Pro Bono Centre and Professional Development Short Courses
Pro Bono Centre: In October 2011, Brunel Law School started a Pro Bono Group. David Rosen, Partner and Head of Litigation / Dispute Resolution at Darlingtons Solicitors, and a former graduate of Brunel Law School, is co-ordinating the activities of the group, giving the students the unique opportunity to offer advice to clients. The scope of free advice covers consideration of paperwork, interviews, drafting statements, conducting research, and providing letters of advice amongst other things. The Centre comprises various pro bono teams of 5-10 students who are working on live cases. The Pro Bono Centre meetings take place on a weekly basis.
Brunel Law School also offers an exceptionally wide array of professional development short courses:
Client Interviewing: this most popular short course (20 hours of seminars and practicals) familiarises students with professional ethics and interviewing techniques. Students will draft attendance notes, witness statements and letters of advice, and will engage with practical applications of research.
Advocacy: this equally popular short course (20 hours of seminars and practicals) provides a better understanding of process (e.g. in familiarising students with the various stages of the criminal process or in exploring the intricacies of giving legal advice at the police station) and gives students an opportunity to hone their advocacy skills. In its theoretical underpinnings, the course introduces students to the art of persuading judges and to legal reasoning and legal argumentation more generally.
Fraud Examination: This innovative short course (10 hours of seminars) will run for the first time in the spring term in 2013.
Mr David Rosen is taking the lead in these short courses, which also comprise seminars by academic staff and guest speakers including practitioners and advocacy trainers.
Legal Professionals Masterclass: this short course (10 hours of seminars and practicals) enhances the students’ ability to present themselves effectively to employers and to succeed in the graduate recruitment process. This short course is co-ordinated by Sarah Rourke and the Placement and Careers Centre.
Students attending 75% of the short courses sessions and demonstrating active engagement with the subject matter qualify for a Certificate of Attendance/ Merit:
Award of certificates, December 2012
Award of certificates, May 2012
The courses are open to all UG students, at all levels, and to PG and PhD students as well. For more information contact UGlaw@brunel.ac.uk. To register on the current running courses click here
