City Law School joins Liberty and Supreme Court in pro bono

From later this month, City Law School's LPC and BPTC students can get involved with a new clinic run in partnership with human rights organisation Liberty, where they will be able to hone their skills on real-life cases by advising members of the public on human rights issues. The scheme's organiser, City's pro bono director Sarwan Singh, said: "We are delighted to have joined forces with such a high-profile organisation as Liberty, which can undoubtedly offer invaluable experience to our students."

Another exciting pro bono activity for City students to get involved with this year is a volunteer project run in conjunction with the Supreme Court. The project - called Big Voice 2011 and launched by a group of City students last year - is designed to encourage disadvantaged young Londoners to engage with the UK legal system. Throughout 2011, volunteers from the school will deliver interactive workshops and sessions to pupils from a variety of schools in deprived areas of the capital. The pupils will work together, conduct research and get to meet well-known members of the legal profession, as well as assist in the drafting of a formal paper for publication comparing the legal systems of the United Kingdom and post-apartheid South Africa.

In other City Law School news, a group of the course provider's second-year LLB students has proved its mettle by fighting off competition from a host of top universities to win first place in Allen & Overy's (A&O) Think! business challenge. The six-strong team was required to step into the shoes of a commercial lawyer to scrutinise and amend a contract for a hypothetical company takeover - it then had to present the work to a senior A&O partner. The team claiming victory comprised James Batten, Verity Coutts, Piers Henderson, Nikki Nenadich, Clare Norrish and Kate Nutter; their prize was a champagne reception and an open day visit to one of the firm's departments. LLB course director Claire de Than said: "We are all absolutely delighted with the team's victory and are sure it will lead to further professional success for all the participants."

A team from the London School of Economics came in second place, followed by a group from Nottingham University.