How our law students practise what they learn

Amicus raises awareness of the importance of fair trial rights for death row cases, focusing on issues such as race, poverty, mental illness, and inadequate legal representation. 

Postgraduate research student, Jessica, volunteers for Amicus and explains that the charity “investigates whether death sentences are applied fairly and in-line with the US Constitution’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment”. Amicus’s Missouri Project is a key empirical study analysing Missouri’s sentencing methods in homicide cases. The focus of the investigation is establishing statistical data as to which cases were charged capitally and which ultimately were given the death penalty. Studies of these sorts are used in litigation to abolish the death penalty in individual US states. 

Jessica explains, “what makes the Missouri Project unique is the active involvement of students in the research process. 

“Every Wednesday, we assist research into the use of capital punishment in the US. We have access to a range of materials, including case files, witness statements, and other critical documents related to each case that have been acquired by Amicus”.

Towards the end of 2024, Surrey Law School launched a volunteer Community Legal Companions’ scheme at Guildford Family Courts. The Community Legal Outreach Collaboration Keele (CLOCK) is a collaborative partnership between the University of Keele, other universities, their students, the judiciary, law firms and third sector organisations working together under a common framework to provide access to justice for the community.

LLM student, Anastasia, trained as one of the University’s Community Legal Companions, so she can assist litigants in-person [someone who has to go to court without legal representation from a solicitor or barrister] with the court process, specifically focusing on family cases and domestic abuse. Anastasia explains: “court can be a scary and overwhelming place for many that have not experienced it nor have any prior legal knowledge.”

In the short time that the CLOCK scheme has been running, it has been apparent that the Community Legal Companion-volunteers have been able to assist many LIPs, be it through referring them to local solicitors, directing them to their court room, demystifying the law and its process, explaining legal documents to them, note-taking, or merely providing them with emotional support.

Anastasia comments that, “Whilst our role may seem small to many, to each litigant in-person we assist, we have had an immense impact… and have helped many survivors of abuse to get the help and protection that they so desperately need.” 

Surrey Law School has partnered with the Environmental Law Foundation and our student volunteers are currently researching how individuals and groups can hold local authorities to account for the degradation of their local rivers. From this research, the Environmental Law Foundation will create a paper on the rights of nature. 

Final year Law undergraduate, Mia, says, “the learning I have gained from studying environmental law… has placed me in good stead to understand the implications for companies and governments around the world as they attempt to develop sustainably.”

Elaf spent her placement year working for the International Law Book Facility (ILBF). Elaf, says: “for law to serve its purpose, access to legal knowledge must be universal.” This is the purpose behind ILBF. The ILBF is built on a simple but powerful belief: that access to legal knowledge should not be a privilege determined by geography or financial means. 

Since its inception in 2005, the ILBF has shipped over 89,000 donated legal books to more than 280 organizations across 57 countries, reaching law schools, courts, and legal professionals who rely on these resources to uphold justice.

The University of Surrey has actively contributed to this mission, previously shipping legal books to Rwanda and, more recently, donating approximately 320 books to Bolivia, where they support students and practitioners at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés. 

Legal Confidence Workshops

As members of Junior Lawyers Against Poverty our law students design and deliver workshops on human rights, democracy, citizenship and employment rights for displaced young people on the local charity, Big Leaf Foundation’s Young Leaders' Programme which brings displaced young people together to learn about leadership, legal rights, and how to create change and support others. Students deliver workshops on human rights, democracy, citizenship and employment rights from the Law School’s own Toulson Library on campus. The photo shows one of the Young Leaders' graduation ceremonies that takes place at the University twice a year.

Street Law Legal Literacy Programme

Surrey Law students design interactive workshops for Year 9-13 school students across Guildford. The workshops develop the School students’ knowledge and understanding of the law, legal systems and access to justice-related issues.  

The programme upskills the law students and offers various transferable skills such as communication, presentations and co-operations skills and professionalism.

How these initiatives help our students

It was clear that all the students who spoke at the showcase value these opportunities given to them by Surrey Law School, and not just for their professional development. Mia, Law LLB student, said: “For well over the three years of my degree I have had the pleasure of being part of a law school that encourages its students to have a positive impact on society.” 

Hands-on experience

Amicus volunteer student Jessica said: “This hands-on experience has provided us with the opportunity to become familiar with the procedures of a different legal system. It has deepened our understanding and appreciation of civil procedure rules and international conventions such as the ECHR – concepts that can be challenging to fully grasp in a classroom setting…. Being part of Amicus allows us to engage with a real-world issue and we aim to make a meaningful contribution to this crucial area of research.”

Final year Law student Elaf said that the working for the ILBF “provides us students with opportunities to engage in cross-jurisdictional dialogue, strengthening our understanding of different legal systems and contributing to a more globally connected legal profession.”

Breaking down barriers

Mia shared that “the work we have done on the Young Leaders programme has made me more dedicated than ever to helping people break down the barriers they face in pursuit of a career in law. I fundamentally believe that [displaced young people] have an important voice that should be heard and represented in the law.”