This post was contributed by Joanna Hartl, a first-year student on Birkbeck’s three-year LLB.

On the second day of Law On Trial, things livened up a bit, with quite a lot of audience participation. Professor Bill Bowring chaired the panel, consisting of two young, dynamic and recently qualified lawyers, Stephen and Natalie. Both gave excellent punchy presentations, putting their point across as Socialist Lawyers, and trying to show that the Legal Education System which exists in the Northern Hemisphere is very much supporting the continuity of the established capitalist status quo. The inadequacies and irrelevancy of the professional training courses necessary to practise law in the UK i.e. the B.P.T.C and the L.P.C were highlighted, and the cost of the B.P.T.C. in particular was seen as prohibitive to the majority of those present, so much so that one aspiring young lawyer has already decided to continue her studies in Nigeria, where the whole course equivalent to the B.P.T.C. costs only £4000 and no pupillage is required. Dr Oscar Guardiola-Rivera was happy that such an interchange should take place, but the student felt that it was for the wrong reasons, as it was not an economic option for her to continue in the UK! As well as highlighting the plight of individual impoverished Law students, and their fight for the right to continue their studies amidst continuing funding difficulties and  economic barriers; other key areas were also explored, which are of current topical and political interest, in particular the government’s legal aid cuts, and the pending impact this will have on many high street law firms. It will mean closure for many, as well as an end to the funding of neighbourhood law centres. Strike action was encouraged, which has already taken place, with both barristers and solicitors on strike against Legal Aid Cuts. We were exhorted to sign the petition against the cuts, which is called “saveukjustice”, and to join The Haldane Society, which is open to anyone interested in Law (you don’t need to be a qualified lawyer) and Socialism. The ideas of Peter Kropotkin were espoused by Stephen, and women were encouraged by Natalie to read the book by Baroness Helena Kennedy ” Eve Was Framed “, which will form the subject of discussion of a reading group at the Haldane Society. The evening was rounded off by Bill Bowring with a call to the Bar (on the 4th floor) for anyone wishing to continue the lively discussion. It was an extremely thought provoking, and stimulating evening, and well worth the effort of attending. I wil certainly be there again tomorrow!