in the justice system around male violence against women and girls.
Our areas of work include:
- Strategic litigation – we bring legal challenges which have the potential to effect broader changes in society
- Training and empowering frontline women’s sector organisations – we improve confidence and legal knowledge of those working directly with survivors of male violence
- Facilitating access to justice – working collaboratively with women’s sector organisations and lawyers with expertise in violence against women
- Monitoring and challenging trends in policy, practice and men’s use of the law as it impacts on violence against women and girls.
- Raising awareness – we have fast become the go-to organisation for advice and media comment on legal issues around male violence
You can also find further information online (external link).
Women and the Law
You are invited to write an essay of not more than 5000 words relating to the above topic. The winning entry will be awarded £250 (!!!)
About the Prize: The purpose of the annual prize is to stimulate interest in the relationship between women and the law.
About Victoria Fisher: Victoria was a lecturer in the School of Law at the University of Leicester. She was a founder member of the Women and Law group and an active trade unionist.
Entries to be received by November 29 2024
To find out more information and how to enter contact: Mrs Linda Henfrey, Victoria Fisher Memorial Prize Fund t: +44 (0)116 252 2363 e:lawreception@le.ac.uk
You can also find further information online (external link).
Want to push on in your studies, or just starting out? City St. George’s Academic Skills Team are running a series of free webinars this term to help you do just that.
They’re on a variety of topics, including the basics you’ll need when you start here, referencing, using critical thinking to find good academic sources, and how to improve your groupwork for better presentations.
You can find the details and how to book at the link below. We hope to see you soon!
Best wishes for the new term,
The Academic Skills Team (Richard, Michelle, Katie, David, Aggie, and Sally)
You can also find further information online (external link).
The team at SpeedMooting.com are running a Bail Application Competition on Saturday 7th December 2024, running from 9am to 4pm.
It will take place online on Zoom. This is a great opportunity for students to boost their CVs and gain some practical advocacy experience. Further details of the competition (including rules, schedule etc) are available at their website (link below).
Winner receives an iPad.
You can also find further information online (external link).
It's competition time! For all you budding journalists with an interest in the rise of AI in law, this one promises to be interesting.
The first article competition to be run by the SCL AI Group, open to trainees and other junior lawyers (including students). Submit your article on a topic concerning the intersection of artificial intelligence and law for a chance to be published in the SCL’s Computers & Law magazine and on the SCL’s website.
Article topics
Entrants should write an article on one of the three topics:
- The most transformative changes in legal practice that will arise from the use of AI in the next 10 years;
- The ability of AI to increase access to justice; and
- The liability of autonomous systems.
The prize
• £500 of training credits to spend with SCL*
• Publication in the SCL’s Computers & Law magazine and on the SCL’s website
The judges may, in their discretion, in addition to declaring a winner, formally award one or more other articles the title ‘Highly Commended’.
Who can enter
• Trainee solicitors;
• Solicitor apprentices;
• Pupil barristers;
• Students currently undertaking, or who have completed in the last 12 months, a law degree (undergraduate or post-graduate), GDL, LPC or SQE (or any equivalent legal course/training).
Length of article
The length of your article should not exceed 1,500 words (excluding any footnotes and the title).
Deadline for submission
Submissions must be entered by 5:00pm (UK time) on Friday, 6 December 2024.
Article requirements
- Your article must be your original work and not previously published, or submitted for publication, elsewhere.
- Entrants are permitted to use AI tools, but use of AI tools must be disclosed (including the extent and nature) when submitting your entry.
- No jointly authored papers are permitted.
- You may only submit one entry.
- Your essay must be in English.
How to submit your essay
You must send your submissions as a PDF file by email to hello@scl.org to be received by 5:00pm (UK time) on Friday, 6 December 2024. Your covering email must set out your name, contact details, and a brief explanation of the basis on which you are entitled to enter the competition, e.g. ‘current LPC student’.
Copyright and publicity
You retain copyright ownership in your article. You agree to your work being compared against electronic sources by automatic means, and other plagiarism checks the SCL considers appropriate. If you win, you grant to the SCL the non-exclusive right to publish the article, in print and electronically, in SCL publications, and you agree not to publish your article elsewhere before 1 March 2025. You agree to make any pre-publication editorial modifications to the winning entry that are required by the editor of Computers & Law for this purpose.
If you are the winner or your article is “Highly Commended”, you grant SCL the right to publish your name, the basis for your entry into the competition and the details of your article.
How and when will the result be announced
The result of the competition will be announced in early 2025 and on the SCL’s website. The prize will be awarded only if, in the opinion of the judges, the standard of entries merits the award.
The judges
The judging panel will consist of members of the SCL’s AI Group Committee, in addition to David Chaplin, Editor of Computers & Law.
The winning submission(s) will be selected from a shortlist by SCL President, Professor Richard Susskind OBE KC (Hon).
All entries will be anonymised before submission to the judges. The decision of SCL as to the interpretation of these rules and the awarding of the prize (and as to whether any prize is to be awarded) is final and no correspondence or discussions regarding its decision will be entered into.
*No cash equivalent available if the credits are not spent on training
You can also find further information online (external link).
The Annual National Uehiro Oxford Prize in Practical Ethics is an annual competition held in the Spring. It is open to all Undergraduate and Post Graduate Students enrolled in UK universities.
Students are invited to enter by submitting an essay of up to 2000 words on any topic relevant to practical ethics.
Practical ethics is concerned with what we should do in any given situation. It reflects on personal, professional, policy, and social choices and structures and holds them up to scrutiny. It may balance or prioritise different values and interests.
Two undergraduate papers and two graduate papers will be shortlisted from those submitted to go forward to a public presentation and discussion, where the winner of each category will be selected.
The winner from each category will receive a prize of £500, and the runner up £200. Revised versions of the two winning essays will be considered for publication in the Journal of Practical Ethics.
How to take part
Stage 1: The Essay
Your essay of up to 2000 words may cover any topic relevant to practical ethics. The question to be addressed should be stated clearly in bold at the outset. References are permitted but not required. The essay can draw upon existing published work but must be sufficiently original for it to be eligible for consideration for publication in the Journal of Practical Ethics. The focus of the marking will be on the quality and originality of your argument.
How to submit your entry:
- Pre-prepare your submission for blind review by removing any identifying information from your manuscript.
- Provide a separate title sheet with the title of your essay, your name and contact details, email address and a word count.
- Please note that essays exceeding 2000 words may not be considered.
- Footnotes and references are not included in the word count, however footnotes should be kept to a minimum.
- Email both a pdf and Word version of your anonymised manuscript, plus the title sheet, to admin@uehiro.ox.ac.uk by the closing date.
Essays will be assessed based on quality and originality of argument, including:
- Persuasiveness of argument
- Critical acumen
- Clarity of structure and content
- Intelligent use of literature
- Understanding of the topic
- Originality
- Potential for impact beyond the academy
Scores and feedback will not be generally provided. Feedback will be provided to the winners if their papers are invited to be submitted to the Journal of Practical Ethics. Anti-plagiarism software will be employed by the assessors.
Stage 2: Presentation Event
Shortlisted authors will be invited to the public presentation event. Before a panel of judges and the audience, they will each be asked to give a presentation of 15 minutes (maximum), explaining the key ideas of their paper. This will be followed by a 5 minute Q&A with the audience. Each finalist will be allowed a strict maximum of 20 minutes overall.
The panel will make a final judgement on each presentation, based on the same criteria as those used to assess the original essays, taking also into account the presenter’s capacity for communication with the audience.
After the presentation we invite the audience to join the finalists and judges at a drinks reception, during which the panel will announce the winners. Following which the finalists are invited to join the judging panel at a celebration dinner to be held in one of the Oxford colleges.
Finalists from outside of Oxford may have their travel and accommodation provided to allow them to attend this event in person, to be confirmed upon application.
You can also find further information online (external link).
Electronic Resources
City Law School students have access to many electronic journals, databases, reports and texts. You will need your student login to access them. If you have trouble using a service, please email the Law Library or use the helpdesk form.
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