Extracurriculars and legal experience

The wide variety of activities at Leicester Law School let you develop work-ready legal skills. These are run by students, professors, practitioners and alumni in our community.

“The University of Leicester offers many legal oriented extra-curricular activities. I participated in the mooting and negotiations competitions, the pro bono legal advice clinic, and both the law society and the Canadian law society. Participating in these activities taught me how to apply new practical skills, allowed me to learn from great mentors, and gave me an opportunity to connect with my peers.”
Alicia, JD Pathway 2020

Legal competitions

Competitions are run by the Law School, the student-led Law Society and the Canadian Law Society, including regional and national competitions against other law schools. These all let you experience the work of lawyers in a fun, supportive or competitive environment, suiting your comfort level and developing skill-set.

You can practise running a mock court trial or moot appeal court hearing. You will examine witnesses or argue in depth over a point of law to build your confidence and advocacy skills within a simulated court room. Compete in the client interviewing, mediation and negotiation competitions to develop the skills that are crucial for many roles in legal practice. Network with professionals in the Networking Society to find out what it is really like and what you need to succeed in practice.

Pro Bono Society

Student members of the Law School’s Pro Bono Society run ten projects that provide advice and assistance to members of our community on both a local and global scale. Student participation is high and many projects are supported by professionals in practice. Many students enjoy working on real-life legal matters for people with real and pressing problems.

You can train in our Legal Advice Clinic giving legal advice to members of the public under the supervision of a qualified solicitor. The Miscarriages of Justice project examines criminal cases to identify whether an injustice caused by a legal error during a criminal trial should be re-examined by a government body and is a great experience for those interested in criminal law. Lawyers without Borders is a global network of lawyers and students who examine and campaign over human rights issues internationally. The Amicus Project is involved in research for this internationally famous charity that assists people awaiting execution on “death row”. That’s just a snapshot of the great work we do. Visit the Pro Bono Society’s website and find a project to suit the lawyer you want to be.