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Draft:Nicholas Bacon Law Society

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The Nicholas Bacon Law Society (NBLS) is the law society of Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge. The law society is named after Elizabethan Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and former member of the college, Sir Nicholas Bacon[1].

Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in the court of Elizabeth I, attended Corpus Christi College in 1524.

The society was founded in 1972 to serve as a link between the college and alumni, and to give current students at the college greater access to opportunities in the legal industry[2]. Students at the college, aided by the activities of the law society, regularly partake in mooting competitions, including the annual Varsity moot between Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and their sister college, Corpus Christi College, Oxford. The competition takes place alongside the other events of the 'Corpus Challenge', a day of competition between the two colleges[3].

Law at Corpus[edit]

There are typically 5-7 law undergraduates in each year at Corpus, as well as a number of postgraduate students. Each undergraduate, in line with the Cambridge Faculty of Law teaching practices, receives supervision teaching in addition to the lectures provided by faculty[1].

Membership

All law undergraduate and graduate students are automatically members of the NBLS, and some of the events are open to non-law students also. Any non-law student who goes on to practice or study the law is eligible automatically for membership, which is free of charge for all.

Academic awards

As is customary at most Oxbridge colleges, Corpus Christi awards prizes to students who perform particularly well in Tripos examinations, or writing dissertations of notable quality. As per the charity statutes of the Nicholas Bacon fund, the fund makes 3 awards: The Simon Maccoby Award, The Stuart Smith family award, and the Randle Feilden award; all on an annual basis[4]. Further, Corpus Christi College awards, also annually, the Simmons and Simmons award (awarded on the advise of the Director of Studies), and the Alistair Saunders Prize in Law (for distinction in the study of law)[5].

Events[edit]

The society host events throughout the year for students and fellows of the college, including onboarding sessions in freshers week for the undergraduate students, dinners with solicitors firms, the annual NBLS alumni dinner in lent term, and a garden party after exams in easter term[6].

The annual NBLS dinner

The annual dinner is preceded by a moot competition; the first year law students at Corpus compete in a moot competition before a senior judge and Corpus alumni, in 2024 Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, with the winner receiving a prize during the dinner. Mooting forms an integral part of the experience of studying law at Cambridge, and Corpus has a reputation for success in University wide competitions[7].

The dinner is the main event in the NBLS calendar, usually taking place near the end of Lent term, the second term in the academic year at the University of Cambridge. The dinner is open to law students at Corpus, both undergrad and postgrad, law fellows of the college, and Corpus Christi alumni who are either studying or practicing law around the world.

The dinner begins with speeches from esteemed guests and fellows. The dinner often recognises specific milestones in the history of the society, such as the 50th Anniversary Dinner[8], or the college, such as the marking of 40 years (2023/24) since women were admitted to Corpus [9] (this saw Professor Janet O'Sullivan, of Selwyn College, Cambridge, deliver a speech). It is an opportunity for members of the college, past and present, to socialise, and for current students to hear from those already in the legal industry.

Notable members[edit]

Name Significance
Lord Justice Murray Stuart-Smith Lord Justice of Appeal (1987-2000), President of the Court of Appeal of Gibraltar (2007-2011); Honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College; Author of controversial re-examination of Lord Taylor's report into the Hillsborough disaster[10]
Lord Etherton (m.1969) Lord Justice of Appeal (2008-2013) and Master of the Rolls (2016-2021); President of NBLS (2001-2013) and Honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College (2007-present)
Baroness Butler-Sloss President of the Family Division of the High Court of England and Wales (1999-2005) and Lord Justice of Appeal (1988-1999); Honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College (2013-present) and Chair of the National Commission on Forced Marriage
Lord Hodge (m.1972) Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2020-present) and Non-permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong (2021-2022); Honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College
Professor David Ibbetson Regius Professor of Civil Law (Cambridge) (2000-2020) and Chair of the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge (2009-2012); Fellow of Corpus Christi College (2000-2013) and President of Clare Hall, Cambridge (2013-2020)
Lord Justice Stuart Smith (m.1974) Lord Justice of Appeal (2020-present); President of the NBLS (2013-present)
Christopher Vajda KC (m.1974) Judge of the European Court of Justice (2012-2020)
Professor Nigel Simmonds Emeritus Professor of Jurisprudence, Unviersity of Cambridge; Former Dean of Corpus Christi College [11]
Baron Bridges KCVO Personal solicitor to, among others, the Late Queen Elizabeth II[12], the Princess Royal[13], and the Duchy of Lancaster[14]
Professor Philippe Sands KC (m.1979) Barrister and author on International law and International environmental law; Samuel and Judith Pisar Visiting Professor of Harvard Law School
Professor Jonathan Morgan Deputy Chair of Cambridge Law Faculty, fellow and Dean of Corpus Christi College[15]; Current Supervising fellow of the NBLS
Dominic Bielby (m.2018) Judicial fellow of the International Court of Justice; Scholar of Corpus Christi College, and Former Vice-Chair of the NBLS (2020-2021)

Nicholas Bacon Fund[edit]

The Nicholas Bacon Fund, separate but linked to the society, was founded by a group of NBLS members in 2006, led by Sir Terence Etherton, to provide financial assistance to law students at Corpus[16]. Today, it provides scholarships to current students to prevent financial inhibitions to studying law at Corpus, as well as funding prizes to those students who perform particularly well in Tripos exams, and purchasing core topic textbooks for all students[4].

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Why study law at Corpus". Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  2. ^ Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (Easter term, 2006) Liz Winter. "Nicholas Bacon Bursary Fund" (PDF). The Pelican. Retrieved 17 May 2024
  3. ^ Jasmine Heddle-Bacon (2024-02-09). "Corpus Oxbridge sports day axed after teddy bear theft". Varsity. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Lord Bridges KCVO (on behalf of trustees) (2023-06-30). Trustees' report and financial statements (Report). Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Prizes and Awards". The Record (102 ed.). December 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  6. ^ Daisy Noble and Judith Skillen. "Nicholas Bacon Law Society" (PDF). Corpus Letter: 88. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  7. ^ Fiona Gilsenan (6 March 2024). "Mooting Success for first-year law students". Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  8. ^ Caroline Flanagan (2022-04-08). "Walk into any room". Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Forty Years on: Women of Corpus Anniversary Weekend". Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Hillsborough inquiry by Blair government criticised". BBC News. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Corpus Christi College, Cambridge". Archived from the original on 18 November 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Queen replaces retiring adviser". The Lawyer. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  13. ^ Kelly, June (21 November 2002). "Princess Royal's day in court". BBC News. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Our people : Mark Bridges". Farrer & Co. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  15. ^ Richard Ekins; Jonathan Morgan; Tom Tugendhat. "Clearing the fog of law" (PDF). Policy Exchange. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Help with funding > Nicholas Bacon Scholarship for Lawyers". Retrieved 3 June 2024.