Former law students and lecturers reunite
Former students at the University of Portsmouth discussed how best to use their legal skills to help some of the city’s poorest, most disadvantaged people.
Graduates of the School of Law, many of whom are professionally qualified, reunited for the School’s first alumni dinner.
Head of the School of Law, Caroline Strevens, said: “Charities exist to help people in need and quite often those needs include legal assistance.”
The School of Law already runs an impressive portfolio of free community engagement programmes, including an employment law clinic staffed by current law students, a mediation service for neighbours caught up in a dispute, the Innocence Project to help fight miscarriages of justice, and working with the British Red Cross to help support asylum seekers and refugees.
Caroline said: “We are about to launch a new debt clinic and a scheme whereby our students provide governance support for local charitable organisations. Support from our alumni will enable us to do even more.”
The meeting was followed by the School’s inaugural alumni dinner at the Queen’s Hotel in Southsea. About 70 former students attended. As well as seeing old friends and teachers, they had the opportunity to see how the School had developed since they graduated.
In the mock courtroom, they saw the advanced technology used for advocacy training followed by a practical demonstration from current students.
Caroline praised the event and said: “It was a great opportunity for our former students to see how the School is developing.
“Many won’t have seen the courtroom or have known it isn’t just for those who wish to be barristers, but can be used by anyone who needs to learn how to persuade and defend their opinion.
“The courtroom benefits the whole University community. Many of our students, including drama, social work, and psychology students, do work where involvement in court proceedings is possible. The mock courtroom also enables us to build links with external authorities, such as Youth Offending Teams and Forensic Services, so the benefits are not only academic.”
At their dinner, alumni also heard an address from the Director of Service Prosecutions, Bruce Houlder, QC, on the challenges he faces in trying to ensure that troops in operational theatres have the freedom to fight without fear of legal sanction, but are prosecuted properly if ever they overstep the mark.
The event was held to launch the Law School Alumni association and resulted in many former students offering their time and advice to support the Community Engagement and other activities of the Law School.
