Hannah Jones  went to Middle Temple with Breanne Richter. Both are students on the LLB with a Foundation Year.

I went to the Middle Temple Open Day with my fellow student Breanne. We decided to take the train down to London the day before and spend the night in the city. For anyone who has not been to London, our capital is a noisy, crowded, thriving hub. It never sleeps. After our evening meal, Breanne and I decided to take a walk from Fleet Street, where our hotel was, all the way to Big Ben. Even at 11o’clock at night the streets were full of tourists and buskers. It was overwhelming.

My first impression of the Middle Temple was affluence. Walking through the gardens on the way to the Hall I found it hard to believe that we were in the heart of London. If you listen carefully you can hear the city, but it is completely out context with the “quiet” surrounding of the historical buildings and well-kept garden setting. Upon entering the Hall, I got the feeling of a manor house. The urge to tiptoe around the building, looking at the many paintings and plaques was tempting. The architecture was stunning and it did feel like a house of learned people.

The Masters that were conducting the presentations were informative and captured the attention of the room. It was not hard to imagine them taking control of a courtroom. After the talks, we all adjourned to the gardens for lunch and networking. Breanne and I also had the privilege of meeting the great nephew of Donoghue from the Donoghue and Stevenson case. Luckily, for us there were no snails in our bottles of water!

It was a fantastic networking experience. As well as the temple members, we got to meet and chat to other students from different universities. It did not escape my attention that no matter what university you come from, the fundamentals are all the same. I was proud to be representing Staffs.

Staffordshire Law Department have launched a new route to qualifying in Law – a Higher Apprenticeship leading to Chartered Legal Apprenticeship status. The programme will combine work with study, giving aspiring lawyers a fantastic start to their careers.

The programme takes 5 years for someone with Level 2 qualifications, or a shortened route of 3 years for someone with an prior Law Degree. The apprentice would be employed full time in a paid postiton with an employer. They then study part time to achieve the Chartered Legal Executive status. This also requires a period of qualifying work experience, so being employed whilst you learn achieves that. The other advantage is there is no debt, the programme is 90% government funded with 10% (approx. £220 per annum) being paid by the employer.

Chartered Legal Executive is a well respected qualification in its own right. However there are fantastic progression opportunities. A top up Law degree is being developed to enable Apprentices without a Law Degree to achieve one. Someome with a Law Degree and Chartered Legal Executive status can then undertake a Legal Practice Course and become qualified as a Solicitor without the need for a training contract. This removes what many students see as the biggest risk when training in Law.

The Law Department launched the Scheme on April 5^th at a lunchtime networking event. Several large firms attended with others expressing an interest although they were unable to come on the day. So far 7 of those firms have booked further appointments to investigate the prospect of employing Chartered Legal Executive Apprentices.

The firms were attracted to the idea of offering posts with robust training packages attached, which they felt would appeal to stronger candidates. They were all pleased to hear that there is generous funding available for that training, and that salaries can be set to reflect the investment they are making in the apprentice as an employee.

Staffordshire Law Department has substantial experience of delivering blended learning programmes. The Legal Practice Course has been available this way for many years, and it is looking forward to drawing on that experience to provide a high quality apprenticeship experience for apprentices and employers alike.

Networking Event

“Insightful and practical; exactly what any aspiring lawyer needs to achieve success”

Jack Bizzell – Staffordshire University Student – LLB Hons Law 2 Year Fast Track

Last week, Staffordshire University Law School was delighted to host a joint event between Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) and Aspiring Solicitors (AS). Nearly 80 people attended the event, including a number of solicitors and barristers from Stoke and Manchester.

Ruby Hammer (Head of Law) introduced the evening and welcomed everyone to the University. She set out her vision of becoming a Community Law School and to becoming an integral part of the local legal community.

Lisa Rutter (AS Student Representative) introduced Aspiring Solicitors and their aim to provide free access and opportunity to students from underrepresented groups in order to increase diversity in the legal profession. Rachel Lindberg (AS Student manager and future trainee at Hogan Lovells) then delivered an informative presentation on Networking, Linked In and Commercial Awareness – and gave lots of useful tips and examples of what to do and what NOT to do.

In the second part of the evening, Natalie Wilkins (Immigration & Asylum, Housing and Family Law Barrister from Garden Court North) introduced Young Legal Aid Lawyers. She invited a number of guest speakers to talk about their experiences in practice and to give advice to aspiring lawyers wishing to enter the profession. Geoff Davies spoke about a day in the life of a housing caseworker at the Citizens Advice and warned the audience to “expect the unexpected”. Richard Brigden (Garden Court North) spoke with passion about being a Criminal Defence Barrister and told the students to “be themselves” when applying to chambers for pupillage. Akeel Khan, a graduate of Staffordshire University, spoke about being an Immigration Solicitor in Stoke and offered to help students gain work experience. (There was a very long queue to speak to him afterwards!)

Finally, the very charismatic Gary Willock (Barrister from Garden Court North) spoke about his career as a Housing Barrister and provided an interesting insight into the various types of issues that he deals with.

The final part of the evening was Drinks, Nibbles and Networking. The Law School sponsored the catering for the networking event which was held in the authentic mock courtroom in the Law Building. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to speak to a number of different practitioners on a one to one basis. Geoff Bell, the Managing Partner of Stevens (which is one of the largest Criminal Defence firms in the country) was very generous with his time and stayed for a number of hours to talk to the students.

Adam Bonney, a Criminal Defence Solicitor from Robert Lizar in Manchester who attended, commended the students and said that they were the most engaging that I have come across at any event. Other professionals, such as Rachael Glover (a paralegal at Clyde and Co) and Andrew Hall (a LPC Law county court advocate) also praised the event and the enthusiasm of the students. Indeed, Katie Williamson (a trainee costs lawyer at Horwich Farrelly) said that it was great to meet such enthusiastic students who are clearly passionate about the law.

The event was a huge success. It provided a great insight into the realities of working as legal aid lawyer. It also provided a great opportunity for students to practise networking in a safe environment and to start making connections with future employers. In the words of a Level 5 Staffordshire University Law student and aspiring barrister, Harriet Rowley:

This event was a fantastic opportunity to speak with experienced barristers from a variety of practice areas, not only about their work, but also, about their individual paths to the Bar and the challenges they faced. And the event took place right on my doorstep at Staffordshire University!

It was a fantastic evening and I am looking forward to attending similar events at Staffordshire University in the future.  

Article by Sara Woodhouse Davie (Senior Lecturer in Law and dedicated Legal Careers Tutor)

Photographs by Molly Woodhouse (Photo Journalism Student, Staffordshire University)

I’m Lisa Rutter and I’m a level 5 LLB Student. This year I’ve had the pleasure of being Lead Ambassador for Aspiring Solicitors at Staffordshire University. 

Aspiring Solicitors is committed to increasing diversity in the legal profession by;

(i) providing free access, opportunity and assistance to students from underrepresented groups;

(ii) educating and informing the next generation of the legal profession about the importance of diversity; and

(iii) promoting and encouraging diversity from within the profession.

Aspiring Solicitors targets undergraduate and postgraduate aspiring solicitors.

Using these aims as our ethos I have worked with my committee of other level 5 & 6 students to promote the opportunities that this organisation provide to those seeking a legal career. 

We attended the law fair earlier this year to raise awareness of the organisation, alongside managing social media accounts and distribution of promotional materials which provides details of upcoming events and opportunities. 

The most recent event I have organised is for Rachel Lindberg  (future trainee at Hogan Lovells & Aspiring Solicitors Student Manager) to visit the University to talk to our students about the importance of networking and LinkedIn. This is part of a combined event with Young Legal Aid Lawyers.’

I look forward to continued work with Aspiring Solicitors over the coming year.

“We believe the new Legal Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to attract quality applicants to paralegal and legal assistant job vacancies and to train and develop them in the role.”

Ruby Hammer, Head of Law

Law firms are being invited to find out about changes to legal education and new legal apprenticeships on offer from Staffordshire University.

Staffordshire University is among the first in the country to deliver new three and five year legal apprenticeships which are set to transform entry to the legal profession over the next decade.

The higher apprenticeships will lead to professional qualification with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILexs).

Law firms and organisations with legal departments are invited to an apprenticeships launch event in the Law building on Wednesday, 5th April at 12pm, followed by a networking lunch in the Court Room.

Staffordshire University Head of the Law, Ruby Hammer said: “We believe the new Legal Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to attract quality applicants to paralegal and legal assistant job vacancies and to train and develop them in the role.

“It’s a struggle for graduates to secure a training contract when there are far more Legal Practice Course students than there are spaces but the new apprenticeships are a route to qualifying as a solicitor without the need for a training contract.

“Market research carried out with our current students has shown that they value training and job prospects over level of salary when seeking employment.”

The five year route is designed with school and college leavers in mind whereas the three year route enables law firms to employ a law graduate and to invest in their training.

Ruby added: “Instead of just offering a post, law firms can offer a strong training package which gives apprentices the chance to qualify as a fellow of CILEx.”

“Under the new government Apprenticeship Levy, levy payers will have the costs of the training covered in full, whilst SME businesses get 90% funding, meaning they only need to pay £240 per annum in course fees.”

Drawing on the Law department’s expertise in developing blended learning courses, the apprenticeships will involve a combination of distance learning and face-to-face teaching which will take place in a block twice a year.

Staffordshire University are powering the future of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships and are working with a number of organisations including Vodafone, NHS, Perkins and Staffordshire Police to develop their workforce and shape future careers.

The University has recently confirmed its place on the Skills Funding Agency Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers which means it has the green light to delivery apprenticeships to levy paying employers.

Set to come into force this month, the government Apprenticeship Levy requires employers to invest in apprenticeships, with the size of the investment dependent on the size of the business.

Contact

Maria Scrivens
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Public Relations
L600, Flaxman Building
College Road
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 2DE
t: +44 (0)1782 294375
m: 07766 520339
e: m.c.scrivens@staffs.ac.uk

This month the newspapers were full of misleading headlines about a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling. No surprise there then, it is often the case the ECJ rulings are misconstrued in the British press in order to meet the newspapers agenda or political view point. However this latest misinformation is very misleading. There were two cases considered with different outcomes. Last week the court held that in some circumstances it is legal for a work place to ban the wearing of a headscarf. These cases highlight the difficult balancing that the court has to consider between freedom of religion and non-discrimination. The ECJ held that a ban on wearing the Islamic headscarf would not automatically constitute direct discrimination. For the ban to be legal and not constitute discrimination it must be based on an individual company’s internal rules which must require all employees to dress ‘neutrally’. It cannot be based on the wishes of a customer, because this would be a subjective consideration and therefor illegal.

The cases concerned Samira Achbita who was sacked by G4S Belgium when she started to wear a headscarf to work, after working for the firm for three years. G4S originally had an unwritten rule that was subsequently incorporated into its workplace regulations banning the wearing of ‘overt religious symbols’. Ms Achbita unsuccessfully argued that she was being directly discriminated against. However the court held that there was no discrimination because the prohibition was blanket and prohibited ‘any manifestation of such beliefs without distinction’. The court held that G4S were perusing the policy in a ‘consistent and systematic manor’. This contrasted with another judgment given at the same time where a French company sacked Asma Bougnaoui after a customer complained about her Islamic headscarf, the company Micropole had no such policy of neutrality in place and therefore had discriminated against their employee. Ms Bougnaoui had been professionally competent and she had been sacked only because of her refusal to remove her headscarf which was requested as the result of a customer complaint not company policy.

These judgments have had a very mixed reception with, Amnesty commenting that the decisions gave ‘greater leeway to employers to discriminate against women and men on the grounds of religious belief’ whilst in contrast Andrew Copson for the British Humanist Association comments ‘we need to take an approach that balances everyone’s rights fairly and we are pleased that the ECJ has today appeared to reinforce that principle’.

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