The Law Student

When I switch on the TV, I watch the news, it is miserable, why is news so depressing

  • Rights for trees and plants

    by Saira Kawsar, 9 March 2011

    I know, I know, such a bizarre topic; it was going to get more interesting once the lecturer was telling us more. I actually believe we owe the environment the chance to stand up for their own right, (but obviously this can’t be done due to the obvious reason) so to see things from their perspective is what my objective will be throughout this blog.

  • Protests - are there more to come?

    by Saira Kawsar, 23 February 2011

    It started off with the Tunisian outburst; the demonstrations were triggered by the self-immolation, in plain English, the setting off of oneself on fire. This person was Mohamed Bouazizi; a street vendor, who was selling goods without a license and the only way to obtain one illegally was to bribe officials, as this was his only way of making a living he had no other source of income he did not agree to this crude act, so officials repeatedly had his stall dismantled and he was continuously abused and physically attacked.

  • What can I do with a Law degree

    by Saira Kawsar, 9 February 2011

    It’s a sad reality that not many students are offered training contracts and those that have secured one are just a few. The number of students enrolled on the LPC is still on the rise.

  • CAB - the future is grey

    by Saira Kawsar, 28 January 2011

    When someone asks me; what are your future plans? My mind goes blank, my stomach churns and I start to worry, I have never worried so much in my life! I dread this question because it carries many negative connotations with it.

  • Student Protest Justice

    by Saira Kawsar, 28 January 2011

    As you may have heard, this 18 year old student was charged with violent disorder, his crime; throwing a fire extinguisher from the top of Millbank Tower (Tory headquarters).

    Is his 2 year sentence justified? Or an easy way for those in power to regain some form of control?

  • Guantanamo bay style prisons- right here in the UK

    by Saira Kawsar, 24 January 2011

    When I say the term ‘detention’ what meaning does it attach? Well, according to the Oxford English Dictionary; ‘Detention is the maintenance of a person in custody or confinement’. Suppose Mr X is detained for the protection of individuals of the country in which he has come to reside in, Mr X is under the impression that whilst his claim is being processed he will be subject to kind treatment. What happens when he is faced with the opposite?

  • Grad Schemes - gap years - a year worth taking?

    by Saira Kawsar, 18 January 2011

    For those students (and me) who just don’t have a clue as to what to do after your degree- well help is at hand. Turn a mere gap year in to the most exciting time of your life –the result is that it can develop into the most noticeable section on your CV.

  • Don’t let the weather spoil your day.....

    by Saira Kawsar, 16 January 2011

    I was walking down the snow-filled street, very carefully as I was trying to avoid slipping – and yes I fell down! But besides my very action-packed day I bumped into a long lost friend. And, boy did she have some good news to tell me.

  • Wikileaks and the law and ethics

    by Saira Kawsar, 13 December 2010

    Wikileaks... What is the motive behind this notorious brand?
    For those of you who are baffled by all this wiki-mess, I am sure I can clear this confusion up. Wikileaks stepped foot onto British soil in December 2006 causing much hullabaloo and was at the heart of heated debates.

  • Become a Solicitor. How much experience is enough?

    by Saira Kawsar, 13 December 2010

    This is the questions law students face almost 75% of the time, when putting forward applications for work experience, LPC/BVC applications, Vacation Schemes- the whole lot!
    It is this section on applications that require the most thinking time, it’s just like marmite; you either hate it or love it.

  • LPC- A risk wirth taking?

    by Saira Kawsar, 12 December 2010

    As you go into your penultimate year your thinking about options, the Legal Practice Course (LPC) might be one of those. The LPC is the vocational stage of training to become a solicitor- 1 year full time and 2 years part time. But, the big question is should you take the plunge and sign up to the LPC if you haven’t secured a training contract?

  • Mentoring – good experience or bad?

    by Saira Kawsar, 11 December 2010

    In July this year, I took part in a “SEEN Project”- a youth empowerment project which was funded by the National Lottery for the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, which was later re-branded in 1999 to the very short and simple form NACRO.

  • The coalition government - A remake of Dumb and Dumber

    by Saira Kawsar, 30 November 2010

    Young people seem to be bearing the impact of the government’s public spending cuts in many ways.

  • Is the Citizen's Advice Bureau everything it claims to be?

    by Saira Kawsar, 29 November 2010

    Free, non-judgemental and accessible advice... These are just some of the characteristics that the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) puts forward, but does it really live up to its expectations as a community based legal service?