Enhanced Experience

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Street Law, together with the Law Clinic, is one of the clinical legal programmes offered by Lincoln Law School.

The aim of this programme is to provide a valuable and accessible legal literacy service to members of the public while at the same time enhancing your educational experience and employability.

Under this innovative teaching and learning scheme, undergraduate students from Lincoln Law School, supported by their tutors, work with schools and colleges to identify legal concerns. The students then research the relevant material and present their findings to pupils/students in a user-friendly form. Through discussion, role play and other interactive methods, Lincoln Law School students and the community all learn about the law and become more aware of rights and responsibilities in a given area of law.

Street Law provides a unique and engaging way of learning about the law for all participants, promoting reflexive and self-directed learning and practical skills for applying the law.

A moot is a mock appeal usually set in the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court.  Students in teams are given a scenario containing two grounds of appeal.  They then research the law relating to those areas, construct arguments for their client and argue them as Counsel in a court setting.

Mooting is fantastic for developing several transferable skills. It will improve your research and logical thinking and develop your confidence in public speaking as well as improving your ability to think on your feet. Most importantly, it is fun. You will face two moots as part of your assessments in your first two years. If you enjoy it then you can become involved in our moot teams who enter national and international competitions. These are usually judged by practitioners and judges.

We think mooting is a great way to improve your skills as well as being an impressive addition to your CV whether you wish to practice law or not. We have a purpose built 40 seat Moot Court which is in very regular use.

The Lincoln Law Clinic provides free legal advice to both staff and students of the university. Through the Clinic, law students obtain practical legal experience and are provided with the opportunity to apply their legal knowledge to real life legal problems.

The Clinic is very much a student centred project. Each year about 60 law students become members of the Clinic. The students are divided into a number of different “firms” usually consisting of a third year student as the “Head of Firm” and 6 other students.

Students have the opportunity of preparing for and conducting client interviews. Students participate in pre and post interview meetings with Clinic staff and discuss the issues which may arise or have arisen during the course of the interview. Students then carry out post interview research on the particular legal issue or issues concerned and prepare a letter of advice to be issued to the client.

From participating in the Clinic, students have the opportunity to develop skills which would otherwise not be developed until much later on in their legal careers. At the interview stage students have the opportunity to develop their communication skills, their interviewing skills and their note taking skills.

Post interview, students have the opportunity to develop their team working skills, their research skills and letter writing skills. Throughout the process students are made aware of the importance of client care and managing the expectations of not only their client but also those of their other firm members and Clinic staff.

The organisation of client appointments and communication is conducted through the Clinic Administrator, who is usually a third year student who has participated in the Clinic in the previous year.

The Clinic hopes to develop lawyerly skills among law students while encouraging the pro-bono ethos early in their careers.

Keeley Harrison:

"Taking part in the University of Lincoln Law Clinic helps you to develop existing skills and learn new ones, all of which help to prepare you for life in the legal profession. Everyone in the Clinic has the opportunity to take part in a client interview and learn how to draft advice letters. Through taking part in these activities I have developed my communication skills, time management skills and by acting as a Head of Firm I have gained leadership skills.  My confidence has improved while working in the Law Clinic because I have learnt that my degree has given me the skills I need to be able to research and apply laws in order to advise clients in the appropriate way, this has helped me feel ready to progress onto the next stage of my career."

Melissa Mould:

"As the Administrator for the Law Clinic, I have met with a variety of clients and expanded my interpersonal skills. My participation has helped me to organise my time and balance my commitment to my studies. The Law Clinic operates in a similar format to that of a typical law firm which has allowed me to develop skills that I can take with me into practice. The student-run service allows hands-on experience in drafting letters of advice for clients. I would recommend getting involved to any student who wishes to see the law in a real life situation."

Masterclasses provide students with an opportunity to gain experience running workshops, encouraging and managing debate among those taking part.  Groups of 6th form students visit the university and are given a short lecture on a given topic, which is generally selected as being both topical and controversial in order to provoke debate.

There are a number of questions set for the workshop and these do not focus on the detail but ask students to form an opinion and argue in support of it.  Students then manage the debate, ensuring every opinion is heard and valued.  This gives our students experience in these sorts of situations as well as an opportunity to be ambassadors for the university, offering advice and answering questions for the students of tomorrow. 

The Student as Producer scheme informs teaching and learning across the University of Lincoln, including the Law School, and builds on the idea of research activities lying at the heart of the undergraduate curriculum.

Student as Producer offers undergraduate students more responsibility and practical engagement in their course. First, it involves them in working with staff in the design and delivery of their teaching and learning programmes. Academics still provide the main course content but will also ask what students are interested in learning and how programmes can be designed to fit with their particular interests, thus providing a more holistic learning experience and greater satisfaction with their course.

Student as Producer also involves students in research-engaged teaching by generating knowledge through research or projects to produce work of academic content and value. By involving students in the production of knowledge, Student as Producer enables them to take greater responsibility for their own teaching and learning, providing the opportunity to build on and improve their research and critical skills, which in turn enhances employment prospects and personal development.

Occasionally there are also opportunities for Law students to support academic staff in their research during the summer vacation period.

At Lincoln Law School we recognise the importance of students enhancing their employability during their time with us.

As such, we offer a professional mentoring scheme, which is aimed at creating a supportive relationship between individuals working within the legal profession and Law School students. Students will have the opportunity to apply to take part in the scheme, which will give them the chance to gain insight, knowledge, and experience to help them make a successful transition from university to their chosen career.

Meet Our Students

Lincoln Law School recognises the importance of supporting our students to succeed in their chosen occupations once they graduate. All of our graduates receive a qualifying law degree, which allows them to train as a solicitor or barrister if they wish.

Our students can go on to a variety of careers including solicitorbarristerCILEx, and many other careers.

Moot Court

The Moot court is used by Lincoln Law School and is a mock-court environment which students can utilise as part of their studies.

The Moot Court is located in the refurbished Bridge House and features judges bench, witness stand, clerks desk, as well as prosecution and defence solicitors benches to simulate the environment of a working court room. The Moot Court therefore allows students to explore the key principles of modern legal practice in a variety of courtroom roles.

The Moot Court is available as a learning environment for students on the Law, Law and Criminology, Law and Business, Criminology and Criminal Justice, International Business Law, and International Law courses.