We know how important employability is when considering degree courses. Law graduates have a wide range of options upon graduation – from traditional law careers to government jobs to charity sector employment and beyond. This course is designed to develop students’ legal skills from Day 1 and to embed a culture of employability. There are strong links between the course, its staff, students and the local legal community. In particular, we have developed the following projects and initiatives to enhance employability:
Legal Advice Centre
The University of Suffolk Legal Advice Centre was established in 2021 and provides a valuable service to the community. Students are supervised to advise members of the public on legal issues currently focussing on family law and start-up business advice. This provides students with valuable skills in identifying and researching legal issues as well as enabling them to develop their client care and interviewing skills. Click here to read more about the Legal Advice Centre.
Clinical Legal Practice Module
In the optional Clinical Legal Practice module, students undertake a one day per week placement as alternative to a conventional academic module. Although the placements available vary each year, previous placements have been in criminal defence law firms, specialist conveyancing practices, Citizens’ Advice as well as high street solicitors’ firms.
Law in the Community
The Community Legal Education module is an opportunity for final year students to use their legal knowledge by teaching engaging and interactive sessions on legal topics to the community. Students on this module have designed and delivered sessions in local schools to A-level Law classes and participated in outreach and open day events. Click here for more information on what we offer.
Many of our law modules have a practice-based focus to them which encourages students to apply the law to factual situations which are based on real cases. The law team includes members who are current or former practitioners, and we draw on the experience of occasional and guest lecturers with current practice experience of the areas of law which they teach. This approach works to bridge the gap between the law in the classroom and the law in the real world.
A range of legal skills are embedded throughout the course including advocacy and oral presentation skills, legal writing, legal research and the use of case study ‘legal problem’ style assessments in which students have to research and advise on the law that they have learnt throughout the module.
Mock Court and Mooting
Students can develop their legal research, presentation and advocacy skills by participating in the annual law David White Memorial Trust Mooting Competition which takes place in the new mock court on the top floor of the Waterfront Building. Click here to learn more about our mock court.
Suffolk Student Law Society
The student-run Law Society hosts employability and networking events (as well as social events) for law students. Students have the opportunity to be elected to the committee of the society.
Passport to Graduation
The Passport to Graduation programme is primarily aimed at final year students to prepare them for life after university, and to support students in the specific challenges experienced in their final year. We offer a series of events, usually 5-6 throughout the year. The content changes in response to students’ needs each year, but tends to include careers advice, employability skills development, alumni networking, community building, and resilience work.
