News

February 2010

Dr Marie-Andrée Jacob wins SLSA Article Prize 2010

Keele Law Lecturer Marie-Andrée Jacob has been award the 2010 Socio-Legal Studies Association Article Prize for her article 'The shared history: unknotting fictive kinship and legal process' (2009) 43 Law and Society Review 95–126.The SLSA article prize is awarded for the most outstanding piece of socio-legal scholarship published in the award year. Dr Jacob's research interests are generally focused around how law, experts and society interact in generating controversies and consensus on issues pertaining to modern medicine. More information is available on the SLSA website.

January 2010

Keele Bar Society visit to Middle Temple

Keele Bar Society are planning a trip to London, where they have been invited dine at Middle Temple for lunch on Friday 22nd January. For anyone looking to become a Barrister this will be an exciting opportunity to get a feel for the Inns.

The day will start with a tour of the Inns and which will follow onto a Q&A with the Middle Temple education department, covering topics such as the BPTC, going to Middle Temple, and the scholarships they offer. Lunch will be in the format of a three course dining event. Subject to her availability on the day, Keele Alumni Louise O’Callaghan will be attending the lunch. This will be a fantastic opportunity current Keele students to ask about her journey to becoming a Barrister. Following the visit to Middle Temple, subject to his availability on the day, students will also be going to the Royal Courts of Justice to speak to another Keele Alumni, Mr Justice Peter Coulson. Students who are interested in participating in the trip should contact the Keele Bar Society for further information, and to book their places for the lunch at the careers centre.

December 2009

New Book by Professor Andrew Sharpe

Professor Andrew Sharpe’s most recent book, Foucault’s Monsters and the Challenge of Law, was recently published by Routledge (15 December 2009). Professor Sharpe works in the areas of social and legal theory, legal history and gender, sexuality and the law. In his first book, Transgender Jurisprudence: Dysphoric Bodies of Law (2002) (Cavendish: London) he offered the first critical and sustained treatment of the transgender/law relation. In Foucault’s Monsters, his attention shifts from one specific locale to a broader historical and theoretical consideration of the legal constitution and regulation of the figure of the outsider. For more information and to buy the book, please see the publisher's website.

Visit Days 2010

We would like to invite all those who have applied to Keele to begin their undergraduate studies in 2010 to one of our Visit Days on either Saturday 20 February, Saturday 6 March, Sunday 7 March or Wednesday 31 March 2010.
The Visit Days will give you the opportunity to learn more about the detail of the different Law programmes from current academics and students and enable you to spend time visiting different parts of campus including the student accommodation.

Additionally on the weekend days, we will be offering you the opportunity to take part in a Law Teaching Taster Session, in order to give you a real insight as to what it will be like to study Law here. This session will run for an hour from 10.30am and is designed for prospective students only. Parents are, of course, welcome to the general Law sessions later in the day at 12 noon, 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm. If you are interested in attending this session, then please email Dr Zoe Pearson (z.pearson@law.keele.ac.uk), in addition to confirming your attendance to the main Visit Day by using the online Visit Day booking system.

Keele Law Lecturer Shortlisted for Major Essay Prize

Law Lecturer Dr. Marie-Andree Jacob has been shortlised for the Socio-Legal Article Prize 2010 for her essay 'The shared history: unknotting fictive kinship and legal process' (2009) 43 Law and Society Review 95-126. To view the short list for this year's article prize, visit: http://www.kent.ac.uk/nslsa/content/view/61/217.

Dr. Ruth Fletcher on Channel 4 news about ECtHR abortion rights case

Dr. Ruth Fletcher was interviewed on Channel 4, Sky, and UTV radio news about a landmark abortion rights case heard by the European Court of Human Rights on the 9th December, 2009. 3 women, known as A, B and C, are challenging Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws on the grounds that their Convention rights (2, 3, 8 and 14) were infringed by having to travel abroad for an abortion. Together with Doctors for Choice (Ireland), and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Dr. Fletcher submitted expert commentary to the Court in Strasbourg on the problems caused by the legal restriction of abortion and having to travel for abortion care. You can view the Channel 4 news item online.

November 2009

Michael Mansfield QC visit to Keele

One of Keele University's most famous alumni came back to Keele on 25 November to give a fascinating lecture on his high profile legal career. Michael Mansfield QC, who studied History and Philosophy at Keele in the early 1960s, was hosted by the School of Law for the afternoon, answering students' questions in a question & answer session with current undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Prof Michael Thomson, Head of School, said: "The School thoroughly enjoyed welcoming Michael Mansfield back to Keele. His talk with students provided valuable insights for those about to embark on their legal careers. He also provided fascinating insights into his work over the last three decades with defendants and families. Michael's visit continues the work we have been doing with our alumni. We are proud of our alumni's achievements and very much value the important links that we maintain with them."

If you are a Keele law alumnus and want to get in touch to let us know what you're up to, please don't hesitate to contact Dr Andrew Francis, who is the School contact responsible for Alumni links.

Keele alumnus elected as president of a national body

Dr Mirza Ahmad, Birmingham City Council’s Corporate Director of Governance and Keele law graduate, will take on the post of President of the Association of Council Secretaries & Solicitors (ACSeS), which represents Chief Legal Officers of all English and Welsh local authorities.

Mirza is already recognised as a national expert on local government law and practice, especially in relation to constitutional, ethical and corporate governance, employment, human rights and information management.

October 2009

Keele Graduate Returns to Talk to 1st Years

Andrea Bruce (Keele, 1992) returned on the 26th October 2009, to take part in a roundtable discussion designed to help 1st years start thinking about planning their careers. Now a partner with Knights LLP, Andrea shared insights with the students about the realities of life in practice and gave them an inside track on what firms are looking for.
Students were also able to hear from Sophie Lake, a third year student, who has recently successfully negotiated the legal recruitment cycle, and Sarah Longwell, the University's Careers Service Advisor. Look out for more Careers and Alumni events on the calendar on the School pages.

Careers Events

A detailed programme of careers focused events and activities is now available. Download the calendar using the link below:

Semester 1 2009/10 Law Related Careers Events

Fresher's Quiz

The annual Keele Law School Fresher's Quiz will take place in the Lindsay Bar from 5-7pm on Thursday 8 October 2009. This event is open to all new law students - so come along and meet new people, have fun, and see if you have what it takes to become this year's Fresher's Quiz champions!

September 2009

Michael Mansfield QC to Speak at Keele

One of Keele University's most famous alumni is to lift the lid on his high profile legal career at a free public lecture.

Michael Mansfield QC, who studied History and Philosophy at Keele in the early 1960s, has represented clients in some of the most controversial legal cases the country has seen, including: Barry George, accused of killing television presenter Jill Dando; the family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence; the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, shot by the Metropolitan Police in 2005; and Mohammed Al Fayed, in his pursuit of the truth surrounding the crash in which his son Dodi and Princess Diana died.

Michael was called to the Bar in 1967, established Tooks Chambers in
1984 and became Queen's Counsel in 1989. He will speak at Keele University on Wednesday, November 25, at 6.30pm. The lecture will take place in the Ballroom at Keele Hall.

Michael has recently published his autobiography, Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer, which reveals his motivations, meticulous approach to forensic science, cross examination techniques, the political dimensions and his emotional reactions, interspersed with anarchic humour, personal anecdotes and recollections.

Michael's early days at Keele play a significant role in the book and he praises the philosophy of Keele's founders.

He said: "In the early 1960s Keele University was unique - the brainchild of AD Lindsay, who had an exciting vision of education. First and foremost was the kaleidoscope of academic subjects presented to all students during their Foundation Year - prior to any choice of major degree subjects. Alongside this was a dynamic Students' Union and close knit social life on campus. This cauldron of challenge was a life-changing experience for me. Thanks, Keele!"

Admission to the lecture is free but please reserve a seat by calling 01782 734169 or e-mail whatson@kfm.keele.ac.uk. Michael will be hosted by the School of law in the afternoon preceding his lecture, so watch this space for more information!

Keele Law School Welcomes New and Returning Students

Keele Law School is delighted to welcome both new and returning students for the 2009/10 academic year. New students should make sure that they take a look at the School's WelcomeWeb, as this has loads of useful information to help them find their way around in the first few weeks of the new academic year.

August 2009

Keele Law School Professor Co-opted to Academy's Governing Body

Professor Fiona Cownie, School of Law, has been co-opted to the Council of the Academy of Social Sciences. The Academy of Social Sciences, which is composed of Learned Societies and individual Academicians, provides a voice for the social science community as a whole, representing social scientists to Government and other bodies, organising conferences and sponsoring a number of schemes that promote social science and enhance its value to society.

The Council is the governing body of the Academy and its members also act as trustees. Professor Cownie, who is currently President of the Society of Legal Scholars, is well-known for her interdisciplinary research, including that grounded in the social sciences. She is a past Vice-Chair of the Socio-Legal Studies Association and is currently a member of the AHRC Peer Review College.

March 2009

Judicial Visit

Judge Alistair McCreath, a Keele graduate, returned to the Law School on the 17th March to talk to current students and staff about his career and the current challenges and opportunities facing the bar. Judge McCreath graduated from Keele in the early 1970s, was called to the Bar in 1972 and practiced in chambers in Birmingham, latterly specialising in criminal work. He became a part-time Judge in 1986 and was appointed a Circuit Judge in 1996. He sat for ten years at Birmingham Crown Court before becoming Resident Judge at Worcester Crown Court in April 2006. As well as acting as the judge having responsibility for probation liaison, he fulfils the same function in relation to magistrates and is chairman of the Area Judicial Forum. He has had judicial training responsibilities through the Judicial Studies Board, for several years as a tutor on the Crown Court Induction Seminar and now as Course Director for Criminal Continuation training.

Careers Event with Pinsent Masons Law Firm

On Wednesday 25 March, Keele Law Students met with high-flying Keele graduates who are now Corporate Partners with international law firm Pinsent Masons. Andrew and Gareth gave an insight into their career pathways after Keele, the work of a corporate lawyer, top tips for pursuing a career as a solicitor and what Pinsent Masons are looking for.

Professor Andrew Sharpe to give Keynote Address

Professor Andrew Sharpe has been invited to present the Keynote Address at ‘Transforming Attitudes,’ the first Transgender Human Rights conference to be held in Ireland. The conference is organised by the Law Society of Ireland, the Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) and Transgender Europe (TGEU). The conference will be held in Dublin on 17-18 April 2009.

 

January 2009

Keele Law School Client Interviewing Competition Winners

Congratulations to CPE students Nicola Jones and Kelly Artingstoll, who won the 2008-2009 Keele Law School Client Interviewing Competition, sponsored by KJD Solicitors, Stoke on Trent. As winners of the Keele competition, Nicola and Kelly also represented the Law School at the National Client Interviewing Competition for England and Wales.

The Regional heats of the National Client Interviewing Competition 2009 took place on Friday 23 January. Nicola and Kelly were unfortunate to miss out on a place in the National Finals but their performance on the day was excellent.

 

December 2008

Research Assessment Exercise 2008

Academics within Law at Keele have been recognised in the latest RAE exercise as producing world class research. 50% of all research submitted by Keele Law academics was rated as being World Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) and 85% of all work as being of, at least, a quality that is Internationally Recognised (2*). This places us within the top 25 Law Schools in the country. The diverse research at Keele encompasses critical, socio-legal and doctrinal work, and more information about current and future projects can be found on individual staff members' webpages and on the Research Institute pages . Students coming to Keele will learn about Law from internationally recognised academics who are driving the discipline forward.

Law 2009: Visit Day Taster Session 2

On Wednesday 18 February 2009 from 11.00 am, students interested in studying Law at Keele are invited to attend a special session designed to give a flavour of what you could be studying on the different pathways. During this session, directed primarily at the applicants themselves, you will be able to meet academics from Law, together with colleagues from Criminology and Politics, who will introduce you to the opportunities presented by the different pathways and give you the chance to take part in a Law teaching exercise. There will then be time for you to have lunch on campus, before joining the main Visit Day programme. one participant at the December event said : "I thoroughly enjoyed my day, and i found the talk and the taster session interesting and useful." If you are interested in attending this session, then please contact Dr Andrew Francis (a.m.francis@law.keele.ac.uk).

If you are interested in signing up for the main University Visit Day taking place on the afternoon of February 18th, then please follow the links from this page: http://www.keele.ac.uk/undergraduate/visiting/visitdays.htm

For all other Admissions queries then please contact University’s central Undergraduate Admissions Office at undergraduate@acad.keele.ac.uk

Keele Law Student Visit to Berrymans Lace Mawer

Keele Law Students have been invited to visit Berrymans Lace Mawer solicitors' Birmingham office on Friday 23 January 2009. Two Keele law alumni, Chris Wiggin and Raymond Southern are now partners with this major law firm, which already sponsers a prize for the 'most improved 2nd year student' with a week's work experience. This is a fantastic opportunity for a small group of students to meet partners and other lawyers at a major firm, and provide an opportunity to see the workings of a major law firm. Places are limited, and interested students should email Andrew Francis on a.m.francis@law.keele.ac.uk.

November 2008

Law 2009: Taster Session

On Wednesday 10 December from 11.00 am, students interested in studying Law at Keele are invited to attend a special session designed to give a flavour of what you could be studying on the different pathways. During this session, directed primarily at the applicants themselves, you will be able to meet academics from Law, together with colleagues from Criminology and Politics, who will introduce you to the opportunities presented by the different pathways and give you the chance to take part in a Law teaching exercise. There will then be time for you to have lunch on campus, before joining the main Visit Day programme. If you are interested in attending this session, then please contact Dr Andrew Francis (a.m.francis@law.keele.ac.uk).
If you are interested in signing up for the main University Visit Day taking place on the afternoon of December 10th, then please follow the links from this page: http://www.keele.ac.uk/undergraduate/visiting/visitdays.htm

For all other Admissions queries then please contact University’s central Undergraduate Admissions Office at undergraduate@acad.keele.ac.uk

Law and Public Life

The School of Law hosted an alumni evening on Thursday 13th November. The event was designed to give current students the opportunity to meet high profile alumni currently working in the legal profession and to celebrate the achievements of our alumni in public life. Students had the opportunity to join small group talks given by Mirza Ahmad (Chief Legal Officer, Birmingham City Council), Judge Peter Coulson (first Keele graduate appointed to the High Court) and Fiona Woolf (past President of the Law Society). Students then joined staff and other alumni for a reception held in the Great Hall of Keele Hall with speeches from the Vice Chancellor, Janet Finch and Fiona Woolf, who reflected on the way in which the interdisciplinary study of Law had given her and her fellow alumni such a strong foundation for their later successes. Our current students then had the opportunity to meet the attending alumni more informally and said how much they valued the opportunity and had been "inspired" by the very helpful advice they received from our visitors.
This event was part of an ongoing series of events that the School of Law is organising and we are always keen to hear from other alumni.

October 2008

Professor Fiona Cownie becomes President of the SLS

Professor Fiona Cownie, of Keele Law School, has taken up the Presidency of the Society of Legal Scholars in its centenary year. She is one of only five women appointed to the post – all in the last 10 years.

The Society of Legal Scholars, which is the largest and oldest association of academic lawyers in the U.K., was founded as a learned society for those who teach law in universities or who are otherwise engaged in legal scholarship. During her year in office Professor Cownie wants to engage with the media to debate the importance of legal scholarship. As part of the celebrations of the centenary a history of the Society has been commissioned, which is being written by Professor Cownie and Professor Ray Cocks, both members of the Law School at Keele.

Professor Cownie's research ranges from legal anthropology to studies of legal academics, covering topics from Quakers and dispute resolution to the clothes legal academics choose to wear to work. She is an expert in legal education, particularly in teaching legal skills, and was appointed to a Chair at Keele in September 2006.

Careers in Crime Event

Keele Law School is delighted to announce the latest in a series of alumi events designed to introduce current Keele Law students to Keele Law alumni. The 'Careers in Crime' event, on Monday 27 October, features Keele Law graduates Victoria Barke (Keele Graduate) Solicitor, FirstDefence Criminal Defence Law firm and Eran Cutliffe (Keele graduate) Solicitor, CPS. The event will be chaired by Professor Martin Wasik who, as well as being a member of the Keele faculty, is a Keele graduate and Crown Court Recorder (part-time judge). Students from all year groups are encouraged to attend - see the event page for more information.

Fresher's Quiz

The Law Freshers' Quiz took place in the Lindsay Cafe Bar on 2nd October. The event was well attended with the winners being the team called 'The House of Lords'. They triumphed after five bruising rounds testing participants' knowledge of law in a range of different contexts including music, film, news and history. There was a staff team full of seasoned campaigners that got the highest score but graciously ceded victory. The House of Lords team, Michael, Maddy, Beth, David and Rob, received £50 of book vouchers. Congratulations to them on their success!

September 2008

Keele Law Student Honoured for Commitment to Society

Undergraduate Jason Davies has been named one of the most socially responsible in the country at a national awards ceremony honouring student achievements. The 20-year-old Law and Politics student was named runner up in the Socially Responsible Student of the Year category at the Real World awards, winning a £500 prize which he has donated to the Keele People and Planet Society.
The third year, who is Keele's Students' Union Environmental Officer, has been heavily involved in green issues on campus, including a successful campaign to ban plastic bags from university outlets, consultation on the transport plan and the Energy Champions project, aiming to reduce energy consumption across the university. He also presents a weekly green show on KUBE Radio and is committed to Keele's anti-racism society, leafleting door-to-door across Stoke-on-Trent.

New Students 'WelcomeWeb' goes live!

New to Keele Law School? Don't know where to go or what to do? The Law School WelcomeWeb for 2008/09 is now live on this website. The WelcomeWeb is full of important and useful information for our new students - go take a look!

August 2008

Alumni Event Rescheduled for 13 November 2008

We are delighted to announce that the 'Law in Public Life' Alumi event, originally planned for earlier this year, has been rescheduled to take place on Thursday 13 November. Fiona Woolf, CBE, Law Society past President, Keele Alumnus and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during the 2008 degree congregation will be speaking. More information will be available in the near future, so keep your eyes on our events page for more details!

July 2008

Honorary Degree awarded to former Keele Law Graduate

 

Fiona Woolf, CBE, an Alderman in the City of London, immediate past President of the Law Society of England and Wales and Keele graduate, has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Keele University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Law.

 

June 2008

Keele Law Students Success in BVC Scholarships

Congratulations go to four of this year's law finalists, who have been awarded assistance for their BVC studies. Zaynab Awan has been awarded the Joseph Cantley Scholarship, Jeremy Howe has been awarded a Harmsworth Scholarship, and Alex Ratcliffe has been awarded a Blackstone Award from the Middle Temple. Georgina Blower has been awarded the Sir Thomas More Bursary at Lincoln's Inn. We wish them all the best in their future studies, and their legal careers!

February 2008

**Law in Public Life Alumni Event: 21st February 2008 Postponed** Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, we have postponed this event until late October/early November 2008. We will release the new date as soon as we can to give you as much chance as possible to put it in your diaries. Apologies for any inconvenience and hopefully see you back at Keele in the Autumn.

January 2008

Keele Graduate Appointed as High Court Judge

Sir Peter Coulson QC (Keele Graduate 1980) was appointed to be a Justice of the High Court on 31st December 2007. Judge Coulson was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1982 and took Silk in 2001. He was appointed a Recorder in 2002, a Circuit Judge in 2004 and has been assigned to Queen's Bench Division. Many, many congratulations from all at the Law School.

New Year Honour for Professor Martin Wasik

Martin Wasik, Professor of Criminal Justice at Keele Law School, has been awarded a CBE for services to Criminal Justice in the 2008 New Year Honours list. Professor Wasik has been chairman of the Sentencing Advisory Panel since 1999, which works together with the Sentencing Guidelines Council to produce sentencing guidelines for the criminal courts.

December 2007

Alumni Event

LAW AND PUBLIC LIFE: The Law School and Research Institute for Law, Politics and Justice will be holding an event on 21st February 2008 to mark the contributions of our Law alumni in public life. The event will feature a keynote speech from Keele alumnus and past Law Society President Fiona Woolf CBE about the post-Legal Services Act landscape, opportunities to hear about current research and teaching initiatives within the School, meet existing students and give you the chance to catch up with old friends and make new professional connections within the historic surroundings of Keele Hall. Further details will follow, but please contact Stef Ward on s.ward@keele.ac.uk if you'd like more information about this exciting event and to give us an idea of numbers.

New Publication

Endowed: Regulating the Male Sexed Body
Michael Thomson
ISBN: 9780415950619

Spanning topics such as male circumcision and the regulation of state access to Viagra, this book uncovers recurring motifs that define masculinity and the male body in the legal imagination. In looking to these understandings the book engages with broader questions regarding the relationship between law and gender and between masculinity and social organization. For more information, see the publisher's website

Public Lecture

Professor Andrew Sharpe has been invited to present a public lecture at the University of Vienna on 16 May 2008. The title of his lecture is 'Marriage and Civil Partnerships: Equality and Difference.'

March 2007

Fiona Woolf, current President of the Law Society, and Keele graduate will be visiting the Law School on Friday 30th March. She will be meeting staff from the Law School and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and will be running two focus groups with Law students from all year groups to discuss their expectations and hopes for legal practice in the future.