Over the last year, our law student societies have hosted a wide range of enriching events and activities. From insightful guest lectures and moot competitions to networking events, social mixers and fundraising initiatives, our students have been at the heart of a multitude of amazing experiences.
To celebrate the accomplishments of our societies in the past academic year, we asked the outgoing presidents to share three of their most significant achievements. Their insights highlight the incredible work and dedication that have defined their tenure.
Bristol Animal Law Society
Outgoing president: Imogen Suett
Dog and Cat Christmas Shoebox Fundraiser Event
Bristol Animal Law society is affiliated with a range of organisations, including local animal sanctuary Holly Hedge. Before Christmas our members enjoyed the festivities by funding and creating shoeboxes full of toys and treats for the animals at the sanctuary. Members of the society also took the shoeboxes down to the sanctuary and assisted regular volunteers with the shoebox drop-off scheme.
Speaker event with Dr Max Jones
The society’s first speaker event was kicked off by none other than Dr Max Jones from the department of philosophy at the University of Bristol. He discussed nonhuman animal consciousness and its impact on animal law with an eager audience. This was the event that captured the attention of most of our future members and founded the welcoming environment that encouraged exciting debates throughout the rest of the year.
Speaker event with members of Advocates for Animals
In our final session of the year we were grateful to members of another of our affiliated organisations, Advocates for Animals (A for A). Edie Bowels and Taylor Mcleod spoke about their experiences practising as animal lawyers. Our members came away feeling super inspired in particular by Edie Bowels journey into becoming the founder of A for A, which is the first animal rights law firm in the UK. It was exciting to end the year speaking to those who were practising in the field we had had so many debates and discussions about throughout the year.
University of Bristol Bar Society
Outgoing president: Srishti Garg
Annual Networking Dinner (AND)
We hosted our 12th Annual Networking Dinner this year which is the biggest event for Bar outside London. It had barristers and students from diverse backgrounds including our alumni and mentors in our Diversity Mentorship scheme. Our Patron was The Rt. Hon. Dame Victoria Sharp, president of the Kings Bench Division. The patron gave an interview with our president Srishti Garg on her experience at the bar and advice for aspiring students and barristers. A three-course meal was served with an open bar at the Bristol Marriott Hotel, college green. Barristers were paired with students 1:2 on the tables and students were given a networking guide with their chosen fields of interest. It was an extra special evening as it was International Women’s Day and the Bar society consisted of 11 committee members out of 12 and the first female president of the Kings bench division was our patron.
Annual Charity Lecturers Moot (ACM)
We brought back the Charity moot this year in collaboration with Bristol Pro Bono Society which took place in the Reception Room of Wills Memorial Building. Our Sponsors were the Law School and New Court Chambers. The aim was to raise money and awareness about Bristol Refugee Rights organisation which also gave a presentation. Four Law lecturers – Mike Blitz, Emily Hancox, Mollie Cornell and Sahar Shah volunteered to moot against each other with VJ Poopalasingham as the judge. The event was fully sold out and we raised nearly £800. The moot problem was a fictional ‘Murder in Love Island’ based on the actual reality show ‘Love Island’ given to us by our judge. The evening saw great mooting from all sides with humorous advocacy and audience participation.
Advocacy
An Advocacy Training Programme was devised where students were taught by experienced barristers in a series of 4-5 workshops over a period of few months. A Plea in Mitigation competition was held at the end to test those skills. The other competitions included moots, mock trial, essay writing competitions and debates. The winners received a mini pupillage. We are committed to provide mini pupillages or cash prizes (sometimes both) for winners in our internal and external advocacy competitions by our sponsor chambers and the only law society to do so.
University of Bristol Law Club (UBLC)
Outgoing president: Ryan Abu-Wardeh
Recognised nationally as an award-winning law society
The UBLC won Best Society for Commercial Awareness for our leading Commercial Awareness Programme, careers offerings, First Year and Commercial Law Guides, and UBLC Hub. We were also nominated for Best Society for Welfare as well as Most Committed to Increasing Diversity. Alongside being Finalists for the Bright Network’s NextGen Legal Leaders Award, these demonstrate the UBLC’s award-winning capabilities and offerings, and cements the UBLC as one of the UK’s leading law societies.
Introducing the UBLC Bursary
With over 100 applications throughout the year, the newly introduced UBLC Bursary has helped significantly ease financial burdens for countless students at a time when this has been greatly needed. In addition to all UBLC career events being free, the Bursary offered a subsidy for: covering all sports-related costs for players in our UBLC Sports Teams, attire-related costs for our Careers Dinner, tickets to both Law Balls, and our iconic Trip Abroad.
Offering our members with the UBLC’s best year for careers
The UBLC has offered increased opportunities for our over 1,000 members. This includes a substantial increase in the number of sponsors in the legal industry (over 30 partners) and over 50 career events throughout the year. Additionally, we offered a wider range of CV-building opportunities with the introduction of the Commercial Awareness Competition, alongside our existing Debating, Mooting, and Negotiation opportunities.
Lawyers Without Borders (Bristol Student Division)
Outgoing president: Yusuf Ghanizadeh
Billy Moore talk
Billy Moore was once merely seven hours from facing execution in the electric chair, after pleading guilty to the 1974 robbery and murder of Fred Stapleton. The only self-confessed murderer to have ever been released from death row, Moore was introduced by lecturer and death penalty lawyer Clive Stafford Smith OBE, and interviewed by LWOB President, Yusuf Ghanizadeh, and Diversity and Equality Officer, Noor Khashaba, in the Lady Hale Moot Court during a short visit to the UK.
Geneva trip
LWOB was delighted to host a trip to Geneva between 3-6 June. During the trip, attendees spoke with representatives from the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT).
Rule of Law Innovation Challenge
The annual Rule of Law Innovation Challenge is a high-spirited competition among Lawyers Without Borders’ student divisions. Participating teams design innovative educational mechanisms from a choice of topics related to ongoing Lawyers Without Borders campaigns surrounding the rule of law. This year’s Bristol team focused on child labour and fair trade in the chocolate industry. They produced a children’s book, with a parent leaflet and concept paper on the topic. Despite having to work under extreme time pressure, the Bristol team were given an honourable mention for best research.
University of Bristol Pro Bono Society
Outgoing president: George Kendall
Widening engagement and understanding of pro bono work
In the first term, we filled the Moot Court to hear a talk from Paul Yates, Global Head of Pro Bono at Freshfields. This was a flagship event, highlighting the positive impact of pro bono work for those in need, law firms, and trainee solicitors.
Fundraising for Bristol refugee rights
In the second term, 115 students and teachers came to our Annual Charity Moot, in collaboration with the Law School and Bar Society. Lecturers for the prosecution Emily Hancox and Mike Blitz clinched victory, although defence counsel Sahar Shar and Mollie Cornell split the room with their clever ecological and extra-legal arguments for their client’s innocence! The event raised over £800 for Bristol Refugee Rights, making the event the most successful Annual Charity Moot since its inception in 2015.
Expanding the Pro Bono Society and Increasing Engagement
We finished the year with a very lively and successful 2024 election campaign, with 84 voters in total. This reflects a threefold increase of interest and participation in the Pro Bono Society. We are looking forward to the new committee’s events promoting the importance of pro bono.
Research for Change
Outgoing president: Katarzyna Gorska
Increased the number of blog articles
We increased the number of published Blog articles from 1 to 2 per week during term time. We covered topics such as protection of climate migrants, police brutality and misinformation in the media. We also increased the number of recruited associate Blog writers from previous years.
Increased the number of podcasts episodes
We increased the number of released podcast episodes to two per month. We also collaborated with many great organisations in our podcast, such as JENGbA, Extinction Rebellion’s Legal Team and Gendered Intelligence. We started conversations with law societies from other universities regarding potential future collaborations.
Annual careers event with the Law Commission
We successfully organised an annual careers event with the Law Commission, during which Research Assistants explained an alternative route to a career as a legal researcher. We also established new connections with organisations such as LexisNexis and the Cabot Institute for the Environment. In collaboration with the 93% Club and the UBLC, we hosted the annual Debate for Change workshops and competition.
Further information
For more information on all our law student societies and their activities, see the Law School Student Societies.