Critical Lawyers At Warwick
Critical Lawyer at Warwick
CLAW
Critical Lawyers At Warwick is a project run by undergraduate students and academics at the Centre for Critical Legal Studies. The project helps students engage critically with how law operates and with the legal profession. It emphasises the various modes of doing law that interrupt systemic injustice and structural inequality.
At the heart of our work are the principles of mutual support and allyship between academics and students at Warwick. CLAW aims to support students as they find their voice. It builds solidaristic relations by breaking down boundaries between staff and students. CLAW focuses on building common projects like publications and events. But it also aims to make space for student activism within and beyond the Warwick Law School.
Activities
Critical Legal Pocketbook
We publish the Critical Lawyers Pocketbook. This is a ground-breaking guide for law students with entries from the foremost critical legal theorists on the subjects studied in your law degree. Every two to three years it will be refreshed with new entries. Published by Counterpress, it will be in paperback and a pay-what-you-can eBook.
Alternative Career Events
One of the primary aims of CLAW is to help students to develop pathways into legal and non-legal careers that focus on addressing injustice and conflict. We run events with barristers, solicitors, advocacy groups and international organisations. We welcome students who would like to organise these events or who just want to attend them.
Mentors & Internships
We run a mentorship scheme with Leigh Day LLP, offering support for 30-40 students each year from experienced human rights and social justice solicitors. Alongside this, we are developing a new internship scheme with the support of Warwick Law in the Community.
Radical Mooting
Radical mooting is about creatively disrupting the hierarchies and biases of the courtroom. We are interested in unveiling how these hierarchies and biases are reproduced, from questioning the dominant form of law, to the more mundane questioning of dress and demeanour in the courtroom.
We explore radical mooting practices which prepare law students to further anti-imperial, feminist, and anti-capitalist action?
Reading Group & CRASH Courses
With the Centre for Critical Legal Studies, we run a critical texts reading group. We read a short work of classic social, legal or political theory in advance and then spend an hour discussing the issues involved. Everyone is welcome.
We also run a series of CRASH courses where researchers introduce you to questions at the cutting edge of their field of study. We can help student develop research groups, working on new research projects with faculty.
Blog & Film Club
Our blog has been running for a number of years, and welcomes contributions from students from all walks of life. We are happy to work with you to develop your publishing style, and subjects that you might to consider.
In non-covid times, we ran a film club in the Law Hub (with screening and discussions). If you're interested in starting this up again, just let us know.