LawWithoutWalls is a global, collaborative initiative, which brings together students and professionals across various different disciplines to solve contemporary challenges faced by the legal industry. The programme matches students from around the world with mentors from the academic, business, and legal, fields. Over four months, teams identify a discrete law-related social justice problem and develop a Project of Worth: an implementable solution to that problem combining innovative business principles with public interest goals to affect change and create value.

Each year, students from around the world present their innovations to the LWOW Community and a panel of multidisciplinary judges, who assess the substance, viability, and creativity of the projects. Participants on the all-virtual LWOW X programme present their projects at an online conference held this year on 29 March 2019, students on the LWOW Original programme present their ideas at a two-day event hosted by the University of Miami on 14 and 15 April 2019.

Participation as part of the UCL LWOW Cohort is subject to a competitive application process.  This year, as with previous years, UCL Laws was delighted to have outstanding LLM students embrace the innovation opportunities presented by LWOW.  Four UCL LLM students participated on the LWOW Original programme this year: Omid Alizadeh, Raphael Onwunali, Paula Rabacov and Serene Reza.  Five UCL LLM students joined the LWOW X programme: Yuenyuan Deng, Michal Opala, Rudrani Sanyal, Anastasia Siotou and Halldor Thorsteinsson.  Halldor's team won the LWOW X programme and therefore also presented his Project of Worth at the University of Miami.

Speaking of this year's LWOW Cohort Dr Anna Donovan, the Faculty Director of LWOW, said that she was 'delighted to be part of such a global, innovative programme in legal education.  As with every year, I am incredibly proud of what the students are able to achieve and impressed by their dedication and willingness to think differently.  LWOW demonstrates the tangible benefits of truly collaborative working and how genuine innovation can result from bring together different disciplines, experiences and perspectives to develop solutions to real world opportunities and challenges.'

Congratulations to all participants involved in this year's programme.

Read more about LawWithoutWalls.

Image credit: LawWithoutWalls