Warwick Law School Associate Professor Dr Jane Bryan has been shortlisted for the 2019 Law Teacher of the Year Award.

The award, which aims to recognise the best talent in law teaching, called for nominations from both staff and students at the end of last year and Jane has made the finals along with four other shortlisted candidates.

She told us, “I am extremely flattered to have been nominated for this prestigious award and to have had my efforts to enhance the Law student experience recognised not only by my peers and students but by those at the highest levels of the University.

“I left legal practice because I missed the camaraderie of the classroom and the delight of academic study and discovery, and my drive since then has been to help my students experience these twin pleasures of community and challenge. “

Jane teaches on our undergraduate modules, Medicine and the Law and Introduction to the Law of Property Relations. She is our Director of Student Experience, Director of UG Research and the Faculty Student Engagement Coordinator, and always takes a great deal of interest in the needs of our students and identifying ways to improve their time studying with us.

She shared, “I am always attentive to the student voice, and tireless in ensuring it is informed, representative and effective; this has been the guide to both my teaching and my contributions to enhancing the student experience more widely.

“I devise programmes and activities to assist students throughout their journey: from supporting their transition into HE, to helping them meet the challenges of career planning, module selection and sometimes underperformance; to equipping them with the skills to enter fulfilling careers.

“I see my role as sharing my passion for learning and encouraging students to experience the thrill of exploring their own scholarly interests. I try to ensure my students see the context of the material they learn and the human stories behind it: through visits to courts, in lectures given by practitioners and through re-enactments and role play. I want students to feel inspired and confident to go beyond what they are taught and to develop their own ideas, which is why my success in promoting independent student research at a department and university level is particularly important to me.”

In order to pick a final winner from the shortlist, the next phase will involve an observed teaching session, a one-to-one interview with the nominee and the Head of School plus discussions with colleagues and students.

The results of the awards will be announced at the Oxford University Press Celebrating Excellence in Law Teaching (CELT) Conference hosted at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire this year on 27 June 2019.

The annual conference features expert guest speakers and sessions on some of the biggest topics in legal education today and offers attendees a unique opportunity to enhance their teaching skills and share knowledge with law lecturers from around the UK.

Whilst winning would be exciting, Jane is happy that her hard work and dedication has been recognised not just by staff but the students themselves. She told us, “I am proud of my efforts, both large and small, to facilitate and enhance learning and teaching conversations between students and staff, and pleased that I have been able to make a meaningful difference to my students’ university experience.”

We are excited to see how she gets on. Good luck Jane, we know you can win it!