Leicester Law School
Student law societies
Our student law societies welcome you to join them for social occasions, competitions, career development and more.
Leicester University Law Society
The largest society is the Leicester University Law Society, who will play a key role throughout your journey at Leicester. They form part of the Undergraduate Student Staff committee that helps to shape our courses. Their activities include:
- An orientation day on arrival to publicise activities
- Social events to meet other students, guides around the city, nights out, sports days, annual Law Ball, and trips to various sports teams
- Mooting arranged with the Law School - external mooting against other universities, senior and junior mooting, as well as speed mooting
- Competitions including debating, negotiating, client interviewing as well as mediation. All competitions compete at regionals as well as nationals
- Careers events - you can benefit from the annual Law Fair with representatives from over 50 companies. You will also meet representatives from law firms (including Magic Circle firms) at cocktail evenings and coffee sessions aimed at those wanting to be solicitors. Barrister evenings and speed networking are also big opportunities for students wishing to pursue the bar
- Trips where you will discover more about becoming a professional lawyer, to venues such as the four Inns of Court in London, as well as open days at BPP Law School and The University of Law to learn about the BPTC and LPC exams. The annual trip to Strasbourg in France provides members the opportunity to witness cases at the European Court of Human Rights, as well as seeing the inner workings of the European Parliament
- Opportunities to participate in pro bono work projects that aim to promote greater access to legal aid. Students are able to advise on various areas of law and to take on cases where appeal processes have been exhausted
- The University of Leicester Law Society Review gives you the opportunity to flaunt your legal writing skills on any topic of law. Prizes and opportunities from international firms are awarded to the best article of each published issue
- Events featuring guest speakers from members of the legal community, discussing their careers as QCs, solicitors or barristers, and from academics who present their research interests
Canadian Law Society
The Canadian Law Society at the University of Leicester (CLS) is the representative body for Canadian law students, providing a wide range of social, educational and career-oriented programmes and events for both Canadian and non-Canadian students. The CLS organises:
- Careers events aimed at those planning on working in Canada post-graduation, with advice and guidance on accreditation and starting your career
- Social events include evening occasions, trips to Parliament and the Supreme Court in London, charity fundraising and a variety of social parties. For home-sick Canadians, there is a Thanksgiving meal in October!
- Guest speakers have included Canadian lawyer Jack Lavers, Dr Chris Waters (academic in international law) and the Honourable Robert Hyslop, a Provincial Court judge from Newfoundland, and this past year included the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Alan H Kessel, as well as The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA)
With 40,000 members, ELSA is the world’s largest independent law students’ association. ELSA operates primarily through its local groups, which are located at nearly 300 law faculties in universities throughout 42 countries in Europe.
ELSA has members and observers across Europe, and also co-operates with other student organisations across the world, for instance the Asian Law Students' Association in Asia or the Israeli Law Students' Association.
ELSA offers unique experiences, such as:
- The opportunity of a traineeship in Germany, Sweden, Kazakhstan or Malta with the Student Trainee Exchange Programme (STEP)
- The chance to represent ELSA as a delegate in institutions such as UNESCO, the UN Human Rights Bodies, the Council of Europe, WIPO, UNCITRAL and more
- Two mooting competitions: the European Human Rights Moot Court Competition (with the prize of traineeship in the ECtHR) and the John H Jackson Moot Court Competition, a simulated hearing of the Dispute Settlement System of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on international trade law
- The ELSA Summer Law Schools or the International Law Schools in Dubai and China, offered by our valued partner the CBL International
- Inter alia lectures, panel discussions, debates, court visits and study visits (student exchange programme) - our last two study visits were organised in Spain and Greece
GEEKLAW - Information Technology Law Society
GEEKLAW was founded in 2013. Our mission is to incorporate information and communication technology into students’ academic lives, preparing them for entry into the modern economy. We offer our members, the University of Leicester community and the general public the following:
- Conferences – The primary purpose of these conferences, besides providing opportunities to acquire practical skills, is to serve as a platform for orienting law students to information technology topics and issues of significant legal consequence
- Certification courses – The primary purpose of these certification courses is to provide law students with skills they can leverage during internships and later on in their professional lives. GEEKLAW offers certification courses in Legal Software Systems, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) and Electronic Evidence
Please note that conferences and certification courses are offered solely by GEEKLAW and in partnership with our corporate sponsors. There is no affiliation with the Leicester Law School or the University of Leicester.
University of Leicester Pan-African Law Society (PALS)
Leicester Law School is home to no less than 60 students from Africa. A majority of those students will opt to return and practise in their indigenous countries, which entails that they pass their local bar exam.
The primary role of the Pan-African Law Society is to ensure that African students, with their unique cultural heritage, get the most from their education whilst studying at and upon graduation from the University of Leicester. The society will also expose Leicester law students to the developments and possibilities in the African legal systems to build upon the University of Leicester’s international reputation.
We aim to provide:
- Orientation during the first week of term for new students, covering how to succeed as a Leicester law student
- A strong Pan-African alumni association for networking
- Mentorship programmes for Leicester law students interested in African practice being placed in reputable law firms in the UK as well as in Africa for tutelage
- Preparation for Leicester law students for the indigenous African bar qualification exams by providing them with practise handbooks and summer classes
- Seminars and workshops with keynote speakers versed in the practice of law in Africa
- Partnerships with existing law societies in order to provide key content for students interested in topics relevant to Africa
- Debates to discuss topics concerning practice in Africa and its development
- Newsletters to keep the society's members, as well as alumni, up to date with information from African legal systems
University of Leicester Sports Law Society
The University of Leicester Sports Law Society (ULSLS) is a newly-established society providing a range of social, academic and networking events. All events focus on law with regard to sport, from athlete contracts to governance and anti-doping.
- Academic events include guest speakers and attending conferences, including the largest British sports law conference hosted by LawInSport
- Members of the society have previously taken part in, and won, the first National Sports Law Negotiation Competition