Verdict. Issue 5 Spring 2012 Southampton Law School

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1 Issue 5 Spring 2012 Southampton Law School Verdict Many senior lawyers in the UK and worldwide started their careers at Southampton Law School. Our degree programmes combine academic education from staff who are actively involved in research with excellent links with legal professions. This newsletter will highlight our students achievements and activities over the last year in the classroom and in the wider world. Thirty years of expertise in maritime law page 2 Law students investigate wrongful convictions page 4 Effective legal argument scores in Mumbai page 6

2 Welcome to the Southampton Law School Since the teaching of law first started in 1923, the Southampton Law School has combined a reputation for excellence in teaching and research with a pioneering attitude that has spawned a variety of innovative courses such as law of the human body. Although the School is world-famous for the study of commercial law and maritime law, a much wider array of disciplines is on offer. The School places great importance on the link between research and teaching: members of staff are involved at both national and international level in the development of law, whether it be shipping law or information technology law, all of which feeds back into teaching. The School is situated on the main Highfield campus close to the library, the students union and the University s acclaimed sports facilities. The University Library offers excellent facilities: it houses both the Law Collection and the Ford Collection of Parliamentary Papers. Increasingly materials are supplied via freely available electronic means. The Library also has extensive subscriptions to legal databases. Southampton Law School alumni include partners in some of the top law firms in the UK and globally, successful barristers and judges. Not all of our students choose to enter professional practice, but their degree enables them to have a wide choice of careers. Our international graduates are also exceptionally well placed in practice in their home countries. The annual LLB Careers Fair is attended by the leading UK firms, and the unique two-week Employability Skills programme aims to ensure that students acquire the necessary skills that make them attractive to prospective employers. Should you decide to study here, we look forward to meeting you. Professor Natalie Lee Head of the Law School Thirty years of expertise in maritime law The Southampton University Law School s world renowned Institute of Maritime Law (IML) is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in Over the years, many senior lawyers have honed their skills and expertise in shipping law through attending its popular short courses. Founded by a group of maritime law academics in 1982, the Institute is one of a few centres in the world that both carries out specialist research into shipping law and passes on this knowledge to future generations of maritime lawyers. Around 2,000 delegates have taken part in these programmes in the last three decades. Shipping is a very time sensitive business and even relatively short delays may prove very expensive indeed says IML Director Filippo Lorenzon. We find leading law firms, shipping companies and commodity houses are keen to invest in knowhow to keep at the forefront of the legal developments affecting the maritime industry. This year, to meet demand and mark the anniversary, the Institute will hold a new course on International Trade and Cargo Claims for the Australian market. There will also be a specialist training programme on Underwater Pipelines: Law and Liabilities as well as the long-established Short Course this year in its 39th edition and the 4th edition of the Singapore Short Course This anniversary year will culminate with the 30th Donald O May Lecture in Maritime Law which will be delivered by the President of the Supreme Court, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers KG in London in November. 2

3 We find leading law firms, shipping companies and commodity houses are keen to invest in knowhow to keep at the forefront of the legal developments affecting the maritime industry. Filippo Lorenzon IML Director National role for leading Southampton Law School academic Jonathan Montgomery, Professor of Health Care Law at the University of Southampton and Chair of Hampshire Primary Care Trust, has been appointed Chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics for the next five years. I was delighted to be invited to take on this role, said Jonathan, Bioethics touches all of our lives and we need to think clearly and rigorously about using our scientific knowledge responsibly and for the benefit of us all. The Council has established itself as a pre-eminent source of wise advice in the UK and internationally. It will be a privilege to join it. Jonathan takes over from Albert Weale, who has chaired the Council since Under his chairmanship, the Council has published reports on the ethics of dementia care, personalised healthcare, biofuels and organ and tissue donation. Jonathan has extensive experience of exploring bioethical issues. He was a member of the Council s Working Party on Public Health Ethics, which reported in He is a member of the Government s Committee on the Ethical Aspects of Pandemic Influenza, and was part of a group drawing up guidance for the British Society for Human Genetics on the genetic testing of children in His other past service includes the Organ Donation Task Force, the Medical Ethics Committee of the British Medical Association and the Ethics Advisory Group to the Care Records Development Board. He is the author of a leading textbook on Health Care Law and numerous articles. 3

4 Law students investigate wrongful convictions Law students at Southampton are embarking on a unique legal project with Innocence Network UK (INUK). They are investigating whether certain individuals convicted of serious offences are victims of miscarriages of justice. These are prisoners who have exhausted all avenues of appeal but still maintain their innocence, says Dr James Maclean. Our students examine the facts of the cases, working with solicitors and barristers to determine if there is any new information that could result in the matter being referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Dr Maclean launched the project at Southampton in early More than 60 students answered the first call for volunteers; 24 were chosen to undergo training by INUK and now work in groups on three cases. The ratio of students to cases will be maintained at roughly this level as new students come in to replace the final year students who will be leaving. This is excellent experience for our students, explains James. It allows them to practise all the skills they have been learning in their studies in a real-life setting. PhD student Harry East leads one group of seven students. I thought this was a good opportunity to find out about the criminal justice system from the inside, it s good hands-on experience of pro bono work, especially as I would like to go to the Criminal Bar, he comments. The students have now carried out their training with INUK in London, which included talks from two QCs specialising in criminal law about their experience with the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and an investigative journalist; they will soon be starting work reviewing the cases they have been allocated. We will be looking again at the details of the case and talking to people involved. Then, I expect we will be going to prison to visit the convicted person, adds Harry. I must emphasise we are not a campaigning group. If we decide the conviction is safe, we will have fulfilled our brief to investigate. Volunteering students have been advised that considerable commitment is expected from them as they will spend up to six hours a week working on the case, on top of their studies. Strict confidentiality is respected throughout. They will be writing letters, corresponding with the clients and researching legal topics such as evidence and DNA, under supervision. This project with the Innocence Network gives them valuable experience of the world of work as well as the criminal justice system. Our teams will be developing transferable skills of research and analysis that any employer will appreciate when our students graduate, says James. 4

5 Excellence in European law Undergraduate Janis Rusis headed to Southampton Law School from Austria because of its reputation for European law. The second year student is now planning a year abroad at the University of Nantes in France, as part of the Erasmus scheme, to learn more about French law and improve his command of the language. Janis considers himself a European. He spent his childhood in Latvia and Sweden before his family moved to Vienna where he took the International Baccalaureate. Friends recommended I should study in the UK and Southampton was an obvious choice, he says. I enjoy learning a wide range of legal subjects, as part of my degree. I also like the diversity of the student body, there are many international students here and it is good to network and make friends. After graduating with his LLB (hons) in European Legal Studies, Janis is considering taking a higher degree, then would like to work at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Click here to watch video with Janis testimonial. Practical skills in housing and employment law A collaboration between Southampton Law School and local Chambers, 12 College Place, gives students the chance to learn about the practicalities of employment and housing law. The law students run regular clinics to advise University students on their rights and develop valuable skills that will help them in the workplace after they graduate. The housing law clinic is now in its third year. It supports students who need advice on renting property while they study. Issues tackled by the employment law clinic include discrimination, harassment, contractual and status matters and dismissal. Through volunteering to advice in the clinics, law students improve their interview and communication skills and learn how to manage cases. 5

6 Maritime law in action. International challenge for Southampton s law students. Southampton law students are preparing to test themselves against experienced mooting teams from universities all over the world at the 2012 Maritime Moot in Brisbane. They will analyse a knotty problem in maritime law set by the organisers, prepare their arguments and practise their techniques over the next few months, before flying to Australia. In the 2011 Maritime Moot in Singapore, the Southampton team were runners-up; Southampton law student Kate Law won the overall prize for best speaker. Oluwatobi Seriki is proud they beat several more experienced universities in the contest. It s a lot of hard work and quite stressful but it s all worth it when you get to the final, she says. You have to understand the problem thoroughly, you have to be convinced of your argument but you can develop it in the earlier rounds. It s a great experience. 6

7 Effective legal argument scores in Mumbai Southampton law students skilled in legal argument have taken second prize in a prestigious international contest in India. best speaker; researcher Craig Jourdan completed Southampton s team of third year students. The Southampton Law School has entered teams for this competition for the last five years, winning the best memorial on the first attempt. This is, however, the highest place achieved overall. The rounds of the competition are held in the Government Law College (GLC), Mumbai, which was established in 1855, with the final rounds of argument presided over by a bench of five sitting judges of the Bombay High Court. The 13th DM Harish Memorial Government Law College International Moot Court Competition involves a fictional dispute between countries, dealing with contemporary legal issues, submitted to the International Court of Justice. Zac Rowe was named second best speaker and Jack Steer third The College is renowned in India, more than 60 percent of the Bombay Bar, over 70 percent of the state s higher judiciary, the President of India, the Chief Justice, the Attorney General and five former Chief Justices were all educated there. The mooting prize is named after Mr D. M. Harish who was a distinguished advocate and a renowned authority on Income Tax law in India. Insights into legal careers Law students in their second year of study have again enjoyed an unrivalled opportunity to learn about the wide range of careers open to law graduates. Two weeks of activities and visits are arranged each year at the end of the first semester; with an expectation that students will attend at least seven of them. This year s choices included talks on careers at the Bar, as a solicitor and as an in-house lawyer. Court visits to employment and social security tribunals proved popular and skills-based workshops covered subjects such as personal branding and writing applications, commercial awareness and negotiating skills. Second year student Kristian Foged found the fortnight interesting and rewarding. It s definitely a good idea to spend two weeks looking at different aspects of law. I was particularly interested in learning about life at the human rights bar and was impressed that many of the talks were delivered by Southampton alumni, he says. He also signed up for sessions on alternative dispute resolution, writing skills and client interviewing and appreciated the chance to network with experienced legal professionals from several top firms. 7

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