The Junior Lawyers’ Club, which runs advocacy and debating workshops for children aged 8-13 years, is coming to Bath from 23 September.
The Junior Lawyers’ Club, which has been running in Wimbledon since 2015, is designed to give all children a chance to learn the key transferable skills of a lawyer, whilst having fun, learning new topics and developing social skills.
As Susanne Tayfoor, the Director of the JLC and a University Principal Lecturer in Law, explained, “The Junior Lawyers’ Club is designed to help children develop independent thought, confidence, tolerance and understanding, including the ability to actively listen and acknowledge other opinions and views. The workshops are designed by lawyers and delivered mainly by actors, with fast paced activities and clear skills objectives set out for each one. The material children cover develops creative and critical thinking and an interest and awareness of many fields from art to science to business.”
Susanne added that the Bath workshops are for children aged 8-13 years, delivering what she describes as, “Fun, fast-paced, thought-provoking activities develop their confidence and ability in public speaking, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and the ability to persuade an audience. Activities develop left and right brain thinking and the art of being able to come up with creative solutions, as well as study skills such as organization and memory techniques, for example.”
“At the core of the workshops are advocacy and debating skills – essentially being able to think creatively and critically and to put your points across clearly and succinctly. Everyone gets a chance to speak during the activities and to receive feedback to improve their skills. Children work in both small tutor-led groups and larger groups during the workshops to develop their confidence and capability in putting forward their ideas. They topics range far and wide, and involve discovering new areas and new vocabulary. They might find themselves designing an art gallery, or coming up with ideas for a new restaurant and pitching for investment. They might be debating the ethics of genetic engineering on a newsnight panel, or holding a trial based on a recent news event. No two workshops are the same.”
“Children develop study skills and confidence and ease in social situations. They learn to put points across clearly and succinctly, and the ability to work effectively in a leadership role, and as a team member.
The Bath Junior Lawyers’ Club sessions will take place once a month on Saturdays at the Widcombe Social Institute hall, running from 11-1pm or 1-3pm on the following dates: 23 September, 21 October, 11 November, 2 December. The first session is a free trial to determine suitability of the club, and then children can then attend on a month-by-month basis.
To book your child onto a free trial session call 01225378784 or email email hidden; JavaScript is required. www.juniorlawyersclub.co.uk.