Legal employability skills

Learn by doing

Whether you’re aiming for a career in legal practice or exploring where a law degree can take you, Oxford Brookes Law School is the place to develop the professional skills and experience that employers want.

Your academic foundation is just the beginning. Through our LawID programme, you’ll also develop the real-world skills to thrive in legal and professional environments through a variety of experiential learning opportunities. And with our award-winning student-led LawIDeas newsletter, you won’t miss out on opportunities to develop yourself. From courtroom confidence to client communication, you’ll graduate prepared to stand out.

Law clinics

Put your learning into practice through clinical legal experience. Working with partner organisations, charities, and practitioners, you can provide guidance and support to members of the community while developing essential skills in client care, problem solving and professional responsibility. These opportunities give you a deeper understanding of law in action and prepare you for the realities of legal practice.

CLOCK

Work alongside academics, lawyers and charities to improve access to justice for people facing issues such as homelessness, domestic abuse and welfare challenges. Our students support individuals by helping with legal forms, preparing court papers and signposting to professional services. This experience not only develops your legal and client care skills but also enables you to make a real difference in your community.

Flag DV

Work with the charity Free Legal Advice for Domestic Violence and local family law specialists to support survivors of abuse. Under solicitor supervision, you’ll gain hands-on experience in family law while making a meaningful difference in the community.

Citizens Advice

Oxford Brookes Law School has partnered with Citizens Advice to provide legal assistance in the community through regular legal clinics for the public. You’ll complete significant training through Citizens Advice so that you may offer guidance to individuals on a wide range of legal issues.

Pro-Bono and community engagement

Pro Bono is the provision of legal assistance without expectation of payment. It's also a great way to start applying what you’ve learned in the classroom. Our award-winning Pro Bono Scheme was founded by two students in 2001 and continues to thrive, connecting students with real community needs. It’s a powerful introduction to legal practice and is highly valued by employers.

Primary LawID

Working in partnership with the Tim Henman Foundation and United Learning Academies, the Primary LawID advocacy programme introduces primary school children to law and the courtroom. Our law students lead interactive sessions that develop pupils’ persuasive writing skills and broaden their understanding of how the legal system works. The programme also offers children their first experience of university life and an introduction to the opportunities that further education can provide, while giving our students valuable experience in teaching, mentoring and communicating complex ideas in an accessible way.

Criminal Justice Programme

At Oxford Brookes Law School, you can take part in a term-long programme at Bullingdon Prison to experience the criminal justice system first-hand. You’ll attend Community Visit Days to meet inmates and officers and get to know the prison, have the opportunity to participate in the internal adjudication process, including sitting in on hearings, and design activities and lessons for the inmates – from legal debates to a Brookes v Bullingdon football match.

Asylum Welcome

You’ll have the chance to make a real difference by volunteering to support people with immigration issues. Through Asylum Welcome, you’ll attend weekly sessions to help members of the refugee community with a variety of legal questions and issues, gaining hands-on experience while developing your skills and understanding of the law in action.

Mooting

Mooting puts your legal knowledge to the test in simulated court proceedings. You’ll learn how to craft persuasive legal arguments, respond to questions from a judge, and develop essential advocacy skills. It’s intense, exciting, and an experience you’ll never forget.

Our students don’t just practise — they win. Teams from Oxford Brookes have consistently ranked among the best in the UK and internationally. Oxford Brookes teams have won the prestigious ESU-Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition five times in recent years.

Internationally, Oxford Brookes represented the UK in the Commonwealth Mooting Competition three times in recent years and were crowned Commonwealth Champions in 2013 and 2023.

Client interviewing

Interviewing clients is one of the most vital skills in legal practice and we help you get it right. You’ll take part in internal competitions where you and a partner will interview and advise a role-playing client, observed and marked on your communication, professionalism, and legal reasoning.

Oxford Brookes teams have consistently ranked among the best in the UK and internationally, winning the National Client Interviewing Competition for England and Wales three times. These teams went on to represent England and Wales at the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, placing third in the world in 2023.

Mentoring

Understanding the legal profession from the inside is key to your success. That’s why we run in-house and external mentoring schemes with experienced solicitors and barristers. You’ll gain insight into the world of legal work — and start to build the network that will support your career.

SE Solicitors mentoring

Through the SE Solicitors partnership, you’ll get access to workshops and one-to-one mentoring to help you plan and develop your legal career. You’ll receive guidance on choosing areas of practice, improving your commercial awareness, writing your CV and applications, preparing for interviews, and managing your career path.

Freeths Solicitor mentoring

Through the Freeths partnership, you’ll be paired with a practising solicitor who will mentor you one-to-one throughout the year. You’ll get guidance on your career journey, from exploring areas of practice and improving applications to preparing for interviews and building your professional network. Many students take part each year, gaining invaluable insight and support from experienced legal professionals.

Barrister mentoring

Our barrister mentoring programme is for students wishing to pursue a career at the Bar and who are facing the intense competition that exists for pupillages and tenancies. It aims to match students with practising barristers in their areas of interest, to offer advice, support and professional networks. Students currently receive training for the programme from practicing barrister and Oxford Brookes alumna, Maja Wilkins.

Work experience and placements

You will benefit from work experience opportunities that build your CV and your professional network. With opportunities to volunteer with local philanthropic organisation The Room, join Bower Bailey’s Summer Vacation Scheme, or gain experience with Pinsent Masons and the Crown Prosecution Service through virtual work experience initiatives. These are just a few of the many and varied placement opportunities that help you apply your legal knowledge in practice, explore different career paths and connect with professionals who can support your future progression.

Guest speakers and workshops

Oxford Brookes offers a range of guest speakers and workshops to support your career development. You can attend the ‘How to Get Hired’ workshop run by local solicitors’ firms, explore opportunities in crypto regulation through related internship programmes, and stay at the cutting edge with workshops on law and technology. The Oxford Brookes Law Fair and Sports Law Events provide further insights into the breadth of careers in the legal field and networking opportunities with leading legal professionals.