Law School Bulletin May 2023

Welcome back to campus and to the final term of the academic year - it is great to see Amory coming back to life as students return to campus for the revision period. I hope that you have managed to have some time relaxing during the Spring break. 

I have now been in post as your Head of School for one month and I have been very busy working with our University teams to reconnect with our alumni to improve the student experience at Exeter Law School. We are now in the fifth month of our centenary year, and I recently attended a celebratory dinner with alumni and invited guests. It was a great opportunity to hear how close Exeter is to their hearts and also the many different career pathways their law degree has taken them. I have enjoyed hearing their anecdotes and memories of being an Exeter law student and we already have some exciting new initiatives in the pipeline for next year. I will be in touch after the assessment period with further information about how you, as our soon-to-be alumni, can remain connected to the School once you leave.

With the warm May sunshine comes the assessment period and I recognise that this can be a very stressful part of the year for you, especially as finalists. While the next few weeks are often the toughest part of the academic year, this is also your opportunity to shine. When I was growing up, my father used to tell me that so long as I tried my hardest, that was all that matters: advice that continues to stay with me even now. All too often, we can become outcome focused and there is a tendency to become hyper-fixated on the grade you achieve. I want you to remember that you are learning skills while you are here - you are learning to analyse and read the law in its social context, to articulate persuasive and robust arguments, and to develop your own voice in that process of argumentation. The revision process can feel arduous and, dare I say it, at times rather boring. Find a revision method that works for you and remember to take regular breaks.

The final year of study can feel overwhelming as you grapple not only with the assessments but with your degree experience coming to an end. For some of you, this is a time of great excitement and for others it can feel unsettling. When life gets stressful, especially in an intensive assessment period, it is really important to be kind to yourself and to others. We are here to support you so please remember to contact your personal tutor, Senior Tutor or Wellbeing Services if you or one of your friends need it – full details further down in the newsletter.

Finally, I want you to know that we are incredibly proud of each and every one of you. I wish you the very best of luck in your assessments.

Clair

Professor Clair Gammage, Head of Law School

Education Matters

Director of Education and Student Experience Craig Newbery-Jones:

Preparing for exams and what to expect

This is only a brief message from me as we head into 'exam season' and towards the end of this academic year. I just wanted to wish you all the best of luck in your upcoming assessments and thank you for being a part of our learning community here at the University of Exeter Law School. Remember to work hard over the next few weeks and there is always support available if you need it.

Earlier this week Student Communications sent a useful guide to exams, how to prepare and what to expect. There is also a useful link to online exam training. The Law School sits within HASS, so choose this as your faculty. 

In addition the Study Zone has a whole host of terrific resources, both online and in-person. Don’t forget you can access past assessment papers via the Online Archive.

Importantly, if you or a friend are finding things tough, wellbeing services are there for you whenever you might need them – just reach out. (Email:wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk).

Good luck to every single one of you and see you all soon.

Craig

Celebrate!

Centenary Moot

The hotly contested final for the inaugural Centenary Moot 2023 was held on 29 March 2023.  Congratulations to all finalists for some excellent advocacy on the day – Lauren Hession, Poppy Martin, Shreya Srinivasan and Suwayda Yeraas.  It was a close-run final, with Lauren Hession emerging as the eventual winner – well done Lauren!

Congratulations to Exeter Law School's Community Law Clinic which was recently joint winner in the Legal category of the Exeter Living Awards 2023.

And we've recently heard that the Clinic has been nominated in the Devon and Somerset Law Society Awards in the Best Team category. This is great recognition of the work the Clinic does within the community and the opportunity it provides to students. Winners will be announced at the DASLS Annual Dinner being held at the University on 22 June.  

Well done to students Isti Ahmed and Edward Williams on their brilliant performance in the KLS_Thomson Reuters National Law Student Triathlon, coming 2nd. And also congrats to Edward who won the Judges' Award for the best performance in Moot Court A in the final hearing.

Your Graduation 

It is your last chance to be included in the University of Exeter, Class of 2023 Yearbook! We’ve had entries from many finalists but if you have not yet made your entry, please go to https://www.gradfinale.co.uk/start.

The University of Exeter is working exclusively with GradFinale to create a printed Yearbook for all students who are due to graduate in 2023. Please make sure you are included in your Yearbook by going to https://www.gradfinale.co.uk/start and adding your profile photo and text (it’s free to do so and only takes a few minutes).

The Yearbook will be a beautiful publication, professionally produced and packed full of memories and photographs from you and your classmates. It will be an excellent networking tool and a lovely memento of your time at Exeter after you leave. The deadline for entries is Sunday 7 May at midnight. You can start your entry now and add to it any time before the deadline.

If you would like your own copy, it costs £27.00. You need to order and pay for it at https://www.gradfinale.co.uk/order. Any questions you have you can email the GradFinale Yearbook Team – admin@gradfinale.co.uk.

Our Centenary!

Since the beginning of the year we've been celebrating our 100th anniversary and two weeks ago our alumni colleagues hosted a Law School Centenary Dinner at Vintners' in London.

The speaker was former Attorney General, Sir Jeremy Wright KC MP (Law 1995). Sir Jeremy is MP for Kenilworth and Southam and was Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2018-19. 

It was wonderful to see Exeter alumni reunited with former University friends and cementing their connection with the Law School.

Opportunities and Events 

Pop along and chat with a huge range of employers and further study providers including the University of Law. In November there will be bespoke Law Recruitment Fair and we'll provide details nearer the time. 

Two six-month legal fellowships: Funded by Linklaters.

Justice has two paid positions for UK law graduates for which they welcome, in particular, applications from Black, and minority ethnic candidates, including those from socio-economically less advantaged backgrounds.

The successful applicants will be part of JUSTICE’s legal team: conducting legal research; providing commentary on draft legislation; assisting with third party interventions (where relevant); and supporting working parties of our membership and other experts exploring critical issues of law reform. The fellowships will provide the opportunity to develop research and drafting skills, to engage with litigation and law-making processes, and to be part of a small, friendly and committed staff.

Applications close on 21 May 2023. For more information, visit https://justice.org.uk/about-us/vacancies/

Quiz night

We wrapped up the end of the Spring Team with a student staff pub quiz in Isca Eats in Cornwall House. The event was a great success, with participants enjoying a fun-filled evening of trivia, free pizza, and the chance to win prizes.

The pub quiz covered a range of topics, including current events, sport, local facts, and of course, legal knowledge led by quiz master Jack. Students and staff put their heads together to come up with the right answers, while enjoying slices of pizza and socializing with each other.

Our team of Law Student Experience Officers(Kassie and Guin) are excited to put on more pub quizzes in the coming terms so look out for more pub quiz dates in the monthly newsletter and on Instagram. 

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER LAW SCHOOL

If you would like to see previous editions of the bulletin, they sit on our WordPress site here.  And if you have any suggestions for future editions, or would like to share an exciting story with us, please email lawcomms@exeter.ac.uk. Fin