City and Islington College Law Support Group Mentor

About the project

For the past ten years, a UCL Law student has volunteered as a Law Support Group Mentor at City and Islington College. This involves running workshops for the group on different areas of law. The participants in the group are in year 12 studying their A Levels and many are interested in studying law at university. The purpose of these sessions is to give students insight into different legal areas as well as a realistic idea of what to expect when studying law. It is also hoped that the sessions will encourage CIC students to consider applying to university after their current educational activities. Over the years, a number of participants have gone on to study law and pursue a legal career.

Student role

In the past, mentors have concentrated on interesting topics/cases that are easy to engage with (CIC does not offer Law as a subject, and the students have little/no legal knowledge), which had an ethical issue involved. For example, previous topics for workshops include contentious cases concerning ‘conjoined twins’ and ‘murder or cannibalism' or even bio-ethics.

The teaching approaches and styles used in the workshops can vary. Previous mentors have used handouts to assist with explanation and understanding. Workshops could start with a presentation, which could then be opened up into a seminar-style discussion facilitated by the mentor. Mentors have also held mini-debates and led group discussions on legally related issues in the news.

The scheme allows for flexibility in the content presented and the mentor very much has the opportunity to bring in topics they themselves find interesting.

This role is a great way for a UCL student to take an active role in the community and to assist UCL’s ongoing efforts to widen participation in higher education to those of non-traditional educational backgrounds. The mentor will also be able to develop transferable skills such as leadership and communication skills.

Session dates and times

All sessions take place on Tuesdays from 3:00pm-4:30pm. Please see below for the dates on which UCL mentor sessions are expected to take place.

- 09th January 2024
- 30th January 2024
- 20th February 2024
- 27th February 2024

This opportunity will take place in-person. 

What we're looking for

This opportunity is open to all LLB and LLM students. We are looking for a volunteer who can demonstrate:

• Good organisational skills
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• The ability to explain complex concepts in a simple way
• The ability to empathise and work with people in a supportive way
• An appreciation of the importance of widening participation
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple responsibilities, i.e. plan and host the workshops on top of university studies

How to apply

Please complete the following application form to apply. Applications will be accepted until 5pm on the 17th November 2023.

Should you have any questions, please contact Ram Sabaratnam at Ram.sabaratnam.19@ucl.ac.uk.