Renewable energy elective to power students' employability

Published On Mon 13 Jan 2014 by Grant Hill

The University of Dundee is to offer students experience of one of the fastest growing and most important sectors of the economy thanks to a new partnership with one of Scotland's most eminent law firms.

The University's School of Law has teamed up with MacRoberts, who recently established an office in Dundee, to offer students the opportunity to study a Renewable Energy elective as part of the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice programme.

The ten-week module will teach students the skills and knowledge required by lawyers working in the area of renewable energy. As sustainable power sources form a key plank of future energy strategy and many developments continue to face legal challenges, the need for specialist experts in the field is expected to grow significantly in coming years.

Responding to this demand, the School of Law has introduced the elective in order to offer students an insight into this area of legal practice and enhance their employment prospects as a result. Specialist lawyers from MacRoberts will teach different aspect of the law as it relates to renewable energy, ranging from issues such as planning, financing, property and the environment, each week for the duration of the elective.

'It is essential we keep our eye on emergent areas and the fast-paced changes in the legal sector so we can tailor our courses to best serve the needs of our students and law firms looking for the best graduates to work in these fields,' said Elizabeth Comerford, Deputy Director of the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice programme.

'By working with MacRoberts we have access to leading experts already working directly in this field, and they will help students to obtain the knowledge required for legal practice in this area. This is a great opportunity for students interested in practising in this growing sector.'

John Macmillan, partner at MacRoberts, said 'MacRoberts has been warmly welcomed into our new city and we have been fortunate to have been instructed by many new clients here. This chance to work with the University gives us an early chance to put something back into Dundee and we are delighted about that.

'The fact that it is such a novel project is right in tune with the city's anticipated development. It is also a chance to work with one of the country's very best Universities, which makes it even more exciting.'

The postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Practice is the programme that all law graduates must pass before being allowed to practice professionally. The Dundee programme has introduced several innovative features in recent years to enhance the students' learning experience and employability.

At the outset of their Diploma, students can purchase a subsidised iPad, pre-loaded with all their course materials, as part of an initiative introduced this year to reduce the cost of studying and help the environment. The cost of printing handbooks, information sheets and other handouts for the course is such that substantial savings are made possible by students accessing the materials electronically.

By passing these savings on to students, the programme leaders are able to offer students the chance to buy an iPad, normally priced from £269 upwards, containing all their coursework for just £399. That price also includes all textbooks.

They can then use the device's many other applications as they would otherwise for the duration of their Diploma studies and beyond. This approach also brings environment benefits by reducing the need for approximately 80,000 sheets of paper if the whole class signs up to receive the materials in this way.

A third option is available for those who already possess a tablet or laptop, but the use of iPads mirrors development in legal practice as the devices are currently being trialled by the Crown Office in various locations, so staff felt it appropriate to allow as many students as possible to work as they would in a courtroom.

The current academic year also saw the Diploma offered on a part-time basis for the first time. The course is normally taken full-time over one year but is also now offered on a two-year part-time basis in recognition of a changing marketplace meaning some graduates are not in a position to move straight into the Diploma after completing their degree.

The flexible pathway has proved popular with those who are returning some time after completing their degree and who have other demands on their time, or for newly graduated students who may want to start some kind of work but also continue their studies.

Dynamic and outward-looking, the School of Law at the University of Dundee seeks to achieve excellence in teaching, research and professional development.

It is the only British law school to offer qualifying degrees in Scots and English law. It is one of only two Law Schools in the UK to have 100 per cent of its research rated as being of international standard in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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