Leicester University Law Society

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Leicester University Law Society, also known as LULS, is the largest student society at the University of Leicester in Leicester, United Kingdom, and represents all undergraduate law students at the university. The Society was founded in the same year as the Law School was established in 1966 by Mark Lowe (President) and Alan Goldsack (General Secretary). Both Mark Lowe QC and Alan Goldsack QC have gone on to become leaders in their respective fields of law. Further, many other Presidents of the Society have gone on to follow successful legal careers. As of October 2007, the Society has 1020 current members, and 4000 alumnus/life members.

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[edit] Activities

Mooting at Leicester is sponsored by international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and is renowned to be of very high calibre. The mooting secretaries co-ordinate the junior and senior internal mooting competitions and also assist the faculty's mooting tutor to enter teams into external moots. The law society, in partnership with Herbert Smith, runs a very successful debating competition throughout the academic year which is frequently oversubscribed.

Most of the society's revenues are derived from sponsorship from City of London law firms. LULS is the only one of its kind in the UK which organises its own law fair, independent of the university's careers service or the law faculty, something which is repeatedly commented upon by recruiters. It also organises a barristers' evening in the first week of December each year. It offers students vocational experience through its pro bono clinic which is administered by a sub-committee of six individuals, with the clinic operating every Wednesday afternoon during an academic term. It publishes a magazine, Taking Liberties, once a term, which provides a forum for members to write on various matters of national and international law and provide an insight into their experiences during vacation schemes and mini-pupillages.

The society is famed within the university for its social events such as the Orientation Day sponsored by DLA Piper, the 'Allen & Overy Cocktails', the 'CMS Cameron McKenna Cocktails' and the the very popular Law Ball. The Annual Law Ball has proven to be the most popular event of the academic year and attracts up to 600 students, usually taking place in the second week of February. In 2007, the Law Ball was sponsored by Slaughter and May, Linklaters and the College of Law.

The Society is also active in university sporting events, as it participates in several tournaments and intermural leagues. It currently has football, netball, rugby union, cricket and hockey teams.

Elections for positions to the committee are held annually in the third week of March. The new committee takes over from the previous President and his or her team during the summer term.

The Committee is currently made up of 20 students (non-sabbatical positions):

Executive Committee- President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.

Officers- 2 Mooting Masters, 2 Solicitors Careers Reps, Bar Rep, Sports Secretary, Competitions Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Pro-Bono Officer (Non-Elected), Assistant Social Secretary (At discretion of VP), Academic Officer, Magazine Editor, International Rep, 3 Year Reps.

Sub Committees: The Society has numerous sub-committees for the Pro Bono Clinic, Magazine, Law Ball.

[edit] Presidents of the Student Law Society (1995-2009)

1995-96 Jamas Hodivala

1996-97 Shardi Shameli

1997-98 Lee Warsop

1998-99 Minesh Gadhvi

1999-00 Phil Henson

2000-01 Steven Billingham

2001-02 Ben Dobbs

2002-03 Joe Morrison

2003-04 Victoria McLoughlin

2004-05 Sarah Baker

2005-06 Prashant Sabharwal

2006-07 Jatinder Paul

2007-08 Alice Simpson

2008-09 William Luke (elect)

[edit] Recent Guest Speakers

2005: Sir Roger Toulson

2005: Professor Gary Slapper

2006: Jagmohan Mundra, Director of Provoked, a film based on the seminal criminal law case, R. v Ahluwalia.

2007: Kier Starmer, QC

[edit] Website

The Society's website can be retrieved at Leicester University Law Society Online