The 'Hack' was a week-long problem-solving task... this helped us learn how to research, work in a team and formulate legal arguments, which has proven vital for our studies.
Will, first-year law student
B Law First Year Hack
B Law First Year Hack
What is the B Law Hack?
A hack is a method of creative problem-solving (and it does not have to involve technology). The B Law Hack is a week-long opportunity for students to get together in their law firms to solve an urgent and current legal problem while engaging in a series of workshops and activities that will support them in
- getting to know one another,
- developing their interpersonal skills, and
- starting to understand other students' skill sets and ways of thinking.
Our previous hacks have focussed on replicating some of the team-building sessions that trainees attend when they join a firm. Sessions are designed to help build the cohesiveness and self-confidence of our students. For example, working with Active Plus our students were tasked with completing activities utilising teamwork and the strengths of their co-workers. Working with Miracle Theatre, the students learnt how to develop their public speaking and communication skills, in addition to learning to trust their fellow students through a series of tasks that encouraged their reliance on others. Quiet Connections have also delivered a session on imposter syndrome which encouraged the students to be self-critical and to self-evaluate.
The students complete the Hack on the final day of the event. This is where they hack an urgent or current legal problem such as the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire or a global challenge such as climate change. Students, within their law firms, then identify a specific area that they perceive to be a problem and develop a solution to this issue through the creation of a new law or constitutional convention. Teams then work together to present these solutions to the whole cohort - and a winner of the hack is crowned!
How the B Law Hack benefits our students
The B Law Hack supports students in building a strong foundation as an undergraduate in their first year:
- It encourages students to get to know one another and understand the ways of working on the course, while having fun.
- Online and/or in person workshops and experiences throughout the week focus on developing communication skills, confidence building and establishing trust.