Student Experience
At Newcastle Law School we don't just want to give you a first-rate education. We want to give you the best possible student experience.
Newcastle Law Society
The Society plays a key role in the life of the Law School. The Society organises many social events. These include an Annual Law Ball and the Graduation Ball, both prestigious events. It also organises Mooting and Client Interviewing. The Newcastle University Law Society has sports teams in football, hockey and netball.
The football team, "Barca Law-na", recently enjoyed winning seasons in the University League. The Society joins the Law School and the Careers Service in helping at the Annual Law Fair. It's a law recruiting event held annually. It's attended by 65 law firms and professional trainers, all keen to recruit our students. Finally, the Society publishes the annual Law School magazine, 'All Rise!'.
Bar Society
The Bar Society offers students an invaluable insight into life at the Bar.
The Society provides opportunities to learn what it takes to be a Barrister. You learn how to get pupillage. We provide essential skills through a series of talks, workshops, and panel events. What we do prepares our members for the next step in their legal career. We offer them personalised support through a mentoring scheme which comprises of:
- BPTC students
- Pupil Barristers
- County Court Advocates
- fully-fledged Barristers
Mentoring provides students with the most invaluable advice on CV’s and applications. It helps give students the best chance, with advice from people who have done it themselves.
Finally, we also help develop the skill of advocacy through our Advocacy Competition. With training, and judged by mentors, it provides the perfect start to life as a Barrister.
Mediation at Newcastle
Mediation is a growing form of dispute resolution found in a range of settings, including:
- commercial
- consumer
- family
- community
- employment
Courts are increasingly referring litigants to mediation. The legal profession has begun adopting it as another tool in their workbox to offer clients.
The School is setting up a new Mediation Society. The aim is to introduce students to mediation practice. We look at how to act as a legal representative in the process. The skills learned in mediation training are invaluable for all lawyers. That's whether they're acting within mediation or in general practice. You gain skills in communications, creativity and understanding clients’ needs and interests.
The Society will host training, events and guest seminars, and run student competitions. It will also send teams to represent Newcastle in national and international tournaments. Newcastle took part in the UK Law School Mediation Competition in January 2020. A team competed in the (online) Singapore International Mediation Institute Mediation and Mediation Advocacy competition in October and November 2020.
For further information, please contact Professor Bryan Clark.
Hear from a student
'The scope of international competition involvement with the Mediation activity at Newcastle is fantastic, setting you up with a more culturally aware and global mindset – perfect for anyone pursuing an international career. And finally, it’s a bit of fun – you get to meet new people, apply the soft skills learnt throughout your law degree to practical scenarios, and grow in confidence! So, get involved!'
Nadia Asbridge, LLB
Don't forget to read the full blog post on North East Law Review (NELR).
Mooting
Mooting is a means of gaining experience in the art of legal argument and dates back to the Middle Ages. Two teams of opposing advocates present legal arguments in a fictitious appeal. The judge may be a senior student, staff or a professional barrister. It depends on the stage of the competition.
The Newcastle Law School mooting programme culminates with the senior team final. This takes place in the Moot Hall in Newcastle's old Assize Court, built in 1809. It's judged by a prominent legal figure. Previous judges included Lord Hope and His Honour Judge Goss QC.
Mooting at University has proven helpful in the workplace. It can help with team working skills, discipline and public speaking experience. All skills valued by employers. Mooting activities are generously sponsored by Dere Street Barristers. If you'd like any further information, please email mooting@ncl.ac.uk
Client interviewing
Mock client interviewing in the context of a fictional legal dispute is important. It helps develops inter-personal skills, team working and meeting management.
Two client interviewing officers, elected by the students, run of the programme here. All first year students take part in a client interviewing exercise, in pairs. This enables students to interact with the local legal profession. Firms of solicitors provide judges for the exercise.
The two highest-scoring pairs take part in Newcastle Law School's Client Interviewing Finals. A prominent Newcastle-based solicitor judges the finals. We enter a team in The Client Interviewing Competition for England and Wales.
For further information email: client.interviewing@newcastle.ac.uk
Negotiating competition
Develop your negotiation skills by taking part in our negotiating competition.
Newcastle Law School started its negotiating competition in 2012 with only 30 teams.
Due to its success, more than 65 teams competed in the latest competition.
We send several teams to national negotiating competitions and other external competitions.
How it works
A negotiation is two teams who take part as "lawyers" for each of their respective clients. The two teams have a set of common facts which detail the situation. They tell of the circumstances that have arisen to result in the conflict. The negotiation aims to settle the matter.
Teams also receive a set of confidential facts. These are specific to each team and list instructions from respective clients. The teams have 20 minutes to negotiate agreement. It should best reflect their client's demands.
The competition usually comprises of three rounds. The first round takes place in the first few weeks of November. The semi-finals are in December.
The competition itself pools resources from:
- staff at Newcastle Law School
- the students themselves
- our sponsors, DWF
The first round will be judged by experienced negotiators from the student body. They're finalists and external competitors from previous years. The latter rounds will be judged by solicitors from DWF.
Stage 1
Oxford University Press provides an annual prize option of either £150 worth of OUP books or 12 months access to a Trove collection, to the student gives the best overall performance in a stage 1 module.
In the event of many students achieving the same highest mark the prize may not be shared. The board of examiners decides which student should receive the award.
J.H. Rennoldson Prize
The J.H. Rennoldson Fund provides an annual prize of £100 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the First Examination for the degree of Bachelor of Laws
Stage 1 modules
Constitutional Law Prize - Womble Bond Dickinson Prize
Womble Bond Dickinson provides an annual prize of £150 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the subject Constitutional Law.
Contract and Tort (2 prizes) - Slaughter and May Prize
- £200 for the student with the top aggregate mark across Contract and Tort.
- £100 for the student with the second highest aggregate mark across Contract and Tort.
Both to be redeemed against books. The prize winners will also be invited to meet with a partner, trainee, and member of the Trainee Recruitment team, to take place either at the office or virtually. Where more than one student has the same aggregate mark, the student with the highest Stage 2 mark will be awarded the prize. Where more than one student has the exact same total module marks for Contract and Tort, the prize will be split.
Legal Institutions and Method - Northern Dispute Resolution Prize
Northern Dispute Resolution, providers of mediation services, offer an annual prize of £100 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the subject Legal Institutions and Method.
Stage 2
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.
Slaughter and May Exchange Scholarships x2
Slaughter and May provides one £1000 scholarship awarded to the top performing stage 2 Newcastle law student selected for the International Legal Studies degree stream, on the basis of the average stage 2 academic results, where a minimum 2:1 mark has been attained.
Slaughter and May provides one £1000 scholarship to one remaining stage 2 Newcastle law student selected for any of the exchange programmes, and is awarded on the basis of the highest average stage 2 academic results, where a minimum 2:1 mark has been attained.
The prize winners will also be invited to meet with a partner, trainee, and member of the Trainee Recruitment team, to take place either at the office or virtually.
Stage 2 modules
Land Law - Womble Bond Dickinson Prize
Womble Bond Dickinson provides an annual prize of £150 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the subject Land Law.
Criminal Law - The Newcastle upon Tyne Law Society Prize
The Newcastle upon Tyne Incorporated Law Society provides an annual prize to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the subject of Criminal Law. The value of the prize is determined by The Society annually and will be presented in person at the Annual Law Society Dinner.
Equity and Trusts - The Newcastle upon Tyne Law Society Prize
The Newcastle upon Tyne Incorporated Law Society provides an annual prize to the student, who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in either of the subjects, Equity or Trusts. The value of the prize is determined by The Society annually and will be presented in person at the Annual Law Dinner.
Tort - DWF Prize
DWF, Group plc provide an annual prize of £150 and a mentor to the student, who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the subject of Tort.
Stage 3
J.H. Rennoldson Memorial Prize
The J.H. Rennoldson Fund provides an annual prize of £100 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the Final Honours Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws.
Park Lane Plowden Prize
Park Lane Plowden Chambers award a prize of £250 to the student from a racially minoritized or minoritized ethnic background with the highest final year grade.
Research Topic/Dissertation - The Patrick Dowdeswell Prize
Eversheds, of Newcastle upon Tyne, provides an endowed annual prize of £200 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, produces either an outstanding performance in the Research Topic, or Dissertation in the field of pensions law or if any particular year there is no such Research Topic or Dissertation in pension law, the prize is awarded for an outstanding performance in the research topic or dissertation in the field of equity.
Pippa Darlington Memorial Prize
The Pippa Darlington Memorial Prize provides an annual prize of £200 to the best-performing student on a Law degree that includes a year abroad.
Stage 2 and 3 elective modules
Company Law - The Newcastle upon Tyne Law Society Prize
The Newcastle upon Tyne Incorporated Law Society provides an annual prize to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the subject of Company Law. The value of the prize is determined by The Society annually and will be presented in person at the Annual Law Dinner.
The John Clark Memorial Prize in Chancery
This Endowed Memorial Prize is of a variable amount 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.
Environmental Law - Emsley Prize
This Endowed Memorial Prize of £100 is awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the Environmental Law module.
Employment Law - Park Lane Plowden Prize
Park Lane Plowden Chambers award a prize of £250 to the student with the highest mark for the Employment Law module.
Family Law - Stowe Family Law Prize
Stowe Family Law award a prize of £100 to the stage 3 student with the Best Overall Performance in Family Law.
Commercial Law - Winn Solicitors Prize
Winn Solicitors, an award-winning litigation firm specialising in matters of personal injury, commercial litigation and dispute resolution, awards an annual prize of £250 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the module Mediation and Commercial Dispute Resolution.
Medicine Law and Bioethics - The North of England Medico-Legal Society Prize
The North of England Medico-Legal Society provides an annual prize of £250 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in Medicine and the Law.
Evidence - Trinity Chambers Prize
Trinity Chambers of Newcastle upon Tyne, provides an annual prize of £150, to the student, who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, gives the best performance in the subject of Evidence.
LLM
Research Topic/Dissertation - The Patrick Dowdeswell Prize
Eversheds, of Newcastle upon Tyne, provides an endowed annual prize of £200 to the student who, in the opinion of the Board of Examiners in Law, produces either an outstanding performance in the Research Topic, or Dissertation in the field of pensions law or if any particular year there is no such Research Topic or Dissertation in pension law, the prize is awarded for an outstanding performance in the research topic or dissertation in the field of equity.
Pippa Darlington Memorial Prize
The Pippa Darlington Memorial Prize provides an annual prize of £200 to the best-performing student on a Law degree that includes a year abroad.
Become a mentor
You can help new students as they start their journey into University life. In your second and third year, you’ll have the opportunity to apply to become a mentor. You will be a source of guidance for advice, including how:
- to get the most out of lectures and the library
- best to enjoy Newcastle as a city
For information, please contact the Mentoring Coordinator, Sarah Morley.
Adding to your degree
Ncl+ initiative ensures every student can gain valuable, transferable skills besides their degree. Ncl+ brings together groups across the University. They offer opportunities and experiences that will make your time here more valuable. This will boost your employability, and enhance your degree.
Student ambassadors
Through ncl+ you can apply to become a Student Ambassador. As an ambassador you’ll support a range of recruitment and aspiration-raising activities/events. This is a paid position that it flexible to work around your studies. For more information, please visit the ncl+ website.
