How your student law society can support you

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Every year we survey student law societies across the UK for the annual LawCareers.Net Student Law Society Awards to find out how they run their events and activities, and how they serve their membership. We also hear from student law society members who offer opinions and feedback on their societies, including which events they most enjoyed and how they felt specific areas such as mooting and pro bono activities were run on campus.

As an aspiring lawyer, joining your university’s student law society is a fantastic way to not only meet like-minded people with similar career aspirations, but also to get involved in brilliant opportunities, including networking, pro bono and mooting.

We’ve put together a brief run-down of some of the ways your student law society can support you in your quest to become a lawyer, whichever route you choose.

Engagement

Engagement is key to any law society – after all, without society promotion, it’s difficult to build a solid membership base. Luckily, with email newsletters, social media, group chats and both virtual and in-person events, it’s never been easier to stay connected to your law society, know what’s going on and feel part of a wider community.

Communication, however, is a two-way street, and as well as providing information for you, your society should also listen to your opinions and ideas. Are you offered the chance to give your feedback? Do you feel like your voice is heard and valued, and that change is being made? These are valid points to consider – an engaged society is one where its members feel like they can share their ideas about the future and progression of their society. Some of the best submissions we read this year were from societies that had taken on board their members’ concerns and opinions and made concrete changes in response.

The award for ‘Best at student engagement’ was presented to UCL Law Society and sponsored by Lexology.

Careers events

Attending career events is a huge part of being part of a society and, quite honestly, probably one of the main reasons you joined in the first place.

From presentations and interactive Q&A sessions with lawyers and law firms, to meticulously organised virtual and in-person networking sessions and events, workshops, and competitions, there’s so much you can gain from attending society careers events. Make the most of the opportunities by preparing ahead of the events and following up attendees on LinkedIn afterwards. Watch this video and read this article for more advice on researching law firms and making the most of LinkedIn as a law student.

The ‘Best careers event’ award was presented to Edward Bramley Law Society.

Social events

Many university social events focus on activities involving drinking, making it challenging for non-drinkers to participate. While bar crawls and club nights are a rite of passage at university, social events for societies are about much more than drinking games.

As part of LCN’s Student Law Society Award submissions, we read about a great deal of different social events such as pizza parties and game nights but this year’s winner for best social event stood out for its “perfect balance between being entertaining and surprisingly educational”. The society’s members were able to apply their analytical skills during a murder mystery event and even put some debating skills to use.

The ‘Best social event’ award, sponsored by Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, was presented to the Royal Holloway Law Society.

Mooting

In essence, mooting involves taking part in a mock trial competition where law students get the chance to put their knowledge to practice. Although many might find the idea of mooting scary and only for the experienced, we heard from many societies that successfully hosted a series of internal moots and coordinated participation in external moots across all year groups and abilities.

Learn more about mooting and discover mooting opportunities for students in 2025/26.

In our eyes, one of the most important aspects of this category was for societies to provide training and allow students at all experience levels to get involved and take part in mooting activities. From beginner sessions and intensive workshops to publishing guides for inexperienced mooters, your society should allow you to feel comfortable participating in moots and hopefully support you on your way to larger competitions and even prestigious prizes. Our winner for 2026 nailed all the above by providing mooting opportunities throughout the year for all year groups as well as support for students. A member of the society said: “When I first joined, I’d never mooted before and found the whole idea intimidating, but the society made it completely accessible. From crash courses to the check-in programme, I developed a strong foundation in advocacy."

The ‘Best society for mooting’ award was presented to University of Nottingham Mooting Society, sponsored by AllHires.

Pro bono

Not every society can offer its members the opportunity to take part in pro bono work and this is one area where coordination with your law school will be hugely influential, especially if your law school runs a law clinic (or as we’ve recently seen – your society has started one!). Your society should be signposting you to pro bono activities, if not organising them for you to take part in.

This year’s winner delivered an exceptionally wide-ranging pro bono programme, allowing its members to contribute to “pro bono work that tackles areas of genuine unmet legal need”.

The bottom line is that there’s always something you can do, however small. And it will be of benefit to your future legal career too, as this Feature explains.

If you’re interested in pro bono work but don’t know where to start, The Oracle explains how you can find pro bono and volunteering opportunities.

The ‘Best society for pro bono’ award was presented to the University of Leicester Pro Bono Society.

Commercial awareness

From commercial awareness events with law firms and external speakers to workshops, guides, and competitions, societies continue to take the importance of boosting its members’ commercial knowledge seriously, equipping members with the necessary resources and tools to understand and demonstrate this skill to future employers. Don’t forget to head to our Commercial awareness hub if you’re interested in developing your commercial awareness in your own time.

The ‘Best society for commercial awareness’ award, sponsored by Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson (London) LLP, was presented to University of Nottingham Law Society.

International students

For many international students, arriving at university means adjusting not only to a new academic system but also to a new culture, language expectations and ways of engaging with the legal profession. A strong law society can make this transition far smoother by acting as both a community hub and a practical guide.

This is why we introduced a new category this year for ‘Best society for international students. We looked for societies that go beyond the basics to create an environment where students from all backgrounds feel welcome, informed and empowered from their very first weeks on campus. This year’s winning society felt like “home away from home” for its international members. One member said: “I always felt supported, both socially and professionally. In particular, the society’s visa workshop made a huge difference, as it helped me to feel more confident about navigating sponsorship and finding a job in the UK.”

The ‘Best society for international students’ award was presented to Durham University Law Society.

Diversity

It’s obvious when a society has actively considered the importance of diversity and inclusion, and practically implemented steps to address it. Across the legal profession, there’s a growing discourse about the need to prioritise diversity and equality in the industry. From reading the awards submissions, it’s clear to see that students are more proactive than ever in seeking change and representation at all levels – from their societies and committees to their future employers, and the industry as a whole.

Annual themes and topics, panel discussions and networking events with lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds, accessible membership schemes, and even outreach programmes to schools and sixth-form students are some of the ways societies have impressed us with their efforts over the past few years. More than this, a law-related society should seek to represent its members and their diverse needs and backgrounds, and ultimately allow all members to feel welcome and supported in its community.

The winner of the category this year demonstrated a long-term commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion by running “mentoring scheme, career sessions and financial assistance for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as panels showcasing queer lawyers and professionals from varied paths”. The society’s members said they “feel seen, supported and empowered to pursue careers in law”.

The ‘Most committed to increasing diversity’ award, sponsored by Shoosmiths, was presented to Manchester University Law Society.

Take a look at our Diversity hub, sponsored by Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, for content relating to diversity and inclusion.

Find out more about the Student Law Society Awards and read the full list of 2026 Student Law Society Awards winners.

If you think your society is deserving of a nomination for an award, keep an eye out for the 2027 Student Law Society Awards submissions which will be opening later this Autumn.

Dimitar Dimitrov (he/his) is a content and engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net.