Julie Watts - LL.B
I would definitely recommend a Law degree at Derby. I cannot stress enough how well the course is organised and how the method of teaching both theoretical and practical law works so well to practise and compound your knowledge.
”Julie studied LL.B (Hons) and won The Sweet & Maxwell Prize (Best 3rd Year LLB Student)
Returning to education
I left school with no notable qualifications and after I took a career break to have children, I felt my employability skills were a bit stale. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to attend University for extra qualifications and to refresh skills ready for my return to the employment market. It seems daunting at first, especially after a long break from education, but the University of Derby has a warm and friendly atmosphere which is very welcoming.
Studying the LLB (Hons)
The work has been Fascinating. The LLB programme at Derby is extremely well organised, and it has been an interesting learning journey to discover how each individual module pieces together with others to give a thorough overview of the English Legal System. The LLB at Derby is a combination of theoretical and vocational study, so the latter gives students the opportunity to put the theory of law into practice with realistic case scenarios and there were many opportunities for us to practice our new found legal skills. The skills modules particularly ran assessed courtroom moots, negotiations and interviews which gave us an excellent opportunity to practice legal skills with the benefit of advice from lecturers who have worked in legal practice.
Supportive lecturers with an 'open door' policy
The lecturers are very supportive and operate an open door policy for queries. I never found any query unanswered. Furthermore, in the first year we were given a diary to complete and allocated a personal tutor to meet fortnightly to discuss and review any problems we had noted in our diary. I found this a highly valuable system as I never felt alone and knew that any doubts or fears I had about my ability to study could be noted in my diary and discussed with my personal tutor at our next scheduled meeting. The same personal tutor stays with you throughout your studies, so there is always someone there if you need them.
Friends for life
As a mature learner at Derby I was concerned that the University would comprise only of young people, however, it wasn't like that at all at Derby. There are a diverse range of students with different ages and backgrounds, and I found I made friends with many people of around my age. More importantly, I made friends with a lot of younger people too, who were friendly and welcoming. I've certainly met some friends for life at University
Excellent facilities
The facilities are excellent. The law library has ample range of books for law students with important issues on restricted loan so that everyone has access to it when the need arises. Our library has a full edition of Halsbury's laws, and subscriptions to leading law databases which are ideal for finding a diverse range of information to put in your law essays.
Workshops and internships run regularly and there is a wealth of advice where needed. The careers advice centre gives help securing work placements and I enrolled on the Employer Mentor Scheme in my 2nd year, which paired me with a Legal Practitioner for individual one-to-one support. Incidentally, my employer mentor later became my employer, so the careers centre helped me to become employed.
Recommending Law at Derby
I would definitely recommend a Law degree at Derby. I cannot stress enough how well the course is organised and how the method of teaching both theoretical and practical law works so well to practise and compound your knowledge. I was nervous at times and I found it difficult, but looking back, it was an invaluable experience. I would never have believed five years ago that I could get a law degree, let alone a First Class Honours and additional awards!
Completing a placement
I took part in an assessed clinic placement which involved 150 hours based at Derby Law Centre. This double module comprised of working in a practical law environment to observe how theoretical law actually works in practice. I had the opportunity to research legal problems, propose solutions for clients and get involved in all associated tasks in a busy law department. It was an eye opening experience, and the valuable skills and knowledge I gained from this are reflected upon in a personal reflective diary which was assessed as part of the module. It has been a valuable addition to my CV and proof that I have practical legal experience.
Getting involved
The law course has lots of opportunities to get involved in extra-curricular activities to practise those newfound law skills. I took part in internal mooting competitions and entered the English-Speaking Union external moot in my third year, in which we got through to the second round.
My greatest achievement by far was at the Law Triathlon 2011 which pairs a third year law student with a trainee solicitor in practice. The triathlon comprises of a courtroom moot, negotiation and interview which are observed and judged by solicitors. This was a highly nerve wracking experience but I was able to draw from the skills taught on the LLB programme and those I had gleaned from my previous moots to apply them to this competition
Bringing learning to life
I now work for Attenborough Law, a HR Solutions and Employment Law organisation run by sole practitioner, Tina Attenborough. My job title is Paralegal, which involves writing claims for employment law tribunals, writing defences to claims received, client care letters to clients, writing case analyses for insurance companies, and all associated day to day running of employment case files. My work is overseen by Tina, who incidentally was my employer mentor through the University of Derby Careers Department in my 2nd year of study. Tina very kindly offered me work experience, which later led to paid employment so I owe my thanks to the University careers department for helping me secure employment.
Winning an award
The LL.B faculty awards a yearly prize to the best performing student of each year, This is a great incentive to knuckle down and work hard, and I was delighted to have won the Sweet & Maxwell Prize for best performing third year law student. This ranks as one of the greatest achievements of my life and reflects the time and hard work I dedicated to this degree.
