We sat down with Hannah, the current president of the Law Society at the University of Sunderland and discussed some of the exciting activities students can get involved in.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Hannah and I am an LLM Legal Practice student at the University of Sunderland. I am also the fundraising and wellbeing champion in the Student Law Clinic. I graduated with my LLB (Hons) Law in 2022 with First Class Honours. I am a mum of two, and I have a training contract lined up after my studies with a fantastic North East law firm.
As president of the Law Society, how did you get involved?
I first got involved with the society in my third year and joined as Vice President. I then decided that this academic year I wanted to take on the role of President and present my own ideas.
How can new students get involved? Do they have to be studying a law-related course?
Students can join the Society committee as course reps and other key roles. They can also purchase a membership to receive all the benefits we have to offer. The Law Society is not exclusive to law students, and we love to have members from across the University. It is ideal for anyone with an interest in law.
How often do you get together?
The committee has regular meetings and we also have an open-door policy where members can contact us whenever they like. We aim to meet at least twice a semester as well as events throughout the year.
What kind of activities do you do?
We offer a combination of social and networking events. We've also organised mooting practices too. In October 2022, for example, we had a mixer event with external guests from The Sunderland Law Society, which was a great opportunity for our members to network with legal professionals in a relaxed environment. Coming up soon, we also have a major social event, our Murder Mystery Dinner.
Has being a member of the Law Society helped you in your studies?
It has helped me by providing a ‘family’ atmosphere, in which I can access peer-to-peer support during my studies. Being a member of the Law Society has also helped me with being recruited for my future career as it provides extra-curricular experiences that enhance my CV.
What is the most exciting event you’ve attended or worked on?
The most exciting event I have worked on is our upcoming Murder Mystery event in March 2023. It will be a mix of fun and networking as well as raising money for our #lawschoolchallenge where we are raising funds for the charity LawWorks, who support us as a law school. Anyone interested in the event can reserve their ticket on the event page of the Law Society group on the SU website or by emailing uosstudentlawsociety@gmail.com.
What do you hope to do in the next year with the Society?
Sadly, this is my final year in the Society as I will be graduating with my postgraduate degree soon. I will be handing over to the new committee in the near future and elections will open. My hope is that the new president, whoever they may be, puts their own stamp on the Society.
It is important that the Society grows and changes as time goes on and has a fresh outlook with each president, whilst upholding our aims of providing social and professional opportunities as an academic society.
Find out more
You can find out more about the Law Society by visiting their page on the Sunderland Students' Union website here.
Discover more about our Law courses by visiting the Law subject area and join us at an Open Day to discover more about life at the University of Sunderland.
Published: 16 February 2023