Pro bono opportunity for law students: professional discipline
Invaluable legal support for nurses and midwives
Join our six-week programme to help nurses and midwives facing professional discipline (regulatory) proceedings, working as part of our volunteer casework team in preparing for a panel hearing or identifying possible routes to appeal.
Key information
For undergraduates, graduates and students on a BTC, LPC or SQE course we provide the opportunity to gain unparalleled insight into professional regulation and panel hearings whilst developing invaluable practical skills, working remotely as part of a diverse casework team.
Cost: £100 + VAT
Once you have completed your registration, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the materials and engage with the team.
Make a difference
Through our fitness to practise programme you will be helping nurses and midwives facing proceedings by their regulator, the NMC, either by assisting with the preparations for a formal panel hearing or reviewing cases where there has already been a negative panel finding and the client is considering an appeal. In most cases, the client is not able to fund legal representation or is struggling to understand their position and the options available to them.
Over the course of six weeks, you will be given a complete case file and asked to collaborate with your peers and the clinic team. You will meet with the clinic team remotely each week to discuss progress, exchange ideas and allow for any necessary supervision. We use a secure messaging platform so that everyone in the team can discuss the case between meetings.
The programme includes comprehensive learning materials that guide you through the FTP process and the statutory role of the NMC. We also introduce you to some of civil litigation topics that you can expect to encounter on the LPC, SQE or bar training course. We also offer free mental health drop-in sessions and legal research workshops.
The benefits
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Make a difference!
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Gain firsthand experience of working on regulatory cases
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Improve access to justice
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Demonstrate your commitment to pro bono
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Increase your employability
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Develop discussion points for pupillage, training contract or scholarship interviews
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Work in a challenging but collaborative and supportive environment
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Interact with clients, expert witnesses and other legal professionals
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Make the leap from academic learning to applying it in practice
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Access BTC / LPC / SQE content
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Participate from anywhere in the world
How can you get involved?
Step 1
Sign up for our free welcome course. This introduces you to some of the basic knowledge you will need as part of the FTP programme. It also explains how we work and what we expect from student caseworkers. It takes about an hour and a half to complete and at the end you get a certificate of completion.
Step 2
Take part in the casework programme over six weeks.
Step 3
Decide if you would like to take part in follow up activities, including the opportunity to review a further FTP case, work on a mini project within the clinic or sign up for our skills training programme and Qualifying Work Experience opportunities for the SQE.
Our Experts
Jyoti Kumar
Junior Case Lawyer
Jyoti has a background in regulatory affairs and having completed the Bar training course now represents professional discipline clients in interim hearings and university FTP cases.
Benjamin Bardell
Case Lawyer
Ben focuses on case preparation for professional discipline hearings and specialises in the early resolution of regulatory concerns.
Khaled Hussain-Dupré
Senior Case Lawyer // Director of Legal Education
Khaled is a qualified lawyer whose main area of practice is professional discipline. He is regularly instructed to represent healthcare professionals in fitness to practise proceedings and also leads the development of our legal education programmes.
Sam Wilson
Programme Director - FTP
As a practising nurse who is re-training to become a solicitor, Sam understands both facets of regulatory proceedings. She works tirelessly on behalf of clients, focussing on empowering registrants so that they can make informed choices about their case.
Niina Ankers
Junior Case Lawyer // Mediation Lead
Niina is a CMC accredited mediator and leads our mediation team. Having completed the Bar training course Niina represents clients in interim hearings and university FTP cases.
We are a not-for-profit established in 2022 and our goal is simple – to provide flexible legal work experience to people from non-traditional backgrounds so that they can fulfil their potential.
Over the past eight years, across different organisations, our team of people have trained thousands of aspiring lawyers in casework methodology, giving them the knowledge and skills to complete
meaningful work on client cases. This expertise is distilled into casework programmes as well as our QWE and SQE opportunities.
We’re proud that our innovative model ensures that clients who would otherwise be denied access to justice can rely on a highly-focused team of qualified and trainee lawyers, while students get access to the most dynamic and exciting real-life legal experience imaginable
Next steps
Contact us for a free initial discussion about your case
Benjamin Bardell
Case Lawyer
Alternatively you can call us on 020 3151 8015