Law Tutor's 'Light-Hearted' Approach Wins Serious National Award
20 May 2013
Senior Law Lecturer David Hodgkinson has been named 'Law Lecturer of the Year' at the LawCareers.Net Training and Recruitment Awards.
Independent student comment which helped David Hodgkinson win his award.
A University of Derby tutor has been named Law Lecturer of the Year.
Senior Law Lecturer David Hodgkinson received the honour at the tenth annual LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards - run by influential legal profession website LawCareers.Net - held at London's Design Museum.
David, who joined the University of Derby in December 2007, was one of only six award finalists, chosen from the 254 lecturers originally nominated by their students.
Student comments about David praised his legal knowledge and teaching style, also adding: "He is well organised and the lectures he gives are always a pleasure to attend. He is a funny man with a strict no-nonsense attitude to bad behaviour, but encourages excellence at the same time."
David believes the skills he once employed doing occasional stand-up comedy gigs had proved useful in keeping students engaged in their studies.
Commenting on his win at Thursday night's award finals (May 16) he said: "I am very proud to win, and I must say that I am very grateful to the students at the University of Derby and to my colleagues. It is a team effort and I feel wonderful in being able to bring this home for us all."
Kevin Bampton, Head of the School of Law and Criminology at the University, added: "I would like to congratulate David on being named LawCareers.Net's 'Law Lecturer of the Year'.
"After helping so many students to success, it is great that his qualities have been recognised nationally. Even better that he is also one of Derby's former students.
"David's commitment to student achievement and collegiate support exemplifies what is best about our School. His combination of inventive teaching, with a personal touch, challenges and delights students."
The Derby tutor's other recent successes include steering two LL.B Skills degree module students to success in a 2012 national contest to test their courtroom skills. In March this year David helped two other degree students to Third Place in the finals of the 2013 Client Interviewing Competition for England and Wales.
For more information about the University of Derby's School of Law and Criminology see web link www.derby.ac.uk/law
For further press information please contact Sean Kirby, University of Derby Press and PR Officer, on 01332 591891 or email: s.kirby@derby.ac.uk
