The Reporter - University of Kent [PDF]

The Reporter Top ten for research Page 2

Meshaal shortlisted Page 3

Skills Hub team Page 6

Student Society news Page 10

Bringing you the latest news from Kent Law School at the University of Kent

Spring Term 2015

Law students to represent England in International Negotiation Competition A team of two Kent Law School students will represent England in the International Negotiation Competition in July 2015. Kent team Tomi Popoola and Sean Wells secured their place at the international competition after winning the title of best student negotiators in the country at the National Negotiation Competition in March. Kent was one of 12 teams competing in the competition hosted by last year’s winners, University College London.

In addition to earning a place at the international competition in Dublin, Tomi and Sean’s win in London means that Kent will host the final of the National Negotiation Competition in 2016. Sponsored by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), the annual competition is designed to develop an increasingly important skill for legal practice amongst future lawyers. Tomi, a final year Law and Business Administration student and Sean, a second

Kent Law School

year Law student, advanced to the national final after their performance in the South East regional heat in February. They were accompanied by their mentor, Negotiation module convenor Janie Clement-Walker. Sean said: ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has forced its way in to the mainstream legal profession through the work of organisations such as CEDR, who promote the fact that ADR is more time-efficient, flexible and cost-effective Continued page 2

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News

Top ten ranking for Law School’s research Kent Law School has been ranked eighth in the UK for research intensity in the latest Times Higher Education subject rankings, outperforming 17 of 23 Russell Group universities. The rankings are based on the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014. Research intensity measures the School’s average quality score in combination with the proportion of eligible staff submitted for review (89% of eligible staff at the School submitted work). Almost all (99%) of the School’s research was judged to be of international quality with 79% judged as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The REF, an independent survey of UK universities, also ranks the School seventh for research power with more than a third of the School’s research being given the highest 4* rating.

Prestigious panel of legal experts for Law Question Time Students, staff and alumni greatly enjoyed hearing from a prestigious panel of legal experts at the School’s first Law Question Time. Along with Her Honour Judge Heather Norton, a Circuit Judge at Canterbury Courts, the panel comprised: Mikal Anderson, solicitor for the Social Welfare Team at Kent County Council; John Bowers QC from Littleton Chambers, a specialist in Employment and Human rights law and a Deputy High Court Judge; Elizabeth Howe OBE, General Counsel with the International Association of Prosecutors; David Radlett, a Kent Law Lecturer with public and criminal law expertise; and Ross Talbot, a barrister from Lamb Building (Temple). The event, brainchild of panellist Ross Talbot, was coordinated by the Law Schools Employability and Career Development Officer Jayne Instone in association with the Kent Student Law Society, Kent Law Temple Society and Kent Critical Law Society.

Success

Fundraising staff and students support Kent Law Campaign Kent Law School staff and students have been running and abseiling in a bid to help the Kent Law Campaign raise the final £630k of its £5 million target. The Campaign aims to provide a new home for the Kent Law Clinic and for the School’s Mooting Programme. More than £4,500 was raised by the Kent Law Campaign Student Group’s second annual 5km Fun Run in October. A further £850 was raised by Andy Wilson, Rose Noble and Blessing Olapade, a team of students from the Kent Law Campaign Student Group who took part in a KM Charity Team abseil from the roof of the Premier Inn in Canterbury together with Hilary Edridge, Head of Campaigns at Kent. The Mid-Public Phase Report of the Campaign (which includes all the latest designs for the new Wigoder Building) is available to read at www.kent.ac.uk/lawcampaign

Law students to represent England in International Negotiation Competition (cont) than litigation. In light of these benefits the method of resolving legal disputes is evolving, particularly across the UK and Europe. ‘At Kent we are lucky that these changes have been recognised, as we are offered the opportunity to learn and apply a set of practical skills through the extra-curricular Negotiation and Mediation modules. After meeting many law students from across the country through competing, I was surprised to find how few have been offered a similar opportunity. ‘For me personally, the highlight of the Negotiation module was the opportunity to experience what it feels like to be a solicitor in handling a dispute with another party through the in-house competition. That experience, and the subsequent experiences at the regionals and final have opened my eyes to perhaps practicing in dispute resolution. ‘In terms of employability, employers are always looking for relevant extra-curricular experience,

the modules in Negotiation and Mediation could not be more relevant to the legal profession and through being extra-curricular will stand out like a gold star on our CVs! ‘I would like to add my gratitude to Janie for all of her hard work in producing both the Negotiation and Mediation modules. It’s through her hard work that we are all provided with an insight in to ADR that isn’t provided by many other institutions.’ Tomi said: ‘I went out of my way in order to increase the value of my portfolio and now I’ve been rewarded by representing the UK in the Negotiation competition on an international stage. These types of opportunities are some of the many areas that the Law School endorses and it gives students an opportunity to test out some of their skills or skills they never knew they had. I feel that the skills I have learned during this process will help me with my employment prospects and future career choices.’

Janie, who also convenes the Mediation module, was delighted to bring the National Negotiation title to Kent: ‘I am very proud of the team and I know they are looking forward to helping me facilitate next year’s final when it’s hosted by Kent. ‘Our non-credit bearing ADR modules provide students with an introduction to the skills required to resolve legal disputes without recourse to litigation. They help enhance oral skills, strengthen confidence and give students a significant advantage over other law students – students with these skills stand out. As well as being fun and exciting, experiential activities like negotiation are among the most powerful of teaching methods. By participating, students learn how to think on their feet, to understand body language and develop effective communication skills. And they get fantastic opportunities to represent the University at both a national and international level!’

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Canadian Law students compete in national mooting final A team of two Canadian Law students from Kent represented the University in the final of the MacKay Cup, a new national mooting competition held at Canada House in London. Senior Status students Christine Lawton and Nick Smith from Kent Law School competed against the winning team from the University of Sussex in the final of the competition. Speaking about his participation in the competition, Nick said: ‘It was a very engaging process that gave my partner Christine and I the opportunity to refine some pretty essential legal skills. Mooting in general has given me the opportunity to meet a variety of legal professionals that I otherwise may never have encountered.’

Thomson (a founding member of Kent Law School & Honorary Fellow), Per Laleng (Director of Mooting at Kent Law School), Nick Jackson (Senior Lecturer in Law) and Hilary Goodman. The Law Moot is the biggest event of the year in the calendar of events organised by the School’s Canadian Law Society. The inaugural Canadian Law Negotiation Competition was launched at Kent in March with subjects for the Negotiation drawn from Canadian contract and commercial law. Stacia Franz, Amanda Huxley and Meghan Kinna won in the final against a team comprising Kevin Henderson, David MacLellan and John Pecchia.

Kent Law School student Meshaal Choudhary was one of ten UK Law students shortlisted for the Target Jobs Law Undergraduate of the Year award.

Further opportunities for Canadian Law students at Kent to test their practical legal skills in topics from Canadian law have been provided by two events on campus; an annual Canadian Law Moot set and judged by returning alumna Hilary Goodman (currently practising in Ontario) and a new Canadian Law Negotiation Competition.

The annual competition, sponsored by leading global law firm, Mayer Brown, seeks to find an ‘outstanding law undergraduate’ who can demonstrate a mix of personal skills, career motivation and an excellent academic record. Second year Law LLB student Meshaal was invited to attend an assessment centre after completing three online tests; a situational judgement test, an Occupational Personality Questionnaire test, and an inductive reasoning test.

Catherine McLatchie won the ‘Best Mooter’ award in the Law Moot. She was mooting for the Appellant with team mate Kate Baretto. Mooting for the Respondent were David MacLellan and Kevin Henderson. Teams were judged by Alan

Exciting new look for programmes and premises at Brussels Students applying for postgraduate studies at the University of Kent's centre in Brussels will benefit from exciting changes that include a move to new premises and a significant revision to the programmes of study. In April the Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) moved to new purpose built facilities in the district of Etterbeek, close to the joint campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). BSIS students are able to make use of some facilities on the VUB campus, as well as at the ULB’s Institut d’etudes Européennes, a short walk away through a small ‘quartier’ of student bars and restaurants.

Meshaal shortlisted as Law Undergraduate of the Year

In addition, the programme of studies for students starting in September 2015 has been revised to give them the option of choosing a secondary area of specialisation from across a range of disciplines that include politics, international relations, law and economics. The increased flexibility of module choice means that students interested in the LLM in Human Rights Law can (for example) choose to study modules such as Conflict and Security, or International Migration. This enables them to graduate with an LLM degree in Human Rights Law with International Development. Similarly, students on the LLM in International Law programme can construct a programme of study that involves studying international law in the context of (for example) International Relations or Conflict and Security, leading to the award of an LLM degree in International Law with EU External Relations. Around 200 students, drawn from over 50 countries worldwide, are pursuing Master’s and Doctoral degrees at BSIS. Its location in Brussels means students can take advantage of the proximity to major international organisations such as the EU, NATO and many non-governmental organisations (NGOs): www.kent.ac.uk/brussels

Meshaal said: ‘Every opportunity you get comes from the choices you make, and the decision to apply for the Law Undergraduate of the Year Award has opened up a breadth of opportunities that I am extremely pleased to have experienced. Delivering a presentation at Mayer Brown was a phenomenal experience, both for professional development and personal achievement, and it has been a privilege to represent the University of Kent and the Law School in the competition.’

Law students win scholarships to Brussels Summer School Kent Law School students Tedi Jorgji and Hannah Loosley have been awarded a scholarship to attend a two-week European Summer School in Brussels. Tedi, a final year student on the Law and Accounting & Finance programme, and Hannah, a second year student studying Law with Spanish, were two of 20 students selected from amongst hundreds of applicants for the scholarship. The Summer School in Brussels will be held at the Brussels School of International Studies in July, exploring topics related to the theme of ‘Europe and the World’. Tedi and Hannah will enjoy a programme that includes guest lectures, seminars and debates delivered by academics, policymakers, diplomats and European civil servants.


News

Postgraduate law students present to experts in CeCIL workshop Postgraduate law students presented their work in progress to an expert audience at an academic workshop organised by the Centre for Critical International Law (CeCIL) in March. Amongst the experts providing feedback was Professor Peer Zumbansen, founding director of the Dickson Poon Transnational Law Institute at King’s College London. Students presenting at the workshop, entitled ‘The Victims of International Law’, included Kent LLM students Amber Cheema, Andriani Panayi, Mateja Koltaj and Danielle Fritz together with PhD students Josipa Saric, Josephine Uwineza and Paulo Bacca-Benavides.

Paulo said: ‘CeCIL’s research agenda has allowed me to learn from experienced teachers and critical students. The annual CeCIL Workshop was a unique space to continue to integrate my academic endeavours with critical thinking and activism.’ Following the workshop Professor Zumbansen delivered a talk exploring the nature of international legal sovereignty for the annual CeCIL lecture. CeCIL is an innovative research centre, based at Kent Law School, which aims to foster critical approaches to the field of international law, and other areas of law that touch upon global legal problems.

Director of Public Prosecutions delivers memorial lecture

Law School expert quoted in House of Lords drones report

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Alison Saunders CB spoke about the challenges of decision-making in the Crown Prosecution Service when she delivered the Keith Tucker Memorial Lecture 2014 at Kent in October. During the evening, President of Kent Law Society Deborah Hatton, who co-hosted the event with Kent Law School, presented a cheque for £1,000 to the Kent Law Campaign, a £5 million fundraising project to build a new home for the Kent Law Clinic and Kent Law School’s Mooting Programme.

Written evidence submitted by Kent academic Dr Alan McKenna is quoted within a House of Lords report, ‘Civilian Use of Drones in the EU’. Dr McKenna, an Associate Lecturer in Law at Kent Law School, submitted written evidence about the civil use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) in the EU in September. His evidence was subsequently quoted within the final report which was prepared by the European Union Committee and published on 5 March.

Three Emeritus Professors for Kent Law School Professor Wade Mansell and Professor Gerry Rubin are to be appointed the title of Emeritus Professor upon their retirement this summer. Professor Mansell was first appointed as a Lecturer at Kent Law School on 1 October 1971 and Professor Rubin first joined the School in January 1976. The award recognises many years of distinguished academic service and confers ex officio membership of the University’s Court. This is the third appointment for the School within a year, Professor Steve Uglow having been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor in August 2014.

Clifford Chance offer Vacation Scheme prize

Judges, barristers and solicitors join Canterbury Legal Walk

Students test their skills in mediation and client interviewing

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance LLP offered Kent students a chance to win a place on their vacation scheme during one of three visits to the Canterbury campus this year. The firm offered the prize to students participating in their annual Intelligent Aid competition and sent representatives to campus to run an interactive workshop to help students submit an effective answer. In earlier visits to the Canterbury campus, Clifford Chance took a stand at the Kent Student Law Society Law Fair in October and ran a session offering insights into commercial awareness in a presentation for aspiring lawyers.

Teams of judges, barristers and solicitors will be joining staff, students and alumni for the inaugural Canterbury Legal Walk on Saturday 13 June. The sponsored 10km walk around the town and campus will be led by the UK’s Justice of The Supreme Court, The Right Hon the Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony. Walkers will be helping to raise funds for the Kent Law Campaign, a £5 million project to build a new home for the Kent Law Clinic at the University of Kent. The new building will also be a home for Kent Law School’s Mooting Programme

Kent Law School students have been successfully proving their skills in mediation and client interviewing at both a regional and national level. Stacia Franz and Kelly McNulty were named ‘best mediating pair in the UK’ in the National Mediation Competition in February and together with Jonothan Boettcher and Chris Sivry, won the award for ‘third best mediation team’ in the UK. They went on to represent Kent at the 14th Annual International Law School Mediation Championships. Jessica Edwards and Eugene O’Sullivan won a place at the national final of the Client Interviewing Competition for England & Wales in March.


Prize-winning alumna credits quality of Law School teaching

Launch of student-led law journal

Prize-winning Kent Law School alumna, Alice Lepeuple, attributes success in her postgraduate studies to the quality of teaching at Kent. Alice, who graduated from Kent in 2013 with a degree in Law and Philosophy, was awarded the Lawyers Alumni Prize for the best overall mark in her LLM studies (a taught Master’s in Law) at the London School of Economics in November. Alice credits the quality of teaching at Kent for her success: ‘I am certain that I did well because I learnt to think critically in my undergraduate degree, which few people did. From day one I was told that there was no right answer. I learned the importance of understanding the legal system not merely to evolve within it as a lawyer. I also learned to assess, challenge and influence the law with reference to a vision of a just society. Kent Law School certainly had a decisive influence on my academic and professional ambitions.’ During her LLM studies, Alice was awarded the Stanley De Smith Prize at LSE for the best performance in Public Law. She has also secured the Steen Award, a £15,000 Bar Professional Training Course scholarship by the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn.

New Criminal Justice Project guest speaker programme A new programme of guest speaker events organised by Kent Law Clinic’s Criminal Justice Project launched this year. The project team aimed to provoke lively discussion amongst staff and students. The first event, an open discussion entitled ‘Why Policing?’ in November, prompted debate about the regulation and control of national police forces. In the second event, John Nee of Becket Chambers spoke about dealing with the Crown Prosecution Service and assorted court organisations (such as the Witness Service and the National Probation Service). Additional events have included a talk by a Police Community Support Officer with Kent Police, a discussion of the role of the Offender Management Unit within Criminal Justice and a talk with Detective Chief Superintendent and Head of Criminal Justice at Kent Police, Adrian Futers (pictured), about the challenges posed within the Criminal Justice System.

A new student-led law journal has been launched at Kent Law School. The Kent Student Law Review, first published in November, provides a platform for law students, postgraduates and alumni to have their work reviewed and published. The annual journal is produced by an Editorial Board drawn from current students and recent graduates. It seeks to promote and publish theoretically informed critical legal scholarship, which situates law in society. Submissions are invited from all areas of the law but articles which are novel in approach and which add to the debate of ongoing domestic or international legal issues are particularly encouraged. The first volume included articles about topics ranging from IP Law and assisted suicide to climate change. The second volume of the journal will be published later this year: http://journals.kent.ac.uk/index.php/kslr

Innovative Summer School in Critical Theory

New degree programme offers study in China, Hong Kong or Canada The introduction of a new degree programme in International Legal Studies (ILS) enables Kent Law School students enrolled on the programme to choose a year abroad option in Canada in addition to previously existing study options in China and Hong Kong. The update to the School’s curriculum offering is a result of individual year abroad programmes being streamlined into one new programme. Students now have the option to study at Osgoode Hall in Canada. More options to study abroad will be added to the ILS programme as new partners become available.

An innovative new Summer School in Critical Theory will be held this summer at the University of Kent, Paris. The Summer School, supported by Kent Law School and its interdisciplinary Centre for Critical Thought, has been created to offer a unique intellectual experience to a group of 40 early career academics and research students from around the world. Co-organised by Reader in Law Maria Drakopoulou and Law Lecturer Connal Parsley, it will run at Reid Hall (close to the Jardin de Luxembourg) from 29 June to 10 July 2015. Maria Drakopoulou said: ‘This new summer school enables leading critical thinkers to conduct an intensive two-week seminar with members of a new generation of critical scholars.’ Seminar leaders include Professor Davide Tarizzo (Salerno, Italy) and Professor Peter Goodrich (Cardozo, USA). Kent Law School Professor Davina Cooper will deliver the opening lecture: http://kssct.org

Kent Critical Law Society annual conference An annual flagship conference, organised by student members of the Kent Critical Law Society, explored the topic of ‘Law and the Body’ in February. With panellists and attendees drawn from across the UK, the two-day conference, held on Kent’s Canterbury campus, offered an opportunity for lively, critical debate on issues relating to how the body is perceived in critical legal thought. Over 20 leading academics and legal professionals participated in panel discussions considering issues such as abortion, dying, sexuality, homelessness, social security legislation and the ideas of French philosopher Focault. In addition to the debates, the event offered opportunies for networking with an annual Conference Dinner on the Saturday night.


Feature

Kent Law School Skills Hub: tailored academic support for Law students Kent Law School’s Skills Hub offers practical guidance and tailored support to law students seeking help with their academic studies. Students can drop into the Skills Hub five days a week during term time or they can seek support online. The Skills Hub is based in a sunny, dedicated room in Eliot College and is staffed by a team of three Kent graduates who teach undergraduate modules to Law School students.

Meet the Skills Hub team

As Kent graduates who now also teach Kent Law School students themselves, the Skills Hub team is uniquely positioned to understand the student experience from both sides. Although most of the students they see are first years, there are still a number of second year, third year and Master’s level students who seek out their expert advice. International students on exchange study programmes also find their help invaluable when faced with mastering a new style of academic writing. ‘The students we are seeing are generally making the same mistakes; not knowing how to structure their essays, using the wrong style or not referencing their work correctly. These are the very basic areas where students can often go wrong the most. Fortunately these are also some of the easiest things we can help them correct.

Skills Hub directors, Dr Kirsty Horsey (Lecturer) and Ben Watson (Law Librarian) fully understand that making the transition from school or college can be daunting: ‘We know that coming to university is a step up, educationally speaking, from A levels or whatever has gone before – and studying Law brings its own challenges! The School has, for many years, offered its students legal and educational skills support, but we’ve worked to perfect it over time and now we think we’ve cracked it! ‘Last year we opened the new and improved Skills Hub. Now, we have a bright, accessible and open space, as well as vastly extended opening hours and an active online presence. Our information is also all online and, while targeted at our own students, accessible to all. Our personal and online resources are dynamic and responsive – we have tailored the content to reflect specific concerns raised by both new and existing students. We also have a Facebook and Twitter presence, and form part of a broader service, linking to employability, library services, pastoral care and, of course, to the wider curriculum. ‘On the Skills Hub’s web pages, we post a range of documents and other resources for students to access, many of which have been created in direct response to the concerns we asked them to tell us about during Induction Week. We will continue to refine and develop our services and tailor support to meet student needs. For 2015/16, we are hoping to extend the types of services we provide; this may include ‘going mobile’ and running Skills Hub ‘masterclasses’. Answers to the questions most frequently asked by Law students are available to read on the Skills Hub website at: www.kent.ac.uk/ library/subjects/lawlinks/skills-hub/faqs.html

‘We can explain how it works on a one-to-one basis. And they soon realise that it’s not as hard as they thought – sometimes they just need to be shown. And next time, they’ll know exactly where to look for help.’

Oliver Hartland Oliver graduated from Kent with a first-class degree in English and French Law. He is currently working as a Solicitor’s Assistant for the Criminal Justice Project based at Kent Law Clinic. He is also an Assistant Lecturer on the Foundations of Property Module.

Katia Neofytou Katia studied an LLM in Medical Law and Bioethics at Kent before being called to the Bar in Greece. She returned to Kent Law School in September 2013 to study for a PhD in Law. Katia believes the Skills Hub has a vital signposting role to play: ‘There are many forms of support services that students can access here at Kent, so many in fact that you can actually get lost and not know which way to turn! The Skills Hub can be your first port of call, offering friendly guidance to your best source of support. We very much welcome students to email us to check where to go for support if they’re not sure.’

Callum Borg Callum studied Law at Kent and graduated in 2013. He recently submitted an LLM by research thesis. Callum said: ‘Some students may feel too embarrassed to approach a tutor who has given them a bad grade so having the option of coming to the Skills Hub to learn how to improve your mark can be a helpful alternative.

Oliver said: ‘There can be a lot of assumptions made that students just know how to write an essay or how to read a case but here in the Skills Hub, we make no such assumptions. Our aim is to try and equip students with the skills they need to succeed on their own. We have a huge range of resources to offer students – both online and in the form of books from our Skills Lending Library. We can respond to requests for help from students in many ways including by email, Twitter, Facebook or in person.’

Supporting students to learn In addition to the Skills Hub, Kent Law School fosters the intellectual and personal development of students in a number of ways. Students have an academic personal tutor – know as their ‘Academic Adviser’ throughout the entirety of their degree. Tutors have regular contact hours for routine problems, will respond to email and are always available for urgent or distressing issues. To help students settle into university life, new arrivals are matched with a trained and experienced Student Mentor. Pastoral support is provided, throughout the degree, by a team in the Law School's Student Advice Office, including experienced Student Advisers.


Feature

For students with or without an LLB, an LLM develops knowledge, thinking and skills An LLM (a one-year Master’s in Law programme) involves studying law at a more advanced and specialised level than can be accommodated at the undergraduate level. Studying an LLM helps equip students with the knowledge, thinking and skills to succeed in their chosen careers. Within the programme, students move beyond doctrinal teaching of legislation and case law to consider particular areas of law from a contextualised and theoretically informed perspective. It may be that you have completed your undergraduate law degree and know either that there is still much you want to learn about law, or you want to specialise and advance your knowledge in a particular area of law. It may be that during your study in another discipline questions concerning the operation of law and the legal system have continually occurred to you and you wish to merge those interests which you have developed. Or you may feel like you wish to add to your existing qualification with a legal qualification. You may be wondering if you wish to move into law as a career, and the one year programme can be an excellent opportunity to assess whether that is the area for you. It may be that after some (or lots of!) time in employment you want to advance your skills and knowledge so that you can enhance your career. Perhaps an LLM would help you to do your job better or would aid you in moving onto the next level in your career? Our LLM students come from all sorts of backgrounds, disciplines, cultures and countries. Whatever the reason for being interested in further legal study, an LLM will develop knowledge, thinking and skills. In most instances, an LLM is a 12 month full-time programme, or 24 months part-time. Usually in the UK context LLM students take about six taught modules across two academic terms.

These might all revolve around one specialist area, may combine two related interests, or be a broad range of modules which reflect the interests of the individual student. The year is completed by the student undertaking a lengthy dissertation (normally around 20,000 words), on a topic of their own choosing, under the supervision of an appropriate member of staff who can guide and challenge the student in their chosen field. As exciting as it is daunting this opportunity represents the culmination of the research emphasis which is one of the distinguishing features of the LLM compared to undergraduate programmes. The employment opportunities following an LLM are diverse and varied. Some of our graduates continue into legal practice, confident that they have acquired specialist knowledge and skills that sets them apart in the job market. Others work for companies, business, NGOs or other organisations in regulation, advisory, research or policy roles. Some of our LLM graduates choose to pursue an active research career and continue on to undertake doctoral studies on a PhD programme. This could be with the aim of entering academia, policy or research roles. The Kent LLM has been restructured in recent years to be open and flexible, in order to reflect the individual aspirations of our diverse student body. Students can opt to specialise in one or two areas, or keep their degree more general, and, most significantly, they do not have to make that decision in advance. Students can come to Kent confident that even if they are not certain yet what they wish to study that they can graduate with a specialist degree. And we will support students in making the choice that is right for them.

Our specialisms reflect our intensive staff research areas and include the following areas: • • • • • • • • • •

Criminal Justice Environmental Law and Policy International Environmental Law European Law International Commercial Law International Criminal Justice International Law with International Relations Medical Law and Ethics International Law Human Rights Law

All are taught from the critical perspective which is central to the ethos of Kent Law School. This approach means not just learning what the law is or does, but contextualising and questioning it. We encourage our students to assess the impact of the law, engaging with the disparities and discriminations which can be reinforced by the law, as much as with the meaningful ways in which law can improve society. At Kent we have worked hard to develop an innovative programme that engages students far beyond the classroom. Every year our LLM students organise a conference at which they present their own work. We provide funding to enable students to bring in guest speakers, to attend conferences, or to organise fieldtrips to places like The Hague. We have a developing internship programme which places students on a short-term basis with law firms, NGOs and organisations across the UK, in a variety of specialisms. We provide opportunities for our students to blog about their time on the LLM and to act as Ambassadors to the programme. A small number of our LLM students are given the opportunity to volunteer at Kent’s award-winning Law Clinic where they work on assisting members of the community with their legal problems. Students also get the opportunity to publish their work in the recently launched Kent Student Law Review. We are confident that we have a vibrant and stimulating programme in and outside the classroom. We also have offerings at the University of Kent’s centre at Brussels where those with a particular interest in working in the EU get access to a particularly interesting range of internships. The additional opportunities provided to students studying an LLM ensure that students develop sophisticated transferable skills alongside specialist and advanced knowledge in their chosen topic. Skills such as critical thinking, analysis, research and presentation are attractive to a broad range of employers both within and beyond the legal profession. Whether currently completing a law degree, a degree in another discipline or thinking of returning to education, an LLM can be an exciting, inspiring and worthwhile option. Dr Vicky Conway, Director of Postgraduate Taught Studies at Kent Law School


Research

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New book for Law School’s Co-Director of Research

Law School expert debates abortion law at House of Commons

A new book co-edited by Senior Lecturer in Law Dr Emilie Cloatre has been published by Routledge. Knowledge, Technology and Law explores the relationship of studies of law, science and society with the increasingly influential field of science and technology studies. Dr Cloatre, Co-Director of Research at Kent Law School, edited the book in collaboration with Dr Martyn Pickersgill, from the University of Edinburgh. Last year, Dr Cloatre was awarded the Hart Socio-Legal Book Prize 2014 for her book Pills for the Poorest: An Exploration of TRIPS and Access to Medication in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Kent Professor of Medical Law and Ethics, Sally Sheldon, discussed the future of Britain’s abortion law at a meeting held at the House of Commons. Professor Sheldon was invited as a panellist by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). The discussion, sponsored by Kate Green MP and held in a Committee Room at Westminster, explored the possibilities for decriminalising abortion and finding a better way to regulate it according to the needs of women in the 21st century. Professor Sheldon was subsequently quoted in a report of the discussion published in The Telegraph.

Law School research features in magazines A Kent Law School research project into laws governing bingo worldwide is featured in a national magazine showcasing research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Britain in 2015, the ESRC’s annual flagship magazine, features the Bingo Project as one of a handful of issues that researchers have highlighted as particular concerns for 2015. The three-year £0.5m research project is being led by Dr Kate Bedford, Reader in Law at Kent Law School. Dr Bedford is working on the project with stock market regulation expert, Dr Oscar Alvarez-Macotela, critical consumer finance law expert Professor Toni Williams, Research Assistant Maria Luiza Jobim, and European Law Lecturer Dr Donal Casey. Law School research also featured in a new University publication celebrating the farreaching impact of Kent researchers. Kent Research: Making a difference was produced for the University’s 50th anniversary to highlight the impact Kent researchers make at a regional, national and international level. Featured projects by Law School staff included the research work of Dr Helen Carr (housing reform), Dr Kate Bedford (equality in development policy), Professor William Howarth (development of environmental law) and Professor Iain Ramsay (insolvency and personal consumer credit.)

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International conference at Kent examines World Heritage Sites An international conference which aimed to develop and promote new ways of thinking about the protection of World Heritage sites was held at Kent in January. The two-day conference was co-organised by Dr Sophie Vigneron in her role as Principal Investigator for the Research Network on the protection of Cultural World Heritage Sites, a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Dr Vigneron is working on the project alongside Co-Investigator Professor Rob Pickard from Northumbria University.

Final Technoscience, Law & Society conference

Dr Emilie Cloatre Professor Sally Sheldon Dr Sophie Vigneron Professor William Howarth Dr Emily Grabham Dr Sinéad Ring

knowledge and global justice; law, science and the regulation of bodies. Plenary speakers included: Mario Biagioli (University of California at Davis); Amade M’charek (University of Amsterdam); Barbara Prainsack (Kings College London); Ayo Wahlberg (University of Copenhagen); and David Winickoff (University of California at Berkeley): www.kent.ac.uk/law/tls

£30,000 grant for research project Reader in Law Dr Emily Grabham has secured a grant of more than £30,000 for a two-year collaborative research project that will explore the interrelationship of time, law and regulation. The grant has been awarded through the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Research Networking Scheme with research work having begun earlier this year. The money will fund a new network, called ‘Regulating Time: New Perspectives on Regulation, Law and Temporalities’, which will explore how regulation and law shapes the experience of time and how concepts of time influence law and regulation: www.kent.ac.uk/law/time

Law School staff secure faculty funding Law School lecturers Dr Kirsty Horsey and Nick Piska have successfully secured funding from Kent’s Social Science Faculty Research Fund. Dr Horsey’s grant will fund a socio-legal pilot project researching lived experiences of surrogacy law and Nick Piska’s grant will fund a two-day workshop for critical scholars interested in the field of equity and trusts.

The Technoscience, Law & Society conference took place at Kent in April. The international conference was the final event for Technoscience, Law & Society, an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Network. Titled ‘Articulating Science, Technology and Law: Regarding, Reflecting, and Remaking Society’, the conference provided a platform for conversations across all thematic issues of relevance to the Network, including: expertise, knowledge and the making of norms and regulations; law and materiality; ethics and the regulation of science; methodological conversations in science and technology studies and law; law, technology and social practices; science in the courtrooms; markets, technologies and the law; global governance, scientific

Kent Law Lecturer Dr Sinéad Ring has been awarded more than £1.7K by the Socio-Lega Studies Association Research Grant Scheme to investigate the Irish State’s engagement with child sexual abuse from 1950-1990. Dr Ring’s project entitled, ‘Wilful Ignorance? Exploring the Irish State’s Failure to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse in the Period 1950-1990’, will help inform debate on how criminal law on sexual abuse is enforced. Dr Ring said: ‘Until recently child sexual abuse victims in Ireland who sought to report were not believed. In the 1990s a

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Research grant to explore Irish State’s engagement with child sexual abuse

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change in public awareness and attitudes towards victims led to unprecedented numbers of prosecutions for sexual abuse dating back decades. The frame of the project is complicity; how to talk about the blame, if any, to be attributed to criminal justice actors who turned a blind eye to abuse. My research will explore how child abuse was understood by the State, as evidenced by a range of documentary sources relating to policy formation and implementation, legislative initiatives, social work, medical and legal texts and reports of inquiries.’

Social Critiques of Law (SoCril) Kent Law School has launched a new research centre called Social Critiques of Law (SoCriL). The centre hopes to organise a number of events over the next couple of years, including two interdisciplinary workshops, a conference and a range of visiting speakers. The first workshop, ‘Diagnosing Legal Temporalities’, was organised by Dr Emily Grabham and was held at Kent in April: www.kent.ac.uk/law/ research/Centres

PhD students successfully defend their thesis Our warmest congratulations to the following Kent Law School PhD students who have successfully defended their thesis this year: • John McDaniel: ‘Re-thinking police accountability and transparency within the EU: reconciling national and supranational approaches’ • Yvette Russell: ‘Thinking sexual difference through the law of rape’ • Myriam Mailly: ‘The application of the European Insolvency regulation 1346/2000 to corporate groups by French and English Courts’ • Turki Al Nasser: ‘Implications of inconsistencies between imposed international law and Sharia law in Saudi Arabia, with special reference to copyright law’ • Eugene Mniwasa: ‘An analysis of regulation of the counterfeit goods trade: The case of Tanzania’.

Professor William Howarth chairs national environmental conference

Staff News

1 Professor Perry-Kessaris 2 Dr Nikolas Rajkovic 3 Kent Law School's abseiling team

Professor Perry-Kessaris wins SocioLegal Article Prize

Staff bake, craft and abseil for housing advice charity

An article written by Kent legal academic Professor Amanda Perry-Kessaris has won the Socio-Legal Article Prize 2015. The article, ‘The case for a visualised economic sociology of legal development’, originally published in the journal Current Legal Problems (Vol 67), was selected by the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) as an outstanding piece of socio-legal scholarship. In the article, Professor Perry-Kessaris explores how an interdisciplinary, econo-socio-legal approach to legal development could be radically improved using graphic design techniques such as typography and information design. Professor Perry-Kessaris previously won the Socio-Legal Article Prize in 2004 for ‘Finding and facing facts about legal systems and foreign direct investment in South Asia’, an article published in Legal Studies (Vol 23), the journal of the Society of Legal Scholars.

Staff at Kent Law School have raised more than £1,500 for Canterbury Housing Advice Centre (CHAC) by baking, crafting and abseiling! The Kent Law School abseiling team, Abseil-lutely Bonkers, abseiled 135 feet down a tower block in Maidstone with the KM Charity Team in March. The intrepid team included Head of School Professor Didi Herman, Senior Law Lecturer Dr Karen Devine, Assistant Lecturer Janie ClementWalker, Office Manager’s Assistant Amy Parkes and first year Kent Film student Amy Brown. Canterbury based charity CHAC, is chaired by Nick Jackson, a Senior Law Lecturer at the School and works to prevent homelessness in the local community. A craft sale organised by staff earlier in the year raised £850 and a cake sale contributed more than £125 to the total money raised for CHAC.

Dr Nikolas Rajkovic wins Faculty Prize for Early Career Research

Kent Law School is grateful to the following visiting scholars for their contribution in 2014/15: Professor Sergio Marotta (Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa); Dr Riccardo Baldissone (Curtin University, Perth); Ms Adeline Dubost (University of Pantheon, Sorbonne, Paris); Professor Fabrício Polido (Law School of Federal University of Mina Gerais, Brazil); Professor Brunello Stancioli (Law School of Federal University of Mina Gerais, Brazil); Professor Kathy Bowrey (Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia); Professor Susana Galera (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Dr Michelle Cottier (University of Basel); and Dr Louise Harder (University of Alberta).

Kent Law School Lecturer Dr Nikolas Rajkovic has been awarded the Faculty of Social Sciences Prize for Early Career Research. The award recognises exceptional achievement in research over the last year and secures a financial prize of £500 for Kent Law School. The prize money will be used to fund costs relating to research work. Dr Rajkovic is a scholar of international law and international relations with a broad range of research interests in international, global and transnational law. His current research explores the impact of international law on the constitution and contestation of ‘legality’. He also teaches modules in Public International Law, Legal Aspects of Contemporary International Problems and Diplomatic Law at the Brussels School of International Studies. He is the co-editor (along with Tanja Aalberts from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen from the Danish Institute of Human Rights) of The Power of Legality: Practices of International Law and their Politics, due for publication later this year. Dr Rajkovic’s prize is one of a series of Research Prizes launched this year to celebrate the University’s 50th anniversary.

Visitors

Leavers & joiners Kent Law School has bid farewell to Michael Ball, Dylan Williams and Alexandra Leduc-Pagel this year. Two further colleagues, from Kent Law Clinic, will leave later this summer; Jan Bird is moving to the USA and Catherine Carpenter will retire at the end of the academic year. A warm welcome is extended to David Kimber (on a temporary contract in the main School office), Andrea Peett (on a short-term secondment), Rhea Ball who has transferred from the Law Clinic at Medway, Research Associate Maria Luiza Jobim, Ismet Morshed and Honorary Professor of Law Tom Hadden.

Kent Professor of Environmental Law William Howarth chaired the annual Public International Environmental Law (PIEL) conference in April. Entitled 'Satisfying Consumption: Trade and the Environment', the conference examined the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement along with issues such as waste and the trade in endangered wildlife. 1

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Student Society News

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Kent Student Law Society Andrea Constantine, President 2014-2015 In the 2014/15 academic year the Kent Student Law Society (KSLS) celebrated its 10th anniversary. Our main objective is to provide careers, commercial awareness and employability advice to Kent Law students and to students from other faculties who are interested in a career in the legal profession. We hosted weekly careers related events throughout the first term, with the emphasis in our second term being on networking opportunities. Once again we gained over £5,000 of sponsorship, which allowed us to heavily subsidise our larger events, such as our Annual Law Fair, which attracted over 20 visiting legal organisations, and our Annual Dinner in Canterbury Cathedral Lodge. This year’s dinner celebrated 10 years of KSLS with over 100 students, academics, staff and visiting legal professionals in attendance. Our guest speaker was Kent Law School alumnus and BBC’s The Apprentice candidate, Felipe

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Alviar-Baquero. This year, we were also finalists, for the third consecutive year, in the Rate My Placement National Society Showcase, with our Vice-President, Caitlin Bradshaw, and Marketing Officer, Maria Christofidou, attending the finals in London in March 2015. The 2014/15 academic year also saw the creation of a dedicated NonLaw Pathway Representative for students from other faculties who may be interested in undertaking a graduate diploma in law (GDL). This saw us widen our audience to other faculties and helped us maintain our status as one of the largest academic societies at the University.

Kent Law Temple Society India Flanagan, President 2014-2015 This year, Kent Law Temple Society (KLTS) celebrated its 25th Anniversary and it was arguably our most successful year to date with record attendances at all our events. It was our aim this year to ensure that students had opportunities to gain insight into three

fundamental aspects of applying to the Bar: networking, informative workshops and mooting events. We achieved this objective by hosting three popular social networking events. We hosted our highly popular Annual Dinner which allowed us to mark our 25th Anniversary in style! We invited over 100 guests, comprising members of the judiciary, alumni, local and regional barristers, lecturers and of course our all important student members. In addition, we also introduced two new events in the autumn term: the Barristers Brioche Buffet as well as a Port, Wine and Cheese Evening held in Canterbury. We introduced these events to offer students more opportunities to meet with practising barristers to discuss real world advocacy. Our informative events included: ‘Life at the Bar’ delivered by a barrister; the ‘BPTC uncovered’ and the Solicitor vs Barrister debate in conjunction with KSLS. Finally, we hosted our annual mooting events, giving students opportunities to sharpen their advocacy skills. In November, we held our very popular and unique Lecturers' Moot. Four lecturers mooted in front of three student judges. The award for Best Mooter went to Graham Tegg. Additionally, throughout the spring term, we ran our annual Mini-Moot Competition which saw Kagowa Kuruneri win the coveted prize of a mini-pupillage at Maidstone Chambers. It has been a privilege to lead KLTS this year with the current committee and one which I have enjoyed immensely. We hope that our hard work has paid off and that our members feel supported and enthused in their aspirations to become barristers.

Kent Canadian Law Society Christopher Sivry, President 2014-2015 The Canadian Law Society (CLS) has enjoyed another successful year, bolstered by the especially active involvement of Canadian law students at all levels of the University. One of our

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most rewarding events was the Canadian Law Moot held at the Canterbury Crown Court and judged by a number of esteemed Kent Law faculty members. This year also saw the introduction of the Canadian Negotiation Competition, further demonstrating our society’s academic focus by creating opportunities for students to study and interact with Canadian legal content. Vitally, we have continued to strengthen connections with a number of Canadian law schools and programmes that offer students various avenues to further their legal education upon graduation. While our academic events and information sessions form the core of our society, another important element of the CLS is to bring our contingent closer together. Events like our Thanksgiving turkey dinner and ugly sweater Christmas party undoubtedly create a sense of community and support. One of our most memorable social events was a trip to watch a professional football match in nearby Gillingham, where 35 boisterous Canadians took over a section of the stadium. As our student body continues to grow, so does the importance of the CLS. We are confident that the incoming committee will do a fantastic job in carrying the positive momentum forward!

Kent Law Campaign Student Group Michelle Ng, Publicity Officer 2014-15 The Kent Law Campaign Student Group (KLCSG) has worked really hard this year, both together as a team and separately as individuals. With all the excitement for the new Kent Law Clinic, we as a committee were very happy to raise more money! This year we managed to raise nearly £18,500 (with the University’s matched funding – beating last year’s total) and we could not have done it without the support from students, lecturers, alumni and the community. Our events this year have included our annual 5km Fun Run, the KLCSG Law Ball, abseiling, skydiving, taking part in a charity swim and designing and selling our own Christmas cards and calendars. With next year’s fantastic committee, we are confident that we leave this project in safe hands. Hopefully with their enthusiasm they will be able to exceed the amount we raised this year and do an excellent job! I am sure they will continue to spread #campaignlove across the university.

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Kent Student Law Society Kent Law Temple Society Kent Canadian Law Society Kent Law Campaign Student Group Kent Law Campaign Student Group European Law Student Association (ELSA) Kent Kent Critical Law Society

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European Law Student Association (ELSA) Kent

forward to receiving more applications for both STEP and Summer Law Schools.

Maya Athanatou, President 2014-15

Kent Critical Law Society

ELSA Kent, which is just two years old, is a society which has managed to expand rapidly and which has guaranteed many local, national and international opportunities to its members across the wider ELSA Network. One of the most positive aspects of this society is that its members can be active throughout the year, not just during the academic year. If you are looking to advance your legal skills both professionally and academically then this Network has a lot to offer for this summer. Through ELSA’s STEP programme, you can apply for internships at many law firms across the EU, all you have to do is contact us to help you with your applications. Also, there are at least 30 ELSA Summer Law Schools that last between one and two weeks being held across Europe. Many of our members are attending and the great thing is that you need no prior knowledge of the legal field that each Summer School specialises in. It is not too late for you to apply so go ahead and contact us! Also, we would like to congratulate a member who has just completed his research within the context of the ELSA international Legal Research Group on austerity measures. We wish you all good luck with your exams and we look

Meshaal Choudhary, Vice-President 2015-16

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This year, the Kent Critical Law Society (KCLS) focused on developing an array of events to attract a wider variety of students into discussing the socio-political aspects of law and its effects on current events. We hosted forums on feminism and human rights, as well as a collaborative event with the Justice Alliance UK on the impact of budget cuts to legal aid funding. Our year culminated with the flagship annual conference, discussing various tangents of ‘Law and the Body’ and sparking exciting discussions on dying, homelessness, abortion, and many more featured topics. This year also saw a number of milestones for KCLS; the launch of the Kent Student Law Review, and the successful publication of an issue filled with student submissions on legal perspectives, as well as our highest ever profits from our Bachelor of the Year night, establishing a new record with £120 for a bid! We have been enormously pleased with our range of awareness campaigns and topics in the current year, and look to build upon our foundation of legal awareness in the upcoming academic year as well.

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Student in the spotlight

Olivia Bird, final year Law LLB student, Kent Law School How do you feel your experiences at Kent Law School have equipped you for your future career?

You’ve recently secured a role as a Research Assistant with the Law Commission, an advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. Congratulations! Can you tell us about the work you will be doing after you graduate?

Because Kent is a critical law school, I have been encouraged to engage analytically with the law. As a result I now feel much better equipped to consider legal policy and develop creative solutions to legal problems, which will play a vital role in my job at the Law Commission. Furthermore I have found the Kent Law Clinic to be extremely valuable, not only in developing my understanding of the law in practice but also by giving me the opportunity to enhance my legal knowledge in a way I would not be able to in other modules. Finally, by writing essays and participating in seminars and oral presentations, my communication skills have massively improved.

Thank you! I will be working within the Public Law Department, hopefully on their Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty project. Therefore I’ll be focusing on the Mental Capacity Act’s Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and assisting the Law Commission in their assessment of whether or not they remain fit for purpose. As a Research Assistant, I will be playing a leading role in producing policy and draft legislation as the Law Commission continues to develop their final proposals.

Any all-nighters in the library? How did you approach the process of finding employment after your studies? Were you sure about which direction you wanted to take?

The Law School is constantly in contact with students, updating them on career opportunities. In my final year, with a new found interest in pursuing law, I decided to make the most of this. I applied for one of the School’s places at the Kent County Council (KCC) Annual Conference. This year it was on Deprivation of Liberty. I instantly discovered an interest in this area of law and was able to change my modules so that I could write a dissertation on the subject. In retrospect, this gave me a massive advantage in getting my job. Furthermore the Law School advertised a vacancy at KCC as a legal assistant. I was fortunate enough to have two days a week free on my timetable, applied and successfully got the job. From November until the end of spring term I worked there Tuesdays and Wednesdays alongside my studies, giving me concrete legal work experience. I also knew that the Legal Practice Course (LPC) was a very expensive commitment to make and so I wanted to apply for training contracts beforehand. I was also aware most training contracts advertise two years in advance and therefore I would likely have a year’s gap between graduation and needing to complete my LPC. I wanted to apply for training contracts after my exams, but was looking for a job that would bridge the gap post-graduation. Once more the Law School notified students that the Law Commission was advertising and I applied from there.

Best thing about living in Canterbury? During your time at Kent Law School, what have you enjoyed most about being a law student? I have really enjoyed the discussions that I have been able to have with fellow students in seminars. Particularly in Medical Law and Ethics, for instance; I find the subject fascinating and therefore always enjoy discussing the issues each topic raises and hearing other people’s opinions as a result. Furthermore I have found the staff here at Kent to be excellent. I have felt supported at all stages of my degree and have been able to engage with seminar leaders and lecturers alike. You can see that the staff are genuinely enthusiastic about law and the Law School and that is reflected within their teaching. Favourite module? Medical Law and Ethics Is there anything you haven’t enjoyed whilst studying law? The volume of reading! Worst module? Equity and Trusts Have you been involved in any extra-curricular activities here at Kent? I’ve tried many societies including korfball, debating, TreKent, pole fitness and the tea society. I also volunteered as a Kent Law Clinic receptionist in my second year and was a Welcome Helper in both my second and third years.

In my opinion, the history. If I hadn’t studied law I would have studied history and you can see it all around you here. It’s a gorgeous place. Most surprising fact you’ve learned about the law? Without meaning to be negative, the most important thing I’ve taken away from studying law is that sometimes the law does not work. Of course this isn’t always the case but the law certainly isn’t infallible. Every case is unique and sometimes the law cannot provide the fairest outcome for those involved, due to its own procedural limitations. I think it’s very important to be aware of this when studying the subject. And finally, what advice would you like to share with aspiring and/or fellow Law School students? I personally found studying law very overwhelming in the first year. I had never studied the subject before and the step up to degree level definitely takes a while to get used to! So, for aspiring law students, my advice would be to try not to let all the stress of first year get to you; you do get used to it and as long as you keep on top of your deadlines you will be fine. I would also recommend trying to participate in seminars where you can as that really does help you develop your understanding of the subject. And make the most of university life while you can as it goes so quickly.

DPC 119021 4/15

In all honesty, until recently I was unsure about what I wanted to do. In my first year I thought a legal career wasn’t for me and it was only last summer, when I gained a couple of weeks work experience, that I reconsidered this.

Many… unfortunately!