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  1. Home
  2. …
  3. Schools and Departments
  4. The City Law School
  5. Law in real life (Law IRL)
Schools and Departments
  • School of Policy & Global Affairs
    • About the School
      • Athena Swan
    • Department of Economics
    • Department of International Politics
    • Department of Sociology and Criminology
      • Postgraduate Sociology at City
  • School of Communication & Creativity
    • About the School
      • Athena Swan
      • Creatives in Residence
    • Department of Journalism
      • James Cameron Memorial Lecture
        • Lectures
        • Special awards
        • Winners
    • Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries
      • English, Publishing and Creative Writing
      • Culture and the Creative Industries
      • Library and Information Science
      • Media and Communications
    • Department of Performing Arts
    • The Centre for Language Studies
  • Bayes Business School
  • School of Health & Psychological Sciences
    • About the School
      • Athena SWAN
      • Selection Process
      • Occupational Health Checks
      • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check (formerly CRB)
      • MSc Nursing - RPL
      • Reference request
    • Department of Health Services Research and Management
      • Health Services Management at City
    • Department of Language and Communication Science
    • Department of Midwifery and Radiography
      • Radiography undergraduate learning contract
      • Postgraduate Midwifery at City
      • Radiography at City
    • Department of Nursing
    • Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences
    • Department of Psychology
  • School of Science & Technology
    • About the School
      • Athena Swan
      • Aviation Management at City
      • Civil Engineering at City
      • Computer Science at City
      • Cyber Security MSc courses at City
      • Energy MSc courses at City
      • Library and Information Science at City
      • Maritime Management at City
      • Placements and internships
        • Placement and internship schemes
    • Department of Computer Science
    • Department of Mathematics
      • Potential PhD projects
    • Department of Engineering
  • The City Law School
    • Academic programmes
      • Undergraduate degree LLB
      • Graduate Entry Law GE LLB
      • Graduate Diploma in Law GDL
      • Master of Laws (LLM)
    • Professional programmes
    • Research and Scholarship
    • Athena Swan in The City Law School
    • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at The City Law School
    • Barrister training
      • Bar Training
      • Pupillage Advice Service
    • Solicitor training
      • Future Solicitor Advisory Service (FSAS)
      • The Solicitors' Qualifying Exam (SQE)
    • Law in real life (Law IRL)
      • Legal work placements
      • Court visits
      • Mock Trials
    • About The School
      • Prizes from The City Law School
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Law IRL banner

Law in real life (Law IRL)

The City Law School has a long history of involvement with pro bono activities dating back 20 years to when we were based in the Inns of Court.

Law in real life logoPro Bono Publico is a Latin term which means “for the public good”. In plain English it translates as the contemporary term “Law IRL.”

View our Law IRL poster.

Follow the Law IRL group on LinkedIn.

We provide our students with the opportunity to experience the law beyond the classroom whilst widening access to justice and the legal profession. We offer City Law School students many opportunities to obtain experience to benefit their future career pathways. These broadly fall into the following categories:

Explore our Law IRL Opportunities

  • The City Law School pg student at The City Law School Building in Sebastian Street smiling and working

    City Community Legal Advice Centre 

    Read more about the Centre

  • Law student standing the hallway

    Legal Work Placements 

    Hear more about the opportunities

  • City student walking through London

    Court Visits  

    Read more about our programme

  • LLB Law student in the mock courtroom on the ground floor of The City Law School Building.

    Mock Trials 

    Find out more about mock trials

  • City Law School students sitting at a table giving advice

    Company Insolvency Pro Bono Scheme 

    Read more about our free company insolvency service.

  • Young boy in blue raincoat looking sad.

    Schools Exclusion Project  

    Read more about our free service for families.

Experience law beyond the classroom

By undertaking these activities students will enhance their CV, whilst gaining valuable skills to take into their future legal career. The experiences will help develop competencies for entry into the legal profession or graduate employment.

The Director of the City Community Legal Advice Centre (CityCLAC) has put in place a wide range of activities open to students at each stage of their studies with The City Law School. This ‘ladder’ of opportunities will develop the experience needed to improve your employability, and effectively prepare students to start building a career in the law or other graduate employment.

Law students in the library at City
Law students in the City Law Library.

From year 1 of the LLB course, students are offered the opportunity to attend court visits to observe hearings, volunteer for placements where they will develop their skills, and observe an advice session in the Community Legal Advice Centre, where they have the privilege of observing qualified lawyers providing legal advice to real clients.

As a student progresses with their studies additional opportunities become available, for example becoming a Student Adviser in the City Community Legal Advice Centre, or volunteering with a City Law School pro bono project such as the Schools Exclusion Project or the Company Insolvency Pro Bono Scheme.

Widening access to justice and the legal profession

The LawIRL Director, an experienced solicitor, and the Centre Coordinator, work hard to source new and interesting placements every year. Current opportunities are advertised on our Moodle page accessible to current students, at the start of each term. Advice is always on hand if students want to volunteer closer to home, rather than in and around The City Law School.

An active annual programme of court visits and mock trials are arranged for students to get a feel for court etiquette, and witness advocacy in real life. Participating in mock trials helps develop our students’ confidence, teamwork and advocacy skills in a safe environment. Mock trials are a really valuable and fun activity to take part in.

Message from Director Sally Gill

Law in real life director Sally Gill Welcome to LawIRL which has been specifically created with law students in mind. With over 20 years’ experience of working in Law Schools leading on pro bono initiatives,
I know what a difference it can make to graduate outcomes.

By choosing activities from our ladder of opportunities through the LawIRL programme we hope that you gain valuable skills to take into your future professional careers. I look forward to welcoming you.

Sally Gill - Director of the City Legal Advice Centre and Law IRL

Our partners

  • Logo for the Free Representation Unit
  • 11KBW logo
  • Matrix Chambers Logo
  • Lewis Silkin logo
  • Mary Ward Legal Centre logo
  • Travers Smith Logo
  • Taylor Wessing logo
  • Blackfriars Settlement logo

As a service we love partnering with law firms, not for profits and individual lawyers committed to providing access to justice for the public, to attempt to redress the balance of the legal aid cuts.

We work with a number of esteemed partners in the provision of legal advice and services. We are proud of our partnerships, and extend out thanks to the many lawyers who volunteer their time to help us widen access to justice and access to the profession.

We also have partnerships with the not-for-profit sector where we send students to volunteer, helping provide much needed services to members of the local City community and wider community of London.

If you are interested in partnering up with the LawIRL at the City Law School please get in touch with Sally Gill the Director of the LawIRL and City Community Legal Advice Centre.

Contact us

  • Sally Gill

    Director of the City Legal Advice Centre and Law IRL

    sally.gill@city.ac.uk

    The City Legal Advice Centre and Law IRL City Law School Building Ground Floor, TG12
    Sebastian Street
    London EC1V 0HB United Kingdom

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