Northumbria students put forward convincing case to regional law firm

A Legal expert from North East law firm, Gordon Brown, has announced the winning students of Northumbria University’s Student Law Office (SLO) annual advocacy competition.

Head of dispute resolution at Gordon Brown Law Firm, Jonathon Stokes, has worked with the university on the competition, which celebrates the learning and experience of students, since it began in 2009.

Jonathon took on the employment judge’s role across two afternoons in March, where pairs of students took their turn to represent the claimant or respondent in an employment-based litigation scenario.

The students argued their case in an Employment Tribunal set-up hosted by Northumbria University, and after hearing from all the representatives, Jonathon consulted the tutors to decide on the winners. Eleanor Storey, Robert Whitman, Samantha James and Amy Murray were awarded £100 book vouchers for coming first place.

M Law (Exempting) student Eleanor said: “The competition was a great opportunity to practice my advocacy skills, and I feel I have a better understanding of the employment tribunal rules and procedures because I was able to see how they could work in practice.

“Jonathon provided some really useful insight into how to conduct yourself in a real employment tribunal or the High Court, and although I was nervous about presenting in front of him and a room full of students, I certainly think that the experience has increased my confidence.”

Gordon Brown, which has offices in Newcastle and Chester-le-Street, sponsors the now yearly competition and provides prizes for the top three places.

Jonathon said: “The student advocacy competition is something I always look forward to – I much prefer being in the judge’s seat than being the one speaking to the judge!

“The things I look for are the students’ understanding of their scenario, evident research material to support their argument and all presented in a manner which is clear, confident and engaging. I ask some challenging questions at the end so it’s always good to see how they are able to think on their feet.

“It’s certainly a worthwhile experience for those who get involved, preparing them in part for real life situations, and I personally find it extremely interesting to see how the students of today have developed compared to my era of education.”

The Student Law Office is a hugely successful clinical legal education scheme whereby law students participate in a legal advice and representation scheme on behalf of clients as part of their academic and professional development.

The office is run as a full legal service just like any other firm of solicitors. Practising lawyers closely supervise the students’ work and have overall responsibility for ensuring that clients receive a professional service.