The Cambridge Alumni Festival ran from 24-28 September, and the Faculty was involved in a number of events, many of which were recorded and are now available to watch online:
Constitutional Law Matters: The UK constitution: fit for purpose?
In this event on 27 September, Professor Alison Young and Professor Mark Elliott engaged in discussion with guest the Right Hon Lord David Lloyd-Jones, considering the question "Brexit, the possibility of a second Scottish independence referendum, questions about standards in public life and tensions between Government and the courts are putting unprecedented pressure on the UK constitution. Is it fit for purpose today?"
Professors Young and Elliott are the academic leads for the Constitutional Law Matters project, which is an initiative of the Centre for Public Law. The project aims to evaluate whether the UK constitution is (still) fit for purpose; in doing so, it seeks to stimulate public debate and aid public understanding of constitutional matters.
Pro Bono Projects at Cambridge
Also on 27 September, Dr Jodi Gardner, University Lecturer joined law students Natasha Godsiff and Amelia Quince, to discuss how they utilised the challenges of the pandemic to think of new, exciting ways to increase pro bono activities. This session highlighted the important (award-winning) work that the students have been doing in areas of access to justice, death penalty research and Citizens Advice outreach.
For more information about their pro bono work, please see the Cambridge University Law Society website.
Cambridge Women in Law: The Changing Face of Diversity in the Legal Profession
On 28 September Professor Pippa Rogerson, Professor of Private International Law and the Master of Gonville and Caius, chaired a discussion with Lady Brenda Hale, a pioneer in legal academia and one of the most distinguished judges in the United Kingdom and two current students, Tolu Mustapha and Julia Freytag, about diversity in the legal profession today, the changes that have taken place and the objectives that are yet to be met. Tolu Mustapha is a Third Year Law undergraduate at Fitzwilliam College and Julia Freytag is a Fitzwilliam alumna who has just completed a Masters in Criminology.
The Faculty's Cambridge Women in Law initiative seeks to celebrate the outstanding contribution that Cambridge law alumnae have made to legal practice, academia and to many aspects of public service, and develop a network for future events to promote the crucial role that Cambridge law alumnae play in inspiring and supporting younger generations of women lawyers. It will also strive to enhance the collaboration between the Faculty and Cambridge law alumnae in the achievement of Faculty priorities such as widening access and participation and student support.
For further information on how to support any of these programmes, please contact development@law.cam.ac.uk.