Following our relocation from Emm Lane to City Campus, the School of Law has been a busy place with both staff and students.

On the 11^th of September, we returned to Emm Lane for an evening Garden Party for local and regional law firms and third sector advice agencies with over 14 organisations being represented. The aim of the gathering was to build upon existing relationships and forge new links with the legal sectors, raise awareness of the School and to develop strategies to work in partnership with the legal community to enhance the earing experiences of our student body.

Ian Miller, Deputy Head of the School said “It was great not only to see so many in attendance at the event but that we had the pleasure of the company of lawyers from small local firms as well as some of the regions leader commercial law firms as well as representatives from the Crown Prosecution Service and a charity partner of ours CHAS@StVincents. All our guests were enthusiastic about working with both academics at the School and our student body to ensure that our student’s get the very best of legal educations”.  One attendee, Sarah Khan-Bashir MBE, owner of Shire Solicitors attended the event and tweeted “Wonderful event at the #Bradford #University #schooloflaw this evening. Great company and conversations leading to exciting times for new partnerships to support our wonderful Law School’

We are grateful to all of those who attended the evening and we look forward to working with them all in the future.

Eid on the Wharf

Pictured are (l-r) students Zohra Majeed, Muhammad Mohi-Ud-Din, Fatima Ismail and James Linhart, together with Koser Shaheen (General Secretary of the Association of Muslim Lawyers)

Friday the 28^th of September saw four of our students visiting London to take part in a special ‘Eid on the Wharf’ event which was run in conjunction with Clifford Chance solicitors and the Association of Muslim Lawyers (AML).

The event itself was very interesting. It began with a long list of speakers, including lawyers and other public figures, such as Lauren Booth and Mohammed Kozbar, chair of the Finsbury Park Mosque. A range of themes were explored during the speeches, with some fascinating discussions on how lawyers can best assist their communities. Representatives of the Penny Appeal and Islamic Relief spoke about their charitable work. We were also treated to two singers, singing acapella in a style known as Nasheed, featuring an excellent version of Leonard Cohen’s Halleluiah, translated into Arabic. The speeches were rounded off by comedian Yumna, who managed to raise a number of laughs (as well as some eyebrows).

After the speeches we were introduced to Koser Shaheen, the AML General Secretary, who had very kindly provided us with the tickets to the event. We resolved to continue our partnership and we look forward to working closely with the AML for future events, hopefully in Bradford in the not-too-distant future. The evening was then turned over to networking and canapes in the impressively grand foyer of the Clifford Chance offices in Canary Wharf, and a memorable evening was enjoyed by all.

Our students, who attended the event after successfully winning tickets in a short-essay competition, gained much from the evening. All four students were keen to stress the value of having the opportunity to network at this prestigious event. Fatima said, “I thoroughly enjoyed conversing with professionals in the legal world. I gained invaluable advice about the LPC and training contracts”. Zohra was grateful for the “opportunity to meet with professionals and to build my confidence”. Muhammad said that “Eid on the Wharf” provided a perfect opportunity to expand my network”.

Many thanks once again to all at AML and Clifford Chance, and we hope to have to chance to visit again soon.

Networking at the Clifford Chance offices

These visits bring back memories of my own time studying law, albeit in a different era. As I often explain to students, I thought little about my future career while studying law and looking back, that was rather naiive.

However, times are very different now – legal practice has radically changed and perhaps most importantly, the legal market has changed hugely. Competition in the legal sector between law firms, lawyers and students looking to pursue a legal career, is at unprecedented levels and this means that students now need to be ahead of the game even whilst at University.

Here are my top tips to maximise your career prospects in law :-

1. Being a good technical lawyer is unlikely to be enough – with so many more law students now and with clients generally having the upper hand in the commercial relationship between lawyer and client, business and people skills are now far more important than ever before. Developing your non-academic skills and the right mindset are really important now.

2. Be adaptable and open – working environments, cultures and clients are all different. Being adaptable to different situations is really important. With clients tending to self diagnose their legal issues and problems, demanding certainty on costs and tight timescales, client management skills are now really important.

3. Understand how clients think – this comes within the overall topic of “commercial awareness”. In previous eras, where lawyers were considered more as pure professionals rather than professional service providers, lawyers did not have to think like clients. Now clients expect and demand that you understand them, their businesses, their markets and demonstrate an appreciation of cost/benefit/risk and not just the professional duty to advise and represent thoroughly, perhaps without a keen eye on costs.

4. Be a genuine team player – in less competitive times, there was a tendency for lawyers, even working within law firms, to only concern themselves with their own billings and clients. Future success and potentially even survival of individual law firms is now closely linked to whether the lawyers and staff within the firm behave as a team, seeking at all opportunities to help each other for the success of the firm. Assisting clients, wherever possible, not just with legal advice, thereby creating a team approach with clients is also a key differentiator.

5. Embrace digital – clients will invariably look online at lawyers and law firms as part of their appraisal and buying process. A strong and attractive presence online is now essential for law firms and lawyers. Without this, you will look old fashioned. In the case of students, law firms, just like other employers, may well take a look at you online. Students who are active digitally, in a good way, already demonstrating online that they have the attributes mentioned in my other points, often stand out. Having a good digital presence can result in applications to law firms failing or succeeding. Embracing digital also means stepping out side of your comfort zone and being willing to adapt and work with marketing people on things such as creating videos and other content.

6. The trend towards risk assessment – bearing in mind that based on supply and demand, clients tend to now have the upper hand in selecting lawyers, the relationship has changed from profession only to profession and service. Clients are increasingly now expecting lawyers to accept at least a degree of risk in a way that previously was not the case. So, lawyers now need to think a lot more like business people. An example of this, relating to bigger law firms, is where large businesses are seeking lawyers who will share some of the risk on litigation matters. Being able to demonstrate good business awareness and skills will help students impress potential employers. The biggest firms would generally classify this as “commercial awareness”

7. Understand that law firms are all different – different sizes and types of law firms are very different from each other. Common to almost all though is feeling then pressure and stresses of a much more competitive profession. Understanding that for smaller law firms, where the majority of lawyers end up working, junior staff members are really important and need to contribute to some of the non-legal activities described in this note, is imperative.

8. Stay positive and determined – students reading these tips and those who have researched prospects from training contract applications my feel downhearted. However, a key attribute for all lawyers is determination. If you stay positive and embrace the changes in the legal market you stand a much better chance than other applicants. By being creative you may find a way to impress a prospective law firm employer. Most law firms are feeling the strain so they are seeking all rounders who can do more than law, have a positive, creative and determined approach!

Craig Sharpe is Marketing Manager at Darlingtons and previously practised as a solicitor for a number of years.

I wanted to write this blog to share my experience and recommend other students to study at the School of Management, and, like me, explore all the opportunities life offers.

Firstly, I would like to say I was really grateful to have the opportunity to study at the School of Management – it is one of the oldest and most experienced university-based business schools in Britain, with high rankings in the UK and triple accreditations from AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA. It immersed me in a community of academic diversity, collaborative spirit and welcoming atmosphere.

My course offered a lot of useful modules such as, strategic accounting and financial management, which helped me gain a better understanding of the financial market both in a theoretical and practical way. I was impressed by the equipment and facilities provided by the School of Management such as the specialised library and the trading room, as well as the continuous support from the faculty. In addition to this, I also took the opportunity to go on exchange programme which made me more employable as I gained experience and the skills to possess an international vision as well as to improving my foreign language ability and cross-cultural capabilities.

The Ma Kam Ming Scholarship is exclusively applicable to Chinese students who apply for MSc programmes at the School of Management – it covers the tuition fee and also provides £7000 which covers some living cost and travel expenses. The application form requires demonstration of academic excellence, but also evaluates students work and personal achievements. The first stage is to fill in the application form and writing an extended statement, then an interview stage. During my interview I explained to the panel my dream was to work for one of the four big accounting firms – now my dreams have come true.

Yi Tao

As academics, we’re used to departments. We cling to them for our sense of identity. They provide stability as a store of resources and a physical home. But these monolithic structures are blocking the next phase in the evolution of universities.

Departments make it harder for academics to push boundaries as they struggle to find new intellectual homes for ideas that don’t fit neatly into disciplinary boxes. Students lose out too: poorly managed course development across disciplines can lead to a joint degree that is two mealy halves joined together rather than a seamless matrix of ideas and challenges.

Inter-departmental rivalries have also long been recognised as a problem for higher education management. Rigid departments and administrative systems can be a drag on efforts to innovate. They are the basis of division rather than collaboration, engendering disputes over resourcing and financing. They introduce barriers between teaching and research activities, leading to hostility and sometimes predatory competition.

The result can be unbalanced levels of financial subsidy between departments. This was revealed in a survey of the higher education workplace in 2014, where academics flagged how different subject areas were valued and supported as a key issue – particularly the gap between Stem subjects and the arts.

Designing courses that are cross-disciplinary, where one discipline learns from the perspective of another, or interdisciplinary, where the disciplines are integrated, allows for more context-specific programmes that better suit industry and prepare students for jobs, opening doors rather than closing them. It benefits academics too, since research councils now rarely fund research in a single discipline. They’re looking for the broader view and sharper insights that come from the intersection between multiple disciplines that defines new territory – and so should universities.

The higher education sector needs to find new structures that demonstrate we’re set up in the most effective ways to wrestle with real problems. While cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research centres are common, they tend to be offshoots of departments. In the US, there has been a shift towards more flexible structures, with staff free to move between interdisciplinary centres. There are not enough of these in the UK. Universities can take inspiration from the University of Essex, which has an Interdisciplinary Studies Centre where students can choose modules from across humanities and social sciences subjects and work with staff from different departments.

At Bradford University’s faculty of management and law we’re following these initiatives. We’re removing departmental divisions and restructuring ourselves around research. Under this approach, research centres – based around interdisciplinary expertise and collaborations – administer taught courses, using research to inform course creation and delivery. The structure is intended to encourage cooperation between staff and students, strengthen the ties between teaching and research activities, and turn collaborative, interdisciplinary working into the norm.

Open, flexible boundaries are likely to become increasingly important for academics and students, as emphasis within universities shifts from structure to cooperation. Everyone is set to benefit: researchers will receive wider input, ideas and energy, teaching staff will no longer feel excluded from higher-status activities, and students will gain experience and skills from being part of live projects. Freed from departmental traditions, higher education will spring into new life.

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Featured in the Guardian, January 24 2018.

I felt very honoured to be part of this amazing experience and meet all these young and motivated people willing to make an impact for the future generations. During the 2 days of the Study Visit we had sessions with some members of the European People’s Party (EPP) and Committee of the Regions (CoR) like Michael Schneider (President of EPP- CoR), Cor Lamers (Mayor of Schiedam) and others. They talked about their work to tackle climate change in general and in specific regions across Europe like Macedonia, Spain and Netherlands.

Another main topic discussed during the sessions was about the events during and the outcomes of the COP23 in Bonn, and how young people can be meaningfully involved in climate action. Representatives from the European Democrat Students, Young European Federalists, The Good Lobby and Youth and Environment Europe helped us better understand some of the current issues and ongoing project, but also provided us a chance to make our voices heard.

The event ended with discussions about the work of European Parliament with one of their members, Eva Maydell and a tour of the impressive building where decision are taken within EU.

This fantastic opportunity is a great example of how young people can be involved at international level, but it was also a great networking experience as it allowed us to exchange contacts and build further collaborations.”

Bianca Olimpia Drotleff is a BSc (Hons) International Business and Management student at the Faculty of Management and Law.

“If you don’t know your value, how can we know why we should hire you?”(Google)

 “Let people always reflect back to you who you are and what you have to offer.” (John Amaechi)

This is what stood out to me during the two days in London where I had the privilege to be selected to attend to Google Top Black Talent programme. These two days were not only meant for young students to learn about Google work opportunities and how to secure an interview with them, but they were set for us to channel our inner creativity, to discover our value and what we can offer to this world as upcoming young visionaries.

The highlight of the first day at Google office is John Amaechi, Organisational Psychologist and New York Times Bestselling author. John is a motivational speaker and this was a good start for me, as I thought I didn’t deserve to be among young talented students and entrepreneurs in Google London office. From thousands of applicants, only 57 were selected, of which only 25 undergraduate students. It was a great opportunity for me to learn about the importance of breaking stereotypes that conform black people, I realised the value I was carrying and being proud of my own achievements shouldn’t be seen as arrogance. John shared with us his experience of being a young black man with a very impressive structure: people used not to acknowledge his success and just rest on the fact that he’s tall and black, hence a threat and not schooled.

“People will laugh at you when you try hard. Do Not stop. The truth is, your drive and your success show their lack of ambition”. (John Amaechi)

Further to this enlightenment with Mr Amaechi, we all had the chance to participate to a Q&A with one of Google intern’s, a Google Digital Marketing expert and one of last year Top Black Talent participant who is now a full-time googler. They gave me valuable information on how their internships roles work and the opportunity to have a mentor that will assist you during the entire internship.

The second day, which was the last day of my experience in Google office, was the most productive as the organisers made each of us stepped out of our comfort zone and took part in a CV and Interview workshop. Here, I was able to ask questions on how to produce the best version of my CV and have a one to one on: “Why should Google hire you?” The recruiters provided in-depth feedback to each participant and their availability was more than expected; after this session I asked a recruiter to give me more detailed explanations and more feedback on the contents on my CV, which he provided although the session was over and everyone was having a break and networking.

This experience has been the most fruitful and stimulating ever, I’m grateful to all the organisers of Google Top Black Talent for setting up this program to represent youths with underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Google believes in diversity and that each of us has the ability to be who we want to be: we have to believe in ourselves, discover who we are and grab each opportunity that is given to us.

“When Opportunity and Preparation meet, an explosion of dreams come to life and everything begins to have a shape and a name.” Jessica Berko, BSc (Hons) Marketing (with placement year).

I had an awesome time during my placement at Walker Foster Solicitors. It was invaluable to experience, first hand, how working in a team environment, applying legal principles at different levels, provides results that make a difference to real lives.

Many people had given me the impression that a placement would just mean that I made the coffee and watched other people work: that could not have been further from the truth. I sat in on meetings, independently solved legal problems, answered legal questions as part of a professional legal team, and drafted legal documents for clients.

Placement learning can be very challenging for students, as the work place requires students to be disciplined and vigilant at all times. Students are required to adapt to working etiquettes of the firm as soon as they start their placement work, as the legal team are busy in solving client cases. Students have to show they are able to carry their own weight and are able to learn from the team of workers, as opposed to being an obstacle or a burden on the team. This requires students to grasp all legal issues very quickly whilst putting them into practice.

My time at Walker Foster Solicitors was busy and at times very intense. I had an office of my own, where I was working from. I had to make decisions on my own accord and make sure I was not disturbing other members of the team. This meant I had to judge what legal issues needed further clarity from the seniors and which of them I can solve through my own understanding.

On my first day, I was given three client files to go through to gain an understanding of how wills and probate works in practice. I attended several client meetings dealing with similar issues. By the end of the first day, I was expected to start working on the cases. This meant I had to start making phone calls on behalf of our clients.

On my second day at work, I was left with several things to do, whilst my mentor went out of the office to meet clients. The jobs included: making phone calls in relation to the administration of estates, draft letters and search for the probate value of properties on one of the client’s files to present to the accountant. I also drafted a legal document, dealing with the renunciation of administration, for two clients who where stepping down from the role due to personal issues.

By the start of the third day, I had gained a lot of experience in this field and I continued to work in the same manner until Friday morning. I then spent the rest of my time at the firm, in the conveyancing department, gaining an understanding of how this works in practice. I went through four historic client files to gain an understanding of this area. My time at the firm was full of work and I was gaining knowledge and a clear understanding every step of the way.

It was an invaluable experience for me that will help shape my future. I now have a clearer understanding of what working in a law firm involves and I am sure future employers will look favourably upon it on my CV.

Times have changed radically and universities – particularly when it comes to their business school operations – are working harder than ever to build bridges with businesses of all types and sizes to demonstrate their impactful nature and intentions.

The strength of its universities is an essential – and perhaps underestimated – quality of the Northern Powerhouse idea. And we want our students to be working with real businesspeople with real-life issues, and to take part in activities that are based around the needs, ways of working and language of business rather than that grounded in the isolations of traditional Higher Education. This means there are more ways for owner-managers of businesses to benefit from free and subsidised projects, and get exposed to new ideas and practical expertise.

1. Networks

You’re an expert working on the frontline with valuable insights and experience that students can learn from. There are increasingly going to be opportunities with universities to input into lectures and workshops as a guest speaker, providing real-life case studies for students to work with, offering mentoring.

At Bradford, in the Faculty of Management and Law, we’re looking to appoint an Entrepreneur in Residence, for example, someone who can contribute to the everyday workings of the school(s) and spend time with students. In return for these kinds of activities, business people can become part of the university’s network – getting to know and share thinking with the school’s network of businesses and contacts, as well as experts across the business school. It can be a powerful addition to a CV, and increases profile and clout.

2. Meeting new talent

Being part of the university community means getting to know a range of students passing through, working in different disciplines across business and more specific technical areas, with different skills and potential. It’s an easier way to spot the people who could make a difference in your business for the future – particularly now that more graduates are looking for the greater level of variety and responsibility offered by smaller employers.

The student population is also highly diverse, international and multicultural, with all the different insights and perspectives this can add to a business operation looking at global markets.

3. Getting new ideas and insights

Taking students on work placements is not about providing a vague level of experience and helping them develop a work ethic. These are projects set up to ensure there are specific benefits for both sides. Students can bring high levels of knowledge and skills – like the latest thinking in digital marketing, in project management – which can be brought to bear on particular business issues and challenges.

4. Taking advantage of Degree Apprenticeships

It’s important that smaller employers, those not affected by the new apprenticeship levy introduced in April 2017, don’t overlook the opportunity presented by the 90% subsidy being offered by Government to fund apprenticeships.

The key point to bear in mind is that these are available for staff up to Master’s degree level, not just for entry-level staff. It’s a real opportunity to upskill experienced people, to develop people in areas that can have a real impact on business development, innovation and growth. But also as a fantastic retention strategy. What makes apprenticeships so important is that they are tailored both around real job roles and your business, so the work and content is geared to tackling live issues.

Another opportunity to bear in mind will be the ability of large employers (with a wages bill of over £3 million) to collaborate with members of their supply chain over apprenticeships, funding apprenticeships that help their partners – a change due to be introduced from April 2018.

5. Exposure to research

Being involved with the university community means joining conversations and attending events that open doors – to new ideas, alternative thinking and particular R&D and emerging technologies which can be useful to your business.

Starting a network within the business school will open up opportunities for relationships across the university, technical areas and the arts and social sciences, with the chance to be involved directly or as a subject of research activity. At Bradford, we have over 5 decades of exposing businesses to our research and are proud of Making Knowledge Work.

Originally published in Business Up North.

The actual week at CPS was absolutely amazing. My week’s itinerary was planned with the intention of exposing me to every area and department at the CPS.  I was able to shadow a number of lawyers in the Magistrates’ court; witnessed a live trial in the Crown court and met with all the mangers of each department where they gave an overview of each department.  In addition to this I shadowed a Crown Court Lawyer where she explained her role in CPS; how the casework process operates and even witnessed an ongoing case which involved reviewing CCTV coverage that was actually going to be used as evidence.

This experience not only opened my eyes to the many different departments the CPS have but the important role they play in cases that attract the public’s interest. Now having gained valuable exposure to other departments in the CPS that I would definitely consider working in the Specialist Fraud Division or the Complex Case Unit there. Based on my experience at CPS, I would encourage all criminal law students to work hard and aim for this prestigious award because this invaluable experience helps you think outside of the box and sets you on the path where the sky is the limit!

But while there are undeniable benefits of using such testing methods – speed and efficacy chief among them – have you considered the impact of your choice on applicants, and the fact that your method could be harming your organisation’s ability to achieve its diversity goals?

Think about it: when would a student have been asked to complete verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests before applying for an entry-level job or graduate scheme? Probably only when sitting an exam similar to an 11+ to determine entry to a grammar or private school. That means students with certain backgrounds – likely to be those who were state-schooled, or from poorer communities – are less likely to have been exposed to the learning associated with psychometric testing before applying for their first post-university roles.

That thousands of students are entering – and leaving – university without this exposure to psychometric testing, and are developing a fear of failing such tests, is growing in importance as the number of non-privately educated students at UK universities rises. In 2014-15, 20.8 per cent of students entering Russell Group universities had poorer backgrounds. That proportion rises to more than a third (37.5 per cent) at non-Russell Group institutions.

People often ask me: does it matter if these students are put off from applying for jobs that require psychometric testing? Can’t they just apply for the roles that don’t have this requirement? That’s a compelling argument, but my response is simple – it’s about creating equality of opportunity. These students are too scared of failure to try, and this means employers are losing out on vast swathes of talented individuals.

I want every student to be able to apply for any role they want to; at the moment, they can’t. And that won’t change without a concerted effort from universities and employers alike. At Bradford’s School of Management, I’ve embedded into every undergraduate programme under my purview a requirement that every student is exposed to psychometric testing and develops their verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills. Their scores aren’t important, but they gain an understanding of what the tests require, and their importance in the graduate job application process, so they can make an informed decision about whether or not they want to apply for roles that are recruited in this way.

I accept that employers are unlikely to do away with psychometric testing entirely, but there is still work they can do to reach a broader audience. Talk to a wider range of universities, and connect with students on courses that you wouldn’t usually target. Arrange to do a guest lecture. Meet students and build relationships with them. Offer short-term placements or internships that might serve as extended job interviews for permanent roles in the future.

It’s time employers looked beyond the same people from the same institutions and courses, and started to rethink the ‘tried and tested’ recruitment methods, to bring about the true diversity of thinking that every successful modern company requires.

Professor Zahir Irani is Dean of the Faculty of Management and Law at the University of Bradford