Student Societies and Activities
License to Thrill: the 2025 Law Ball
Newcastle University Law Society’s biggest night of the year, the annual Law Ball on Thursday 1st May, was a resounding success. Three months of work accumulated into one incredible night at St James’ Park Stadium with around 250 attendees. This year’s theme was ‘Casino Royale’, a classic blend of the James Bond saga and the Las Vegas scene, and the committee had a brilliant time designing the night to fit this theme. Through ups and downs, magic and mayhem, award winners and missing microphones, the event could not have been better.
Planning for the ball started in late January and our sub-committee had been chosen by mid-February, chaired by me and Hannah as Social Secretaries, and Simi as President. We decided to split the sub-committee into four categories this year: entertainment, decoration, catering and ticket sales. This facilitated us to take charge of the general planning of the event while overseeing the progress of the specific details. The following months consisted of sleepless nights and incessant emailing before the big day, but everything finally fell into place.
We spent two days setting the venue up for the event, with the first decorations arriving from Leeds the day before the event. We had searched high and low for themed decorations and were so proud of what we put together. The LAW25 lights and Casino Royale light panels went down especially well with the guests on the night, as a feature wall opposite our DJ and as a backdrop for some incredible photos.
The night went very smoothly due to our precise planning and practising, with little difficulty or delay. Our committee and sub-committee arrived at 6pm to finalise everything that would be happening during the evening, and to welcome our guests from 6:30 onwards. Our welcome drinks consisted of Prosecco and mocktails and were indeed a very welcoming sight for our guests! Once everyone had arrived, the call to sit down for dinner came. We enjoyed minestrone soup for our starter, and it is safe to say that this went down a treat! We had a brilliant performance from ‘A Cultured Sound’, a student-led choir with incredible voices and passion for their music. Songs such as ‘Hit the Road Jack’ and ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ featured, and their performance ended with ‘Skyfall’ as a perfect homage to the Bond movie. The choir received an abundance of compliments from guests.
Our main course was supplemented by a table-to-table performance from Paul Lytton, our magician for the evening. We were all amazed by his tricks; nobody could figure out how he managed to pull them off completely undiscovered. In fact, we had a few people approach us to ask whether we had hired an ‘actual wizard’ amidst the gasps and shrieks of the audience! Paul performed throughout our dessert too, during which Simi and I presented our NULS ‘Recognition Awards’.
One major struggle had been in collecting prizes for the raffle we had planned during the dessert. The sub-committee had contacted a seemingly endless number of businesses, law firms, and event companies in an attempt to secure some prizes, but to no avail. In its place, Simi and I agreed to hold an awards ceremony to celebrate the successes of our brilliant society members throughout the year. We kept this secret from much of the committee and from our guests, as we thought it would be a welcome surprise on the evening. To be honest, this was absolutely my favourite part of the evening. We ordered some medals and trophies and agreed on a range of categories and award-winners, from ‘First Year Participation’ to ‘Legal Career Commitment’. We also made sure to acknowledge the success of our NULS sports teams and their hardworking captains, who play a huge role in the community of our society. We loved the interactive ‘Best Dressed’ categories, and the audience seemed to have an amusing time cheering for their favourites. Simi and I also nominated each other for awards, as we separately believed that the other should be publicly recognised for their effort and commitment this year. This ceremony was a lovely addition to the evening and truly emphasised the extraordinary community NULS have created this year.
Once the awards ceremony was over, guests were free to explore the casino tables and photobooth, and the DJ played a variety of songs attracting people to the dancefloor. Many used this time to order bespoke cocktails and mocktails from the bar, which the sub-committee had created to fit the ‘Casino Royale’ theme. The ‘Vesper Martini’ was a particular favourite; shaken, not stirred, of course. The casino tables were enjoyed for hours after the ceremony had ended, with guests learning how to play games such as roulette and blackjack, and some even trying their hand at being Vegas-style dealers. The queue for the photobooth was unbelieveable, but the photos were absolutely gorgeous and people emerged from the booth beaming with joy. The night ended with the remanants of the committee and sub-committee packing up the decorations, with smiles on our faces and memories to last a lifetime.
We could not have asked for a better evening, and we are very grateful to the team at St James’ Park for their invaluable efforts and seamless work.
Zak Missouri, J.H Rennoldson Prize
The J.H Rennoldson Prize is awarded to the student who gives the best performance in the First Examination for the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
I am utterly delighted to receive this award from the Newcastle Law School! A special thank you to all my lecturers, seminar-leaders, friends, and family who guided me to this amazing achievement.
George Harris-Kendrick, John Clark Memorial Prize in Chancery
The John Clark Memorial Prize in Chancery awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in Equity, Trusts, Revenue Law, Succession or Company Law.
I am both proud and pleasantly surprised to have received the John Clark Memorial Prize. After my performance in Stages One and Two, I never imagined this would be possible. This achievement shows that, with the support of the staff and students at Newcastle Law School, you can truly grow, push beyond your limits, and exceed your own expectations.
Nathan Bunkle, The North of England Medico-Legal Society Prize
The North of England Medico-Legal Society Prize is awarded to the student who gives the best performance in Medicine and the Law.
I am very proud to have been awarded the North of England Medico-Legal Society Prize. I thoroughly enjoyed the Medicine Law module and it is nice to see my hard work pay off.
Athina Savva, University of Law Scholarship
I feel extremely lucky to have received this scholarship. My university recognised my hard work and the challenges I have faced during my studies, especially as a foreigner. This scholarship is not only a recognition but an opportunity to invest those fees in other career opportunities during my postgraduate studies in the ULaw, in Newcastle University.
Hannah Mackie, Sweet and Maxwell Prize
Sweet and Maxwell provides an annual prize of £150 worth of Sweet and Maxwell books to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the Second Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws.
Being awarded the Sweet and Maxwell prize is an immense honour, and I am incredibly proud. But above all, I am deeply grateful to everyone at the Law School whose support made this possible! As I begin my third and final year at Newcastle University, I view this prize as a source of motivation, and I look forward with excitement to all that the year ahead will bring!
