Final year student

Some courses may have teaching days outside of term time. For more information, please consult your course leader.

Welcome to the 2021/22 academic year at Nottingham Law School.

As the Deputy Dean of the School, I have responsibility for ensuring you have the best possible student experience during your time studying with us. I am proud of our vibrant and diverse School community which provides a wealth of opportunities, activities and support to inspire you to succeed, and I encourage you to take advantage of all that we offer.

Along with my academic and administrative colleagues, I am here to help and support you throughout your studies. I look forward to meeting you and being a part of your journey and success at Nottingham Law School.

Best wishes for what I hope will be a fantastic and successful year for you.

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As Head of the Undergraduate Portfolio, I am delighted to welcome you back to NLS.

You are at the next stage of a very exciting journey, undertaking your undergraduate law degree with us. All of our courses integrate academic knowledge and skills, which are designed to equip you with transferable employability skills that will prepare you well for your future careers. We hope you take full advantage of the opportunities that are available to you during your time studying with us.

I wish you all the best in your studies and I hope you thoroughly enjoy your time with us.

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As Head of the Legal Advice Centre, I am delighted to welcome you back to the Law School.

We recognise that studying law is more than just textbooks, which is why we also equip you with vital practical skills in preparation for your future. Here in the Legal Advice Centre, the UK's first regulated law firm integrated into a law school, you will have the opportunity to work with our team of lawyers on real life cases whilst supporting the local community by providing access to justice.

If you are interested in finding out more about how you can get involved with the NLS Legal Advice Centre, either as part of your course or on an extra curricular basis, please contact LACVolunteers@ntu.ac.uk

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NLS has a vibrant and inclusive research culture with many members of staff involved in writing books, journal articles and conference presentations.

We have staff members who are leading researchers in their fields and who have global links and excellent contacts within the legal sector.

Research by members of the Law School has impact beyond the University, having been cited by courts, government bodies and NGOs. Staff have provided expert advice to governmental, legislative, regulatory and other organisations both nationally and internationally.

The main research activities are organised by our research centres and groups, which enable staff with similar research interests to consider ideas and develop joint projects, such as conferences and publications.

• Centre for Business and Insolvency Law
• Centre for Rights and Justice
• Centre for Legal Education

The Nottingham Law Journal is an annual, peer-reviewed publication featuring academic articles and critical commentary on matters of contemporary legal interest.

At NLS, we encourage students to spend some of their time studying in another country. You will have the opportunity to study in Europe, Australia, the United States or further afield with one of the study abroad programmes. Depending on your course, you can study abroad for either a semester or a year. You will benefit from both academic and personal experiences during your study exchange.

Find out more about the Erasmus and study abroad programmes. Please note these opportunities will be subject to Government and University policies on travel.

NLS has been running summer schools in various European cities for more than 15 years. Summer schools run for one week, are open to all NLS students, and are taught in English.

Each summer school has a different legal focus, giving you the opportunity to develop your understanding of the area of Law that you are most interested in.

• Berlin – with a focus on international criminal justice including war crimes and the work of the International Criminal Court.
• Geneva – with a focus on international humanitarian law and the role of the international organisations based in Geneva
• Strasbourg – with a focus on human rights law and the work of the European Court of Human Rights.

All summer schools are subject to Government and University travel policies.

Our students have many opportunities to develop and practice their mooting and mediation skills while studying with us.

Mooting

Mooting is arguing a legal problem against an opponent in front of a judge. The name derives from the moot courts at the Inns of Court in London, at which points of law were argued by selected barristers before the benchers (senior barristers and judges) who would then give their opinions. Today, students produce written skeleton arguments in advance before presenting their arguments orally, as if in an appellate court. We believe that mooting equips students with the skills to be not just proficient lawyers and advocates, but also adept business people, presenting their points to colleagues with confidence and knowing how to argue their corner.

Mooting is integrated into the LLB courses, with two core modules (Contract Law and Criminal Law) assessed by moot and the most successful students are able to take mooting as a final year option.

There are many opportunities to get involved with mooting. Our student law society (LEX) runs successful internal mooting competitions and workshops designed to assist students with their mooting skills. We have a  Mooting Club for undergraduates and Post Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) students to compete internally, nationally and internationally, putting them in an advantageous position for a career in law.

Mediation and Negotiation

NLS is committed to equipping students with skills to be effective in the legal environment. Negotiation is a fundamental skill which pervades every area of the practice of law. Lawyers negotiate with or without their client present. Mediation is a process where parties to a dispute are present, with or without lawyers, and are assisted by an impartial third party (a mediator) to reach a mutually acceptable outcome through negotiation. In both negotiation and mediation, the lawyer’s skill in preparing for the negotiation and representation of their client is crucial. Our Centre for Mediation and Dispute resolution is dedicated to providing our students with the opportunities to learn and practise these skills in the form of internal competitions from which winners may enter national and international competitions.

Winners of the NLS internal competitions are awarded the Professor Miryana Nesic Memorial Prize for either Negotiation or Mediation Skills. Teams from NLS have previously won the UK Mediation Skills Competition held in the City of London and the International Commercial Mediation Competition held by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.

NLS aims to ensure the highest level of competency and understanding for its students. In order to help achieve this, we arrange a series of lectures delivered by leading practitioners from a range of solicitors’ firms. It gives you the opportunity to see how the skills you are developing will be applied in a commercial and professional context. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and network with practitioners. Details of the individual lectures for 2021/22 will be communicated throughout the year.

Because you have accepted a place on our undergraduate LLB programme starting in 2021, once you have completed your LLB degree, you have a choice of how you wish to qualify. The traditional route is to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The LPC is the compulsory first stage of training and is followed by a two-year training contract. Once this training has been completed, you will be fully qualified as a solicitor. However, this route is gradually being phased out.

Instead, from Autumn 2021 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is introducing the centralised Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) which will be a new route to qualification. NLS are offering a wide range of SQE preparation courses and you will be given more information about this new route to becoming a solicitor as you continue your studies especially as an LLB undergraduate student some of your modules may also help you prepare for the SQE.

Having delivered training for the Bar since 1997, in December 2019 NTU became an Authorised Education and Training Organisation and, as such, is authorised by the Bar Standards Board to deliver the vocational component of training leading to Call to the Bar.

We offer a 9 month LLM Barristers Training Course and a 6 month PgDip Barristers Training Course.

Those who successfully complete the vocational component and wish to practise at the Bar of England and Wales are required to undertake a one-year pupillage.

We offer a wide range of Masters in Law (LLM) programmes, where you will be able to enhance your knowledge of the legal profession by focusing on specific areas of the law. There will also be opportunities for you to work with our various research centres and groups, each specialising in their own areas of legal expertise.

1. Attended a careers seminar dedicated to training contracts / pupillage applications / interview techniques.
2. Participated in a professional skills workshop delivered by practitioners and other graduate recruiters.
3. Networked with graduate employers / law firms offering opportunities and placements at the NLS law fair and graduate job fairs.
4. Met with a specialist careers consultant and discussed my future options.
5. Applied to participate in the NLS mentoring scheme.
6. Completed a mock interview and received helpful feedback.
7. Visited InPlace and applied for a professional placement.
8. Searched 'Employability Online - Events and Opportunities' for training contracts / pupillages / paralegal vacancies / graduate-level jobs / work experience opportunities and employability events.
9. Visited employability online for advice about CVs, applications, and interviews.

NLS has set up the Alumni Fellowship Programme to support the professional and personal development of current undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The programme draws upon a select group of NLS graduates, known as Alumni Fellows, who have volunteered to share their knowledge and experience to help improve students’ employability prospects and gain insight into the legal profession and alternative careers.

There are a range of activities for students to take part in such as mentoring, drop-in sessions, mock interviews, networking events etc. These are fantastic opportunities for you to: learn from the experiences of former NLS students, build your professional network and gain insight into the broad range of career options open to NLS graduates. Details of Alumni Fellowship activities will be shared during Terms 1 and 2, so make sure to check your emails, 'Employability Online - Events and Opportunities' and the NLS Employability NOW Learning Room.

NTU’s Acceler8 Employability Award is designed to provide you with formal recognition of your achievements outside of your studies. This recognition will improve your employability prospects by showing employers the broader range of skills and experiences you have developed.

A vital part of this support is providing personal tutors for all students. You will meet your personal tutor in the first week, in a session with your seminar group. You will continue to meet with your personal tutor throughout the year and undertake timetabled sessions with them and your seminar group. It is vital you attend these tutorials as they are designed to support your transition to university life, both academically and socially.

NTU aims to provide a supportive and caring community, and urge you to seek out advice, guidance and support at the earliest opportunity. The Student Services Centre offers fantastic support for our students, so we encourage you to use this facility if you have any issue at all.

NLS Central is a unique resource for students that brings together helpful resources on Academic and Student Support – all in one Central location. NLS Central will appear as a Learning Room under the ‘Student Communities’ heading when you log onto NOW. Scroll down the list of rooms and you will find NLS Central. You can Search for NLS Central in the search function in NOW and pin the page so that it always appears in your list of favourite learning rooms.

We need student course and School Representatives to let us know if there are any issues that we need to resolve, and to give feedback on what is going well, or not so well. You will be given details of how to put yourself forward for these positions at the beginning of each academic year.

We set up focus groups, to find out more about the student experience and to get feedback on course delivery and innovation. We really appreciate any student feedback and welcome your views, comments and suggestions. Our aim is to continually improve the student experience. Watch out for communications inviting you to attend these sessions.

The focus of the forum is to exchange ideas and develop and improve systems to facilitate events and activities, which will enhance the Law School community and demonstrate your leadership, employability and workplace skills to the outside world.

Students will be invited to volunteer to be on the forum at the start of the academic year. If you are interested in being part of the forum, email matthew.homewood@ntu.ac.uk to contact the Deputy Dean.

As well as focus groups, we will ask you to complete feedback questionnaires throughout your course. These may include MySay questionnaires on your modules / course and the National Student Survey (NSS), which is a national survey completed annually by final year undergraduate students. We use the feedback you give us to make improvements to your course and would encourage you to complete these surveys.

We are always on the look out for new student profiles to showcase your experiences to prospective students. Please email Melanie King if you would like to have your profile online.

NTU and NLS run many events throughout the year, including open days, seminars, lectures, and conferences.

The role of the Student Ambassador varies according to the event but it could include:

• staffing your course stand at an open event
• being prepared to talk about your experience studying with us
• helping at registration
• taking visitors on campus tours.

Ambassadors will receive training and will work alongside academic staff and members of the Marketing team.

The Student Ambassador scheme offers NTU students the opportunity to develop skills and confidence while being able to earn money by supporting these events.

Student Mentors are law students in their second or third year who have volunteered to help you settle in and find your way around NTU and NLS. They understand how you are feeling and can answer any questions you may have.

You will meet the mentors during Welcome Week and at key times throughout the year. Student Mentors offer you support, understanding, encouragement and help you become part of our Law School community.

Offers opportunities to make an impact through volunteering in both local and global communities.

By responding to growing areas of need in:

• Arts and Culture
• Crime and Justice
• Education and Attainment,
• Environment and Sustainable Futures
• Health and Wellbeing

You can help to make a difference while also developing essential skills that can support your studies and enhance your employability.

Globally, there are exciting volunteering opportunities to support charities in countries such as Romania, Greece, Uganda, Guatemala and Fiji.

Students in Classrooms make a difference in local schools. As a positive role model you will support pupil attainment and character development, whilst increasing awareness of higher education and the opportunities it can offer.

Get paid to work in local schools and colleges through initiatives such as:

• Outreach Ambassadors
• Learning Advocates
• Achievement Coaches.

LEX creates many opportunities, both academic and social, throughout the year for students to gain practical legal skills and access pro bono activities. LEX hold mooting competitions which helps students develop their advocacy skills and prepares them for the assessed moots. LEX hold an annual Negotiation Workshop and Competition sponsored by national law firm, Shoosmiths, to help students with the skill of negotiation. They hold social nights, networking dinners, trips to legal landmarks such as the Inns of Court, and a Law Ball.

The New Black Society aims to bring together a community of like-minded people with a progressive mentality to succeed in the face of adversity and joining our society will enable you to look at your personal fears or challenges in a unique and exciting way. Events that we have held included helping students integrate into university, a panel discussion on the rise in hate crime in Nottingham, how to succeed in university as an international student and overcome mental/physical health challenges.

Our main aim is to help you develop your understanding of commercial awareness and develop this attribute for future applications. Commercial awareness is a vital skill not just for lawyers, but for a wide range of other careers. Commercial awareness is having an understanding of how businesses and organisations work and how current affairs can have an impact on them.

The Court Visit Association aims to bridge the gap between academic studies and practicing within law firms. Their aim is to develop students understanding of court etiquette and key roles within the courtroom. Members of the association will have a strong understanding of how courtrooms work and are familiar with the setting. They plan regular trips to courts across the UK, including tours around the courtrooms.

The BAME Law society aims to help network and connect with peers through networking and inspiring law related events.

Read the BAME Law society plan.

Nottingham Law School Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4270

General Student Enquiries: blsnlssubjectadmin@ntu.ac.uk

Undergraduate Courses: nlsadminllb@ntu.ac.uk

Full time Masters Courses: nlsadminllm@ntu.ac.uk

Distance Learning Masters Courses: nlsadminllmdl@ntu.ac.uk

Post Graduate Diploma in Law: nlsadmingdl@ntu.ac.uk

Legal Practice Course: nls.lpc@ntu.ac.uk

SQE Preparation Courses: nls.sqe@ntu.ac.uk

Barristers Training Course: nls.bptc@ntu.ac.uk

Professional Programs: plsadminteam@ntu.ac.uk

Email addresses for all other members of staff can be found in the Staff Directory.