How we won ‘Best society for first-year students’ at LawCareers.Net’s 2026 Student Law Society Awards

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The University of Leeds Law Society is one of the UK’s largest and most active student law societies. We were proud to be nominated for three awards at this year’s Student Law Society Awards, sponsored by BARBRI: ‘Best society for non-law students’, ‘Best social event’ and ‘Best society for first-year students’. This year, we were delighted to win the award for the latter, ‘Best society for first-year students’.

The Leeds Law Society is a truly full-service society, delivering an exceptional and unrivalled range of opportunities across careers, academic competitions, sport, equality, diversity and inclusion, community engagement, charitable initiatives and social events. We’ve developed strong partnerships with almost 40 law firms, chambers and organisations, and hold regular workshops, networking opportunities and exclusive dinners, ensuring our members benefit from high-quality insight and exposure to a range of routes into the legal profession.

Our opportunities for first years

Starting university can be an intimidating experience, and we understand the uncertainty that many first-year students face. We aim to ensure that our first-year members feel welcome and supported by catering specifically to their needs, academically, professionally and socially.

Welcome events for first years

At the start of the year, we host a range of events specifically designed for first-year students to help them to settle in and feel welcomed. Our annual Give it a Go taster session offers a chance to experience what the society is about, while our exclusive first-year social features a £1,500 bar tab and discounted entry to two clubs, creating an unforgettable introduction to university life. For those seeking non-alcoholic options, we recently hosted a movie night accompanied by pizza, snacks and soft drinks, exclusively for first years and a festive cupcake decorating evening.

Guidance to make the most of your first year

New this year is our How to Make the Most of Your First Year event. Senior undergraduates who’d secured insight schemes during their first year shared their experiences, offered practical advice and provided accompanying resources such as LawCareers.Net’s Beginner’s Guide to a Career in Law to help first years to navigate early career opportunities with confidence.

Leadership opportunities for first-year students

First-year students have the opportunity to actively shape our society from the start through dedicated first-year representative (FYR) roles. These positions are filled through a competitive process that includes a written application, an informal interview and a campaigning stage where candidates vie for votes from their peers. This process not only identifies strong representatives, but also provides valuable experience for all applicants, as we provide detailed feedback on their applications and interviews to support their future development.

The two successful candidates serve as advocates for the needs, wants and concerns of their cohort. In addition, in their second semester, FYRs are given the opportunity to shadow another committee member, allowing them to enhance their skills and explore broader responsibilities, many of whom go on to take on senior roles within the society.

The community behind our success

With more than half of our membership made up of first-year students, they’re at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Law Society, so we’re incredibly proud to be recognised in this category. We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Dimitar Dimitrov and the rest of the LawCareers.Net team for organising such a fantastic event. It was a brilliant opportunity to connect with other societies, share ideas and celebrate the work being done across the student legal community.

We’re especially grateful to our members for their continued enthusiasm and engagement throughout the year, and to our sponsors, whose ongoing support enables us to deliver the wide range of opportunities we’re so proud to offer. We’d also like to thank our committee and sub-committee members, whose hard work and dedication behind the scenes make everything we achieve possible and we look forward to seeing how the society continues to grow under our incoming committee.

Ellie Colchester is the president of the University of Leeds Law Society in 2025/2026.

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