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Law School Bulletin January 2025
Welcome to our latest Law School bulletin. I hope you had a fantastic start to the New Year and, with assessments now behind you, it is a good time to start reflecting on your goals and ambitions for 2025. This can include engaging further with the life of the Law School and /or the University by undertaking new social, artistic, or sport activities. It can also mean making the most of your studies by not only preparing and attending classes but also by staying in contact with your academic tutor and by joining academic events (like guest speakers’ lectures). All that matters is for you to make the most of this second term, to enjoy your studies, and to continue having a great experience at Exeter!
In this edition, read about one student's volunteering experience; a special Canadian careers event; and advice for getting the most from your modules. In addition, final year students are invited to complete the NSS Survey. Taking part in the survey enables you to share your University experience and provides us with valuable feedback to continue developing the Law School for future students so please take a few moments to complete it.
I wish you a wonderful second term!
All my very best wishes,
Caroline
Professor Caroline Fournet, Head of Law School
📖Education Matters ✒️
Getting the most out of your Term 2 modules
Many of you will recently have started new modules. This is a good time for you to take stock of how you have been approaching all of your modules, and in particular to think about how you are preparing for and attending your classes. The more work you put into a module, the more you will get out of it.
Option modules in particular allow you to engage with a new area of law, one which hopefully interests you personally or which you think may relate to a future career; this can be very interesting or even exciting! To make the most of this opportunity, ensure you are preparing well for class and that you are asking questions on the ELE forums about the course content if anything is unclear after seminars.
Understanding assessment feedback
Most of you will soon be receiving feedback on summative or formative assessment. Perhaps the most important part of feedback is to read and reflect on it. What does the feedback say you need to do better in your next assignment? If you have misunderstood something, consider posting a question an ELE forum or coming to your tutor's office hour. If the marker has made a point about analysis, think about what they have said, and note how to do better next time. If you need assistance with referencing, see the resources on the library website, or see the Study Zone resources for assistance with structuring essays and engaging in analysis.
The marking process
At this time of year we are often asked about how the marking process works. The first thing to know is that all marks are provisional until they are confirmed by the exam board which meets in the early summer. As part of the exam board process, external examiners from other institutions will look at samples of all marked work to confirm that the marking is fair and in line with the standards of other law schools. Your submission will also have gone through a rigorous internal process. The course convenor will have organised a 'calibration' meeting with all the markers, where a sample of papers are looked at in order to set common expectations and standards. Samples of each marker's work are then moderated, which means that another marker on the team will have checked that the approach is consistent with their own.
Dr David Yuratich, Dr Richard Bowyer, Co-Directors of Education and Student Experience
😻Spotlight on Volunteering 🕑
Giving time to help another person or an organisation can be so beneficial for your wellbeing. Not only does it give you a chance to meet new people, you can also gain new skills. As we look ahead to Student Volunteering Week in mid-February, second year student Renee shares her experiences from the two projects she volunteers at.
Volunteering at the Cat’s Protection is a great way for me to relax, whilst volunteering at Citizen’s Advice has been a great way to apply the skills, I’ve developed from my degree to help others.
These experiences have really developed my ability to manage my time and helped me to organise tasks better. As well as this, it’s also helped develop my communication skills, as I have to regularly interact with a wide range of people. I also find it incredibly rewarding to contribute meaningfully to the lives of others, so I’d say the opportunity to improve someone else’s situation has been the most fulfilling aspect of the roles.
You can read more about Renee's experience and find links to volunteering opportunities on the button below.
🖥️Law School Survey 📝
Can you help us by taking part in the Exeter Law School Student Survey?
We’re hoping as many of you can complete this survey to inform the development of the Law School’s application for an Athena Swan Bronze Award (which explores the relationship between gender and disability within the Law School). The data will be analysed by the Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team and will guide the Law School’s equality, diversity and inclusion work in future years.
The survey is open to all Law students regardless of gender and disability status. It is anonymous and does not ask for any identifying information such as names, student numbers or contact details.
For the purposes of the survey, ‘disability’ is understood broadly. It need not be diagnosed or disclosed.
More information about Athena Swan can be found here: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/equality-charters/athena-swan-charter
📝Exeter Law Review
Congratulations to all students and contributors who have been involved in the latest edition of the Exeter Law Review.
It's a peer-reviewed law journal which publishes leading legal research from law students, law academics and external researchers from around the world.
Many Exeter Law School students have been a part of the editorial board, led by Co-Editors in Chief Nikolai Gurtner and Scarlett Paterson-Holt with the support and guidance of Dr Lisa Cherkassky.
The Exeter Law Review team is now accepting new submissions so read about the submission criteria here. And you can follow the team on Instagram @exeterlawreview.
📆 Opportunities and Events
Our Opportunities page is where we place a variety of employability events, Mooting competitions and other items you may find of interest. The page is updated regularly with new opportunities. Recent additions include a chance to apply for work experience at one of four places in Europe, a really useful International Law Placements Guide and a chance to ask questions of trainee solicitors.
📆 Events
The snake symbolises wisdom and flexibility. We hope the Year of the Snake enables you to embrace intellectual pursuits and adaptation to change. Find out more about the campus events planned for Tuesday 4 February to celebrate the Spring Festival on the University webpage here.
📰News ⌨️
Our Law School news pages give you an insight into the research and work that is taking place in the Law School by our academics and research students. Have a look at some of the recent reads including:
New online tool for Mitigation
Our mitigation process is here to support you through unexpected situations that affect your ability to complete an assessment or exam - such as illness or family crisis.
Applying for evidence-based mitigation on your assessments is now easier and faster using our new online tool. You can also track the progress of any mitigation requests.
Access the tool from the ‘More’ section in the MyExeter app and click ‘Student Record System’, or from the Hubs Mitigation page.
You can still apply for short (up to 72-hour) evidence-free extensions, on coursework assignments only, directly from ELE 2.
🤳 Law School Socials 😍
Thinking how to network without leaving the sofa?
Simply follow our new LinkedIn page and be part of our professional network.
And whilst on the sofa use our Law School Linktree to quickly find links to all our socials, monthly newsletter, events and opportunities.
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER LAW SCHOOL
If you would like to see previous editions of the bulletin, they sit on our Law webpages here. And if you have any suggestions for future editions, or would like to share a story with us, please email lawcomms@exeter.ac.uk. Fin
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