Durham Law School has announced that leading international law firm, Slaughter and May, will support its Pensions Law module.
The support includes a £500 prize for the student showing the most improvement over the course of the module, and a one-week pensions law work experience placement at Slaughter and May.
The Pensions Law module is a third year Law undergraduate module taught by Philip Bennett, Durham Law School’s first Professor in Practice and a former Slaughter and May partner.
The module was first taught in the 2019/20 academic year and is believed to be the only pensions law undergraduate module in the UK.
Slaughter and May is described in the Legal 500 Directory as “ the firm to go to when you want something done that has never been done before, or in a way that's never been done before”.
Slaughter and May partner, Charles Cameron, Head of Pensions said:
“For any undergraduate, the bridge between academic learning and practice is a topic of intense interest but also one which can be challenging to navigate. I am hopeful that Slaughter and May’s support for Philip Bennett’s Pensions Law Module at Durham Law School will help to illuminate this bridge in the important field of Pensions Law.”
Professor Volker Roeben, Dean of Durham Law School, said: “I would like to thank Slaughter and May for their very generous support for our Pensions Law module. Their prize and the work experience week will be welcomed by the students taking the Pensions Law module.”
Philip Bennett, Professor in Practice, Durham Law School, said: “I strongly echo Professor Roeben’s words of thanks to Slaughter and May for their support. That support adds to the original support for the Pensions Law module provided by the Association of Pension Lawyers and its members.
“The Pensions Law module helps to develop knowledge of an important area of law that touches the lives of so many people and protects their pensions rights. The module may also encourage some of those taking it to consider a career as pensions lawyers.”
The Slaughter and May support will complement another prize for the Pensions Law module provided by the Association of Pensions Lawyers, and work experience weeks provided by other leading law firms who are supporters of the Association of Pensions Lawyers.
Durham Law School is a world leader in legal education and research. Our award-winning academic staff produce ground-breaking research with impact. Durham Law School is in the QS World Rankings top 50 law schools and ranked 5th in the Complete University Guide 2023.
We are proud to deliver some of the best results for student satisfaction and employability – and our graduates include some of law’s leading figures, such as current or previous members of the UK Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, Members of Parliament and others in Government. Our top-ranked global law courses are very competitive with an excellent and diverse student population from across the world delivering a cutting-edge, research-led curriculum with a commitment to small group teaching through seminars and tutorials much prized by employers.
Image: Front of Durham University Law School building (Credit: Durham University)
