School of Law celebrate 50th anniversary
Over 100 guests attended a Gala weekend to celebrate 50 years of law at Keele.
Alumni represented students of the very first intake in 1965 from the original Foundation Year and Dual Honours degrees, through to more recent graduates of the popular single honours degree and the range of Postgraduate taught Masters Programmes.
Former staff also attended including Michael Whincup, one of the three founding members of staff.
The event, hosted by the School of Law, began on Saturday afternoon with a packed Moot Room to observe the final of the undergraduate law students’ annual mooting competition.
Guest Judge of the competition Earl Pinnock, from No 5 Chambers, Birmingham, commented that the students performed as well as many practising barristers he encounters in the Crown Courts.
This was followed by a research roundtable with presentations from members of the School addressing a range of current research projects including law and emotion, international law, private law and law and older people.
The experience and impact of research lead teaching on future careers was discussed in two powerful presentations from Caroline Brant (MA:Child Care Law and Practice graduate), Head of Child Protection at the BBC and Morgan Davison, (MA Human Rights Globalisaton and Justice graduate) recipient of the first North American Foundation for Keele Univeristy (NAFKU) USA Scholar and Manager for the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the US.
The Gala dinner on Saturday evening followed a staff reunion reception and included insightful perspectives from the Student Law Society President and Vice President on the experience of law students in 2017.
Memories were triggered by a rolling slideshow of photographs over the five decades. Esteemed alumnus and High Court Judge, Sir Peter Coulson, delivered an after dinner speech that was both challenging and moving, including heartfelt tributes to Michael Whincup and fellow alumna Dame Fiona Woolf.
On Sunday morning, Alumni heard presentations from law student Community Legal Companions and the Director of the innovative CLOCK programme.
Further 50th anniversary events are planned, including a 50th Anniversary Public Lecture series which commences in October 2017 and will include sessions from a broad range of our alumni.
Celebrations will conclude in 2018 with a summer event to mark 50 years since graduation of the first Keele Law students. For further details of the 50th Anniversary events please visit the School of Law.