Warwick lecturer Gary Watt has been named Law Teacher of the Year by the UK Centre for Legal Education.

A Reader and Associate Professor in Law at Warwick Law School, Gary was nominated by a colleague and student who noted his use of "approaches that engage and inspire undergraduate students not just to learn, but to challenge their own opinions, assumptions and capabilities".

Gary beat competition from King's College London, Reading and Leeds to take the £3000 prize which he has pledged to use in support of open access schemes at Warwick.

Chrissy Vassiliou, a law student at Warwick, said: “He does teach things a bit differently compared to some of the other lecturers. His lectures are interactive, he breaks things down, and, most importantly, he puts complex things in simple terms - I think students really appreciate this.”

Sponsored by the Oxford University Press, the Law Teacher of the Year Award was conceived in 2004 to recognize the vital role that teachers play in the education of tomorrow's lawyers and reward achievement in teaching.

Gary was chosen by a panel who visited each delegate to observe their teaching methods, speak with colleagues and students and talk with each candidate about their philosophy towards teaching and received his award at a conference dinner on the 23rd January.