LawSoc Semester Two 2023 Round-Up

The University of Leeds Law Society (LawSoc) is a Leeds University Union (LUU) student society that provides aspiring lawyers with a variety of opportunities for an unforgettable university experience

It has been another hugely successful year for the society, led by an exceptional committee. We spoke to Ben Anderton and Kat Lytle, the LawSoc Co-Presidents, to find out more about their year.  

What has been your favourite part of being LawSoc Presidents?

Our favourite part of being LawSoc Presidents has been seeing the impact that our efforts have on our members. It is always incredibly rewarding when the time our committee dedicates to organising our events pays off! Whether that be seeing people form friendships that will last a lifetime at our social events or making connections with law firms to further their careers, the society offers so much value to the university experience.  

What was the best event you put on this year? 

Undoubtedly, our best event this year was our evening with Baroness Hale! It was incredible to host almost 400 hundred students to see Lady Hale speak passionately on a wide range of topics. It was truly an unforgettable evening! If you want to read all the detail from the evening, you can do so by clicking here. 

Attendees listen to Ben and Kat speaking with Baroness Hale. 

We should also mention our Annual Careers Dinner, which was a tremendous success. We welcomed 150 attendees, including members and representatives from law firms and barrister chambers. It is always a highlight of the year and one that our members always look forward to! 

The LawSoc Committee 2022-23 at the Annual Careers Dinner. 

Ben – what are your plans for next year? 

Our members can expect another year filled with varied opportunities! As always, we will be arranging exclusive opportunities with our sponsoring law firms which provide a fantastic introduction to a potential career in law. Our three academic competitions – mooting, negotiating, and debating – will allow members to develop a wide range of transferable skills whilst boosting their CVs.  

We’re maintaining our focus on ED&I and community engagement, allowing our members to make a meaningful difference within the society and the wider Leeds community. We are delighted to be supporting Leeds Children’s Charity for the next academic year and hope to support the fantastic work that they do! 

It’s also important that we maintain our focus on social and sporting opportunities! We will have a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic social events, so expect more coffee mornings as well as bar and club socials. This will be especially important as we welcome the new first years to the university! Our netball and football teams will have regular fixtures, also providing a fantastic opportunity to meet new people.  

Ben and Kat with Kelvin Akhigbe, incoming LawSoc ED&I Secretary, at the LawCareers.Net Law Society awards night.  

Why would you encourage students to become members of LawSoc? 

We can both speak from experience when we say that LawSoc can be at the core of your university experience! It provides invaluable opportunities for any aspiring solicitor or barrister, but perhaps most importantly, it is a fantastic means through which you can make friendships that will last beyond your university years. So many of us experienced the challenging years of learning through lockdowns, so we all know the importance of building a community and providing the opportunity to meet more people. There is no better place than LawSoc to get involved, meet new people and make the most of your time at university! 

Anything else you want to add?

Thank you to everyone for their incredible support over the last year! Without the support of our members, we would not be able to offer the amazing opportunities that we do. We thoroughly hope that you have benefitted from being part of the society. For those still at the university or joining us in September, please make sure to get involved next year! 

To keep up-to-date with the Law Society, please follow us on Instagram (@leedslawsoc) where we will be sharing information in the run-up to Welcome Week and beyond, including how to become a member! If you have any questions, feel free to message our socials or email Ben at ben.anderton.leedslawsoc@gmail.com.