Student societies
Joining a society offers unique experiences, networking and professional development opportunities whatever your level of study.
One of the strengths of studying with us is the wide range of student societies available. Our main societies are:
Manchester University Law Society (MULS)
MULS society is run by students which aim to bring people across the School together through activities sponsored by local and regional law firms. Enjoy being part of socials, such as seasonal balls, pub quizzes and trips abroad, and join one of the many sports teams which include football, rugby and netball.
MULS also promotes the importance of the weekly skills sessions and presentations, as an addition to academic teaching.
Manchester University Criminology Society (MUCS)
A society exclusively for those who have an interest in crime, MUCS aims to promote greater integration between students on different courses studying criminology. Take advantage of a variety of socials as well as visits to institutions within the criminal justice field. MUCS are keen to promote a criminology identity within the School of Law and support criminology students during their time at university and beyond.
Pro-Bono Society (a merger of two previous societies, Streetlaw Society and the Legal Advice Centre Society)
The two previous societies realised that there was an overlap both in their aims and also in their events. They decided to merge to form the newly named Pro Bono Society, which will continue with the aims of both of the previous societies, e.g. organising ‘Streetlaw’ presentations, providing information on legal rights to local community groups who do not have much access to such information and also promoting the work of the Legal Advice Centres and organising workshops and community outreach programmes.
- Visit the Legal Advice Centre webpage
The University of Manchester Bar Society
The University of Manchester Bar Society aims to help you develop skills vital to a legal career. They will help you to prepare for an annual internal mooting competition which is sponsored by an international law firm and judged by practitioners in the North West, as well as organising mooting sessions throughout the year. These include "speed mooting", an innovative version of mooting which requires preparing a mooting problem in a short period of time and offers a true representation of legal work.
The Society also supports students wishing to pursue a career at the Bar. You will have the opportunity to meet practising barristers on the Northern Bar Circuit, and get help and advice from pupils already working in Chambers.
The University of Manchester Bar Society is an excellent way to meet other students aspiring to the same career as a number of socials are arranged throughout the year, some of which are held at Barrister Chambers in Manchester.
Law School Debating Society
The Debating Society provides the opportunities for you to participate in an internal debating competition, commencing in the autumn semester with teaching sessions on how to debate, and various “knock out” rounds leading to the final in the spring. Judges have included, Jeremy Paxman, Cherie Booth and Neil and Christine Hamilton.
The Debating committee liaises with the sponsoring law firm and organises the various aspects of the competition from start to finish. Debating is a vital and useful skill which will help you to develop presentation skills and the concept of lateral thinking, essential for any career.
Society of Current Affairs and Commercial Awareness (SCACA)
A new Society formed in 2016 to promote commercial awareness to the students. The aim of the Society being to organise workshops, presentations and competitions in conjunction with the supporting law firm, to raise the students’ level of commercial awareness and thus improve their employability.
Law and Criminology’s student society activity is made possible by the contributions of our generous sponsors.
The European Law Students' Association (ELSA)
ELSA is the largest independent law students' association in the world and it is still growing. As the world's biggest of its kind, ELSA offers students and young lawyers the opportunity to be active and to educate themselves beyond the classic university curriculum. The keystones of ELSA are a mutual understanding of various cultures and people, the education of lawyers with social and intercultural competence, and the participation in academic programmes with practical relevance to the professional world.
Members of ELSA benefit from the international focus of the association, which is reflected by having exclusive opportunities to participate in the Winter and Summer ELSA Law Schools - intensive courses in various fields of law (Maritime Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Human Rights). Destinations include Prague, Lisbon, Istanbul and Athens. Another exclusive opportunity for ELSA members is the Student Traineeship Exchange Program, particularly aimed at penultimate and final year students as well as postgraduates.