ONE of the most senior judges in England has praised the University of Worcester’s brand new School of Law at the opening of the building.
Sir Andrew McFarlane, Lord Justice of Appeal since 2011 and also a member of the Privy Council, officially opened the new mock courtroom, seminar and lecture rooms last week.
During his visit, Lord Justice McFarlane said the new facilities will enable students on the University’s inaugural LLB Qualifying Law Degree course to benefit from practical experience alongside academic theory.
“I wish I’d been on a course like this because I think for me it would have made sense of the law rather having it as a dry academic subject, which it was when I learnt it, so
I’m jealous of the young people that come through the doors here,” Lord Justice McFarlane said.
“I think the facilities are really effective. This courtroom, and I have seen a lot of courtrooms both real courtrooms in action and also courtrooms at universities up and down the country, is a really good facility.
The new School of Law will also open a Legal Advice Centre in February. With the assistance of local practitioners and qualified academic staff, who will supervise Law students, it will offer free legal advice initially in employment law, and eventually in family and child law.
“Worcester has the advantage of having this law school within 300 or 400 yards of very many people who are working in the law,” he added.
“My hope is that the professional community will embrace the arrival of the law school here, the students will embrace the opportunity to become involved as a fly on the wall in professional practice.
“Right from the start they will see what the end product is of what they’re learning rather than just simply sitting and reading a law book in their room or looking at it on the screen and wondering what it’s got to do with real life.”
