Open Justice’s alumni and students will make a connection

The Open Justice Centre has launched an exciting new initiative for its alumni to help shape the development of future legal outreach projects.

A dozen alumni volunteers have been appointed to sit on the new Open Justice Student Ambassador Panel after being invited to express an interest in this voluntary two-year role. The Panel will have a direct input into the work of the Centre and will meet online three times a year.

This new Panel will support and develop the Centre’s public engagement work, as well as allowing our current students to connect with their predecessors. It will harness the experience of former students who have contributed to the success of pro bono legal projects, ensuring that the Centre remains responsive to the needs and aspirations of our current students.

Liz Hardie
Member of the Open Justice Centre team

The Open Justice Centre offers OU Law students the opportunity to undertake voluntary projects to apply their legal knowledge and skills in a way that furthers the University’s social justice mission. It is running a dozen projects during the current 2019-20 academic year which provide free legal advice, education and guidance to the public.

Since its inception in 2016, students who have participated in the projects have been the biggest supporters of the Centre’s work. They have offered invaluable feedback, advice and support, both to the Open Justice team and to new students working on the projects.

The whole process felt like a professional collaboration, rather than an academic exercise. This was a great motivator and certainly helped me to feel like I was contributing to a case and a client, rather than being treated as a student helper.

An Open Justice student who was working on a criminal appeals project