Prize-winning postgraduate students on Law modules - 2016

W800: John Wright

My interest in the law was first triggered by my study of military law at Sandhurst, but it was my exposure to the various facets of law in my commercial career that really stoked my interest. Latterly, as Managing Director of a medium-sized company, I required a firm grasp of employment law issues as well as contract and company law requirements for directors. I was also involved in mergers and acquisitions and I enjoyed the first hand experience of working with lawyers. When I was able to retire at the age of 55 I was determined to pursue a degree in law. I started with a distance learning law degree, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

After a break I realised I missed studying, so I decided to do my Masters with the OU and I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and the support from tutors and fellow students through various forums. I made good use of the SCONUL access scheme to a local university library to broaden my reading and I recommend it. The support of my wife and children has been equally important to me and essential when trying to balance the demands of TMAs and broader commercial and domestic duties.

To find myself top student on the W800 Law Dissertation module is a real thrill - especially when I know there have been so many capable people in my student cohort. I have enjoyed the intellectual challenge of the LLM and would have no hesitation in recommending it to others.

W821: Sue Sanders

Well, it came as a very pleasant surprise to learn that I was the top student in W821, International Law! I have been asked to write a few words about myself which I’d thought I’d do to offer a few words of encouragement to others.

I am an accountant and management consultant by background, with a specific focus on the public sector, but a longstanding interest of mine has been the law. If circumstances had been different, I would have liked to have become a barrister, but life assumes a momentum of its own that takes one down decidedly unexpected paths! I decided to undertake a LLM, however, at a somewhat later stage in my life for a whole host of reasons. Primarily, I wanted to see if the grey cells could handle it, and, looking forward, if I can convert this degree into a new work opportunity that allows me to help others. I have always undertaken voluntary work, including being a Samaritan, a mentor, a charity trustee and a school governor, and I would like to continue in this vein using the law in some capacity.

My favourite module has been the one on international law as I’m a political junkie, and so it has enabled me to look at recent world events through a different lens. What is always interesting are the incidental discoveries that you make whilst studying. I ended up reading much of a Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture as a by-product of one TMA, which can hardly be called fun, but it certainly gave me far more informed insights in to the USA than reading the newspapers.

Overall, the LLM is hard work, but I am certainly finding it worthwhile and enjoyable with the interesting range of modules on offer. And, phew, those grey cells have not totally given up on me yet!