qLegal staff and students were delighted to participate in the Queen Mary Festival of Education 2022, to showcase their innovative approach to clinical legal education and celebrate students’ success.
The theme for the three-day festival was “engagement” and was an opportunity for participants to share their practice with staff and students across the University. In the session, qLegal team members explained the various programmes through which students learn and develop legal skills by working with real-life clients.
Two students, Roshan Jeebun and Ofa Lemaki, shared their experiences on the Legal Advisory Programme; explaining how the practical skills and training they received set them up for success in their qLegal client cases. They also discussed how their work with qLegal has influenced how they view the role of lawyers, and technology, in the current legal market.
The qLegal team also discussed the innovative interdisciplinary projects which students participate in as part of the SKETCH programme. qLegal students work alongside students from other disciplines to create innovative solutions to client problems, mirroring the world of work where lawyers collaborate across disciplines.
Finally, they shared insights into the future of the legal profession. qLegal students are encouraged to become “O Shaped Lawyers”, being well rounded, human-centric and emotionally intelligent professionals. These are skills which students are encouraged to develop throughout their qLegal experience through a variety of peer-led coaching sessions, including weekly breakfast meetings.
The team were delighted that qLegal’s innovative approach to clinical legal education and delivering client-centred advice was also recognised by the audience, who voted the session best contribution to the Festival’s innovation category.