Over 200,000 taught so far
A leading education charity is urging law students and legal professionals to educate local school students about the law and legal system.
Young Citizens have joined forces with the Law Society and London law firm Mishcon de Reya to continue its annual “The Big Legal Lesson” campaign.
The initiative looks for volunteer lawyers or law students to head into their local schools to deliver a lesson for students aged 5-18. The goal is to increase legal knowledge and teach students their basic legal rights through sessions on what the law is, who has the power to change the law, and how these changes affect lives.
A previous poll by Young Citizens found that just 13% of school students had been given a session on the law by the time they reached 16.
Since the campaign launched in 2020, however, over 200,000 children and young people have received a lesson about the rule of law and the legal justice system. It is regarded as the largest public legal education event in the UK according to the charity.
Sherine Krause, interim executive director at Young Citizens, commented:
“At Young Citizens, we believe that all children and young people should understand their rights, responsibilities and the rule of law, whether or not they pursue a career in the legal sector. With the support of volunteers from the legal profession, we know this year’s campaign will once again light the spark of legal literacy for thousands of learners across England and Wales.”
The Law Society has been pushing for law to become part of the core education curriculum for a number of years. Legal Cheek reported in 2022 about calls from then Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce for legal lessons to be mandated to help boost diversity in the profession, and teach people about their rights.