Pracademia Seedcorn Funding Project
We are delighted to announce the results of the inaugural Pracademia seedcorn funding round. The quality of submissions was exceptional, making the panel’s decision very challenging. We extend our thanks to everyone who participated and submitted their projects. It is truly inspiring to see the remarkable work being done in the legal education sector.
We would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Jill Dickinson, Reader of Law at Leeds Beckett University and Scheme Lead, for her tremendous effort in convening the panel of judges, which included both academics and practitioners, and for providing ongoing oversight of the scheme.
The successful submissions are as follows:
Project Lead: Dr. Emily Finch, Associate Professor in Law, University of Surrey
Project Title: The Exclusion of Family Law from the SQE: Implications for Legal Education and Practice
Precis of Project: This project explores the implications of excluding Family Law, a critical area of legal practice, from the SQE. It examines how its exclusion from the SQE may influence how universities teach the subject and how law firms train future practitioners. The project aims to explore these implications by engaging both legal academics and practitioners in a collaborative research and knowledge-exchange initiative.
Project Lead: Jade Hakeney, Lecturer in Law & Solicitor, University of Hull
Project Title: Day 1
Precis of Project: This project aims to enhance clinical legal education provision at the University of Hull by collaborating with law firms to identify the skills, knowledge, and competencies that employers seek in graduates on Day 1. It assists universities in addressing potential skills gaps that may arise when trainee lawyers study for the SQE alongside starting legal employment, to improve outcomes for students, legal practice, and the recruitment of law to students to law schools.
Project Lead: Dr. Siobhan McConnell, Assistant Professor, Northumbria University
Project Title: An exploration of equality of opportunity at the point of access to BigLaw: a comparative analysis between a pre-92 and a post-92 institution
Precis of Project: This collaborative project between Northumbria Law School and Newcastle University Law School examines the possible differential experiences of their graduates in the graduate employment process at large law firms. It assesses the impact of social and institutional capital on these experiences.
Congratulations to all those awarded funding!