UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE
Sally Mallinson-Ayres, solicitor at SHU Law, on the potential promises and challenges faced by the UK’s first university-backed law firm that offers legal work experience to students in every year of their degree
Sally Mallinson-Ayres, solicitor at SHU Law, on the potential promises and challenges faced by the UK’s first university-backed law firm that offers legal work experience to students in every year of their degree
What did it take to set up a law firm within a university? A It’s the brainchild of Professor Elizabeth Smart, who is head of law at Sheffield Hallam University. It existed as a law clinic, as part of the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice for about 23 years, which I benefited from when I studied here, but it could only provide advice to clients – it couldn’t litigate or undertake reserved legal activities. SHU Law will be able to widen the variety of work that we can give the students. It’s taken a few years to set up, as we had to navigate through both the university and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requirements. We have our own premises that stand separate from the university campus – that was an SRA requirement. The firm is a limited company, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sheffield Hallam University. We have a board of directors – to whom Rebecca Draper (head of the commercial department and compliance officer for finance and administration) and I directly report. We also have to map onto the charitable objective of the university, which is to provide education. The university is on hand to provide a service for us, including facilities, human resources and IT, but it has to be governed by an agreement, which was a specific requirement of the SRA.
Q What’s the vision and benefit for students?
A Getting a training contract remains highly competitive, and the more people can demonstrate they’ve had realworld experience, the more it sets them apart. Whether the training contract route will still exist in a few years’ time remains to be seen. Having a combination of academic and practising staff means that the students have the best of both worlds. Also, lawyers perhaps don’t spend enough time thinking about the profession they may be entering – and we can further develop their skills and prepare them mentally. I did the law clinic module myself at SHU – I never felt particularly academically gifted, but being able to work on live client matters, face-to-face, led to me becoming a solicitor. I became a partner at a local law firm at 26, and when recruiting I found that there was a high academic standard, but a lack of practical experience. I felt I could do something to help narrow the gap.
Q How does SHU Law go to market?
A We work in the field of small claims, personal injury, commercial dispute resolution and recently had an employment lawyer join us. We’re a not-for-profit law firm, so we don’t charge for our time, but we may have to charge court fees and third party expenses. We go to market just as anybody else does in terms of our marketing because we front-face as a high-street business. We assist people in small claims court, for instance, where fees are not recoverable, or people whose only option is to act as a litigant-in-person. That’s where the students can pick up key legal issues. Local legal professionals and others in education have been extremely welcoming and supportive.
This article can be found in LPM April magazine: Legal resurfaces
