Bristol Animal Law is a brand new society for the 2023/24 academic year. The society welcomes students from any discipline who have both a passion for animal rights and an open mind to consider the vital role that the law has, and can have, in protecting animals. 

Our society will involve a diverse set of events - from external speakers, to charity fundraising for the local animal sanctuary HollyHedge. Whilst we have great visions for academic events, we also plan to provide more informal events, whereby members can discuss animal law-related topics and make friends for life! 

The society boasts a range of affiliations with the key players in the new and upcoming legal movement. These include the first ever UK-based animal law firm (Advocates for Animals), the Animal Law Foundation and the UK Centre for Animal Law. These connections will enable members to attend exclusive events, and to have the opportunity to be involved in opportunities such as writing competitions!

The society’s vision is to raise awareness for the voices which go mostly unheard in the legal world. We will help to expand students’ networks and provide them with a greater understanding of the ever-adapting nature of the law.

The Bar Society passionately supports aspiring barristers from law and non-law backgrounds and students with an interest in Advocacy. Operating under the motto 'No bar to the Bar,' their mission is to provide diverse and accessible opportunities for all. They were awarded ‘’Best society for aspiring Barristers” from 2015-2017 by LawCareers.Net Student Law Society Awards. It has also been awarded ‘Most Committed to Increasing Diversity’ in 2017.

They launched the BAME and Social Mobility Mentorship Scheme, offering personalized guidance from experienced legal professionals. Additionally, they raised funds for the Black Solicitors Network through their Charity Moot and plan to bring back the initiative this year. Throughout the year, students benefit from a plethora of career talks, including CV tips, pupillage discussions, and Advocacy competitions from mock trials and intervarsities to plea in mitigation, providing invaluable exposure to the challenges, knowledge, and rewards of the profession. They also run an Advocacy Training Programme for first timers to gain confidence and guidance.

Socially, The Bar Society arranges networking events with Bristol chambers and exclusive visits to the Inns of Court, fostering strong connections. This year, they aspire to foster a much closer community with the students and have smaller social events and a family scheme to provide dedicated support. Each year, the society invites a distinguished Patron, like Lord Reed of Allermuir in 2021-22 and Lord Justice Singh in 2022-23, to their Annual Networking Dinner, the largest Bar social event outside London. The Bar Society's unwavering dedication to empowering aspiring barristers and promoting diversity makes it an invaluable asset to the legal academic landscape and the students who become a part of the community.

The Commercial Awareness Society is a FREE introduction for students interested in business, law and finance. We promote meaningful engagement with commercial affairs to equip members with the skills and knowledge necessary to apply and demonstrate their understanding of dynamic business environments, thereby enhancing their employability.

Commercial Awareness is a highly regarded skill by graduate recruitment of companies across a multitude of industries. We offer enriching opportunities for members to hone their commercial awareness through application and employability workshops, commercial affairs competitions, publishing opportunities and commercial affairs workshops.

The University of Bristol Criminal Justice Society is a community newly established in early 2021. The society welcomes discussions of the criminal justice system from different perspectives and disciplines. As highlighted by the pandemic, we recognise that getting the ball rolling on these discussions are more vital than ever, especially when engaging with non-law students and the wider community.

Furthermore, the Criminal Justice Society aims to develop our member’s interests and connections for a career within the criminal justice system. To achieve this, we aim to host a plethora of events covering the many branches of the criminal justice system. We strive to ensure that events are accessible for both law and non-law students.

Our events consist of panel events, informal discussions, a range of advocacy and public speaking opportunities. We also have a Blog, where members can be actively involved with discussions, latest developments, and summaries of our events. Further, we aim to connect students within our community and with our committee through socials and by maintaining an interactive online presence.

The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) is an international, independent, non-political, non-profit making organisation run by and for students and recent graduates, who are interested in achieving academic and personal excellence in addition to their legal or law-related studies at university. Consisting of over 55,000 members across Europe, ELSA is the largest independent law students’ association in the world offering work experience, specialist study and diplomatic exposure amongst other unique opportunities. It is aimed at students from all disciplines and all nationalities interested in expanding their network and creating international relations. 

ELSA aims at providing its members a platform to develop their existing skills and acquire new ones, to interact with fellow students and experienced practitioners from different states and legal systems around Europe, and to be equipped for a professional life in an international environment, through mutual understanding, intercultural cooperation and the large variety of activities and projects the Association offers.

Founded in 2017, and unanimously voted a full member in 2018, ELSA Bristol is a thriving member of the ELSA network. Membership to this Society provides students with exceptional opportunities for foreign paid legal work experience prospects, entry to local, national, and global academic competitions, access to seminars and conferences with honoured professors and access to an international network of like-minded, passionate individuals from different backgrounds. This year, ELSA Bristol will continue offering such opportunities in a safe and diverse background and will confidently resume in person events for all interested students.

The International Law Society is a fairly new group at the University of Bristol. It was funded only a year ago by some law students, who particularly valued the importance of bringing an international perspective to the legal discussion at our university. The International Law Society surely benefits from a large number of members from the law school, however it does not only include students from this course, as it is open to students from all faculties. The Univeristy of Bristol welcomes many international students and the International Law Society aims at dealing with some aspects that may affect and, therefore, interest.

Especially in sight of the recent developments coming from Brexit, this group focuses on informing people on the main international themes and issues related to law and much more. It provides great opportunities to get to know a little more about law in the international field, and build strong connections by attending the events organised by the society.

Founded in 1937, the University of Bristol Law Club (UBLC) is the largest official law society at the University of Bristol and one of the premier student law societies in the UK. The UBLC has provided an avenue for students with legal career aspirations to engage with professionals and fellow peers. The UBLC was awarded ‘Best Law Society Overall’ at the 2020 LawCareers.Net Student Law Society Awards, and ‘Best Society for First-Year Students’ at these awards in 2021. In recent years, the UBLC has also been awarded ‘Most Committed to Increasing Diversity’ jointly with the University of Bristol Bar Society.

Open to students of all disciplines, the UBLC provides an invaluable exposure for both law and non-law students pursuing a career in law, maintaining strong relationships with leading global and City law firms. Their sponsored events enable students to engage with employers through career presentations, employability workshops and social networking events. The annual organisation of internal competitions also provides students with the opportunity to hone their legal skills in advocacy, negotiation and debate. For those seeking to enter the legal profession, the UBLC is a platform that provides students with the opportunities and network to support their legal aspirations.

The University of Bristol Lawyers Without Borders Society is a student division of the global, non-profit Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB). LWOB manages volunteering lawyers from around the world who donate pro bono services to rule of law projects, capacity building and access to justice initiatives. The Bristol student division aids LWOB in their mission by completing research projects for them and taking part in its annual Rule of Law competition. The society also offers Bristol students the opportunity to explore different sectors within human rights law, take part in their human rights moot competition and the chance to find out more about the importance of protecting and promoting the rule of law globally. This society allows for Bristol law and non-law students to get involved with a legal-based society focussed primarily on promoting the rule of law, access to justice and the protection of human rights.

The UoB Medical Law Society is aimed at students from all disciplines who are interested in medical law and ethics. For UBMLS’ fifth year, they will build on prior success by cultivating Bristol as a hub for medico-legal debate and academic discussion between universities, developing a careers advice service and acting as a resource on the latest news in the medico-legal field. Members will have the opportunity to engage in the Annual Medical Law debate and various other competitions; participate in academic discussions on contentious issues within medical law; and regularly attend a range of talks by healthcare professionals and academics. Members will be encouraged to engage in discussions about recent articles, topical cases, and policy changes. Being a medical ethics-focussed society, they also have a strong focus on the physical and mental wellbeing of their members and the student body as a whole, and also host fundraisers for local healthcare charities.

Founded in 2015 by Eve Cornwell and Hannah Wall, the University of Bristol Pro Bono Society aims to expand awareness, understanding, and participation in pro bono work, to inspire the lawyers of tomorrow to support access to justice initiatives and to create a more just society.  

The Pro Bono Society provides members with the opportunity to hear from renowned speakers on access to justice issues, learn about the important pro bono work carried out by commercial law firms, and get involved in competitions to develop key legal skills. Through this, we aim to equip members with the knowledge and skills to lead successful legal careers, whilst helping others.

The University of Bristol’s Research for Change (RfC) offers a comfortable space for students from all disciplines to explore a career in academia and hone their research skills. We aim to provide opportunities for our members to stimulate academic discussions through online and physical platforms on current world and legal trends and consequently their impact on societies. In partnership with the University of Bristol Law School, the student committee works closely with undergraduate, postgraduate researchers and legal experts to organise forums, publish commentaries on the RFC blog, keep up with the global news through our social media news bites, discuss current issues on our podcast and establish relations with organisations campaigning for reform. All these activities encourage our members to explore changes and trends in the legal sector, as well as possible solutions and ways to move forward. 

The Unity and Diversity in Law Society (”UDL”) was founded in 2019, in a bid to embrace and champion diversity whilst creating a unified environment where members thrive. UDL is the first and only law society at the University of Bristol to focus on diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. They are doing their part to improve accessibility to the legal sector and increase representation.

By offering insightful events, including workshops, networking events and competitions, UDL aims to nurture the confidence of its members and increase social mobility in an attempt to level the playing field. This is epitomised by the Grassroots Series, which allows members to learn the basics through commercial awareness and interview training. This year, the society will be focusing on improving the bond throughout its membership by implementing a mentorship programme where second and third year mentors will share details of various schemes and tips on studying law, work experience, and university life to help first-year students make the most of their early career.

The University of Bristol Women in Law Society was founded in 2017 with the aim to provide a platform for women in the law, both as citizens and members of the legal profession. Their membership is not limited to female law students and compromises of a variety of degree subjects and genders, all with the common interest in promoting women in law. The society organises panel discussions and talks that address the issues of gender in the legal sector, for example tackling female attrition rates at senior levels. The society also puts on events that raise awareness about the complex ways in which the law can discriminate against as well as protect and promote women in the UK and around the world.