The Faculty of Law at Griffith College offers a wide range of extra-curricular 

Clinical Legal Centre

• Philadelphia Work Placement Programme

Each year (except during the COVID-19 pandemic period), a number of our learners complete a Summer Work Placement Programme in Philadelphia in conjunction with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia in the United States. The learners work in judge’s chambers and have a unique opportunity to attend events, network and experience a different judicial system.

• Chief Justice Summer Placement Programme.

In addition, each Academic Year, Griffith College is also invited to select one learner to participate in the Chief Justice Summer Placement Programme in Ireland.

“The placement programme has been an amazing experience so far, with opportunities to explore the courts and attend important processes. I had the pleasure, yesterday, of observing the Supreme Court in session regarding an immigration matter which was fascinating. His Honourable Mr Chief Justice O'Donnell gave an engaging talk about ethics and compassion being central to the next generation of practitioners and what he hopes we will gain from our time in placement. We were hosted yesterday evening by Fordham Law School at Kings Inns for dinner with some esteemed members of Irish legal history.”

• Student Free Legal Advice Clinic (FLAC)

The faculty has facilitated for a number of years a Student FLAC Centre where learners work alongside legal professionals in providing legal advice to staff and learners in the College through an annual conference.

• Irish Innocence Project

Griffith College is the home of the internationally renowned Irish Innocent Project. Learners on the Project conduct post-conviction reviews as part of a team with qualified and experienced lawyers where wrongful conviction is alleged. In 2015, the work of the Irish Innocence Project saw the first posthumous pardon on a case worked on by Griffith College learners. 

Learners, following a successful application, can also take the Irish Innocence Project as a 10-credit elective module on the LL.B. (Hons) Programme in Year 3.

• The Law Society

Throughout the Academic Year, the Griffith College Law Society schedules a variety of activities for learners in addition to talks by invited prominent members of the legal community. Speakers have included then Attorney General (now Mr Justice Woulfe of the Supreme Court), Ms Justice Baker (now of the Supreme Court), Tommi Riechental, author, activist and Holocaust survivor, Marcella Higgins, Registrar of the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns, and Frank Crummey, social rights campaigner and legal executive.  

• Learner Research

Learner research has also been published in the industry journal: The Brief, the official journal of the Irish Institute of Legal Executives.

Learners prepare and present research papers at a conference organised in conjunction with the Griffith College Student Free Legal Advice Clinic. 

• Advocacy Society - Mooting, Debating and Negotiation

  • National Moot Court Competition

  • Irish Times Debate, Throughout Academic Year

  • Irish Times Mace Competition, Throughout Academic Year

  • National Negotiation Competition

• Court Visits

Griffith College's Law Faculty runs a number of organised and structured court visits each year. Learners consistently appreciate the practical insight and academic benefit received from this experience.

• Law Faculty Ambassadors

The faculty invite learners to participate at our Second School Events as mentors. Learners meet learners, guide them during the day, provide advice on studying law and support the faculty in the running of the day. 

Ambassadors also assist at additional Faculty events during the year.

• EU Law Society and Annual EU Institutions Trip 

The faculty has resumed its internal trips with a successful trip to Brussels in May 2024 which seen learners visit the Parliamentarium, Hemicycle, EU Commission, Council of Europe, Museum of European History, and National Science Museum and attend a debate on the Expansion of Europe.

“As I have arrived back home I just wanted to send a quick email to thank you for organising and managing this amazing event. It was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget, I made loads of new friends and got to see a whole other potential career path thanks to this. Although there was a lot of walking with shoes that were very uncomfortable it will still super worth it!”

• EU Simulations

The EU Simulation was run in conjunction with Educ-EU and University of Lyon. 

Learners were tasked with stepping into the shoes of heads of government or state and assigned roles for different challenges. Their first challenge? Crafting a position paper reflecting the views of their assigned political figure, even if those views clashed with their own. 

The agenda for the council meeting was to decide on the President of the European Commission's nomination for the 2024 EU Parliament elections.  

"Participating in the EU Simulation was a unique opportunity to learn in a fun and interactive environment. The virtual platform provided a realistic depiction of the European Council, and the opportunity to network and interact with learners from a different institution bolstered the international character of the exercise. I enjoyed the preparatory sessions and seminars, and the organisers were helpful and always accessible, providing all the information necessary for a fully rewarding experience. At the end of the simulation, I had gained an improved understanding of the complexities involved in the processes of the EU, and the elements of entertainment provided by the virtual platform were crucial to my learning. The experience was one of the highlights of my program at Griffith, and I encourage learners to take the opportunity to participate."

• Guest Lecturers

The Law Faculty welcomes a wide range of guest speakers on campus throughout the academic year. These include Ms. Francis Fitzgerald then MEP, Marcella Higgins, Dr. Luigi Lonardo and many more.

Schools Events

The Law Faculty also runs two events for Secondary school students during each academic year. These events are extremely well attended by schools and students from across the country.

• Law Student for a Day
• Schools Debating Competition

Law Faculty Research

Members of the Law Faculty team engage with research, and publication and attend conferences on an ongoing basis.

In addition, a number of the Law Faculty team members have completed or are soon commencing the Diploma in Teaching, Learning and Development.

Awards

The Law Faculty has also been shortlisted for several awards in previous years.

In 2023, we won the Operational Excellence Award in Third Level Education at the Operational Excellence Awards, Law School of the Year at the Irish Law Awards as well as Best Experience Award in the Education Awards. 

In 2024 we once again won the Operational Excellence Award in the Third Level Education category at the Operational Excellence Awards.

Several Law Faculty lecturers have been nominated for the Teaching Hero Awards, which have been run by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education since 2014.

First Seven Weeks

The First Seven Weeks is an initiative introduced by the Faculty of Law and is designed to provide targeted support for learners, during the initial weeks of their programme. And, as a revision tool for those returning to their studies. Ensuring early adjustment to Third Level Education is linked with subsequent success. And in conjunction with our lecturers and Programme Directors, we provide a range of information to help learners get settled in their studies. All talks will take place live via Zoom and will also recorded and posted online. The First Seven Weeks programme consists of:

Week 1 - Introduction to Moodle

Week 2 - Answering Problem and Essay-Type Questions

Week 3 - Study Strategies, Note Taking and Time Management

Week 4 - Academic Integrity

Week 5 - Referencing

Week 6 - OSCOLA

Week 7 - Pre-Reading Week, catch up with the Faculty