Current law firm statistics at partner level paint a bleak picture of diversity in the legal profession. At BLP, Britain’s ‘most’ diverse law firm, only 16% of their partners are from BME backgrounds, whilst the majority of commercial firms hover around the 4% mark. Gender and ethnic diversity remain problematic. However, there is a good […]

Should it even be legal? What gets your blood boiling? We all have a moment where we see a news headline which makes us so angry that we see red. Why does the government allow such things to happen? Can such a law even exist? Let it out and tell us about the legal issues […]

One of the benefits of being a University of Nottingham Law student is access to its legal skills workshops and seminars. These are designed to sharpen commercial awareness, improve application writing or interview skills and provide a unique perspective on particular aspects of the legal industry. A seminar that piqued my interest was one delivered […]

Since 1999, the laws governing data protection at the European level have remained largely stagnant. The existing regime pertains mainly to data controllers – those who collect personal information. On the other hand, data processors – those who service information – are normally excluded from these regulations.[1] In addition, the current regime has glaring loopholes- […]

The 1st of October 2017 was a tragedy. There can be no denying. At least 58 lost their lives and 500 more were injured when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock interrupted a country music festival with a shower of bullets on the Las Vegas strip. Accompanying him in his Madalay Bay hotel room were a stockpile of […]

On 24th November 2016, the 15th Assembly of State Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) left the international community worried for the future. Vocal criticisms of the ICC, withdrawals of membership and a changing political sphere do not do well to quell the fear of the existence of the Court. Over the course of […]

The magnitude of the migrant crisis faced by Europe appears to be unprecedented. With a flow of people coming into Spain from North West Africa, Italy from Libya and Tunisia, and particularly, into Greece from Turkey, it is undoubtedly at crisis point. Every week, news reports surface of yet another boat capsizing, leaving hundreds dead. […]

Cultural differences have always fascinated me. Over the years, summer holidays spent exploring continental Europe have made me aware how many things can differ within a relatively short distance. So perhaps it was to be expected that over the course of my Law with French and French Law degree (which includes a year studying French […]

Parallel proceedings happen when one cause of action is brought before more than one forum, whether it occurs between domestic and international courts or in several international forums. The problems that arise from parallel proceedings are easily observed; not only does it lead to high costs and inefficiencies, but the potential for conflicting outcomes creates […]

In 2009-10, traineeships were at a low of 4,874 following the double-dip recession in the UK. Fast-forward to 2015, the number of training contracts commencing in England and Wales has risen to around 5,500. Yet, this number fails to live up to the 5,809 traineeships that were available before the financial crisis. These figures hailing […]

Facts: At 9:00 am at the Law Faculty, Mr Depressed Law Student and his gang confronted Mr Lecturer. Mr Stressed-Out Law Student came late but was a member of the gang, and wanted to see what was going on. In the ensuing melee, Mr Depressed Law Student struck and killed Mr Lecturer with a Contract […]

You all know it, you’ve all heard it, you’ve all sung along to it. It’s the one true cure for Sheldon’s sickness, and arguably the twenty-first century’s answer to the legendary ‘Smelly Cat’. I am, of course, referring to the song ‘Soft Kitty’ from The Big Bang Theory. Indeed, the room was frighteningly quick to […]

To whom is unconcerned and uninterested, I am writing to apply for a training contract at [insert LLP’s name here]. I believe [LLP name]’s truly intergalactic outlook is what really distinguishes it from its competitors. Whilst most other international law firms have offices in effectively all of the same countries as [LLP’s name] on earth, […]

From the field of technology to the realm of lawsuits, Apple needs no introduction. Amongst its plethora of accomplishments the company has succeeded in redefining its product market, not least with the addition of a single letter. However, despite being best known for its unique brand of phones, laptops and music devices, its involvement in […]

Securing vacation schemes and internships is a difficulty for many undergraduate law students – and one we spend far too much time worrying about. Doing a legal internship abroad may not be something you have considered. Nonetheless, I recommend you stop monotonously filling out your GCSE grades on your vacation scheme application form for the […]

People say the unique miracle of science is that suddenly a discovery could be made that turns the entirety of the field on its head, case in point, the discovery that neutrinos oscillate and therefore have mass, which earned both the Nobel prize, and the rewriting of Physics textbooks everywhere. However, is this kind of […]

What is ELSA? When I say ELSA, I’m not referring to the loveable ice princess from Disney’s Frozen which you may be more familiar with. For law students throughout Europe, ELSA is more commonly known as the acronym for the European Law Students’ Association. Coincidentally, we share the same signature colour – blue – but […]

The Pro Bono society has been taking student volunteers for several years to visit local schools and educate children about human rights and the justice system. This year I applied to be part of the scheme as I was excited to work with an outreach project in the local community; plus, my CV was looking […]

Like most people (or at least what most people write in their UCAS applications), I was drawn to law by a desire to remedy social injustice. As I learnt more and more about human rights law through my university studies and various work placements, I realised that this area was the only possible route for […]

Dear Freshers, Welcome to the Freshers Edition of Advocate Magazine. I would first like to congratulate you on gaining a place at the University of Nottingham Law School and embarking on an exciting chapter of your life. Rest assured that these three – or four, if you are thinking of doing an exchange abroad – […]

Dear Advocate readers, Welcome to the spring/summer 2015 edition of Advocate Magazine! We would like to thank all of our sponsors sincerely for their on going support and for allowing us to produce this magazine. Writing this editorial is bittersweet as it marks the end of my fourth year working on this magazine. As such, […]

In France, it is now illegal to name your child Nutella. On 26th January 2014, a French court ruled that parents of an infant girl could not name their child Nutella and saw fit to rename her Ella in her parents’ absence from court. The judge reasoned that “Nutella is the trade name of a […]

The DLA Piper Nottingham Open 2015, organised by the Nottingham Debating Union, took place on the 28th Feb-1st March in Portland Building, University Park Campus. Debating competitions normally have four or five rounds, with a different ‘motion’ set for each one which teams have fifteen minutes to prepare for. Teams are comprised of two speakers that […]

So what is ‘mooting’? If you are not already familiar with this term, let me start with a brief introduction. A moot is a simplified, mock appeal where students formulate submissions on legal issues within a hypothetical problem. A moot problem will usually be released in advance to two teams, consisting of a senior and […]

This is the last in the series of articles on the work of the Mental Disability Advocacy Centre (MDAC), an international organisation based in Budapest, which fights for the human rights of people with mental disabilities. People with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities are especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect, and this article will attempt to […]