The ILBF partnership with students, and in particular Junior Lawyers Against Poverty (JLAP) groups, goes from strength to strength. At the end of 2020, there are now five JLAP groups at UK universities partnering with the ILBF to collect and pack much needed student texts for universities and law schools overseas.
The University of Exeter JLAP group is off to a flying start. Under the leadership of Diana Ciurezu, a second-year law and French law student, the JLAP committee have started their campaign to collect books for Mzumbe University in Tanzania.
Covid-19 is presenting an added layer of complexity to the normal challenges of undertaking extra-curricular projects, but the JLAP committee at Exeter are undaunted. They have used social media to raise awareness of their book drive, and managed to find a room on campus in which to store the books. They have also contacted the teaching staff about their unwanted texts and have had a positive response.
In the Spring term they aim to collect as many law textbooks as they can across all subject areas to support Mzumbe University. The books collected by the students will be packed by them and then shipped to Tanzania in early Spring of 2021.
The students at Exeter also organized a Zoom call about international pro bono at which Katrina Crossley, CEO of the ILBF, presented on the work of the ILBF and how it fits in with international pro bono undertaken by law firms, NGOs and government.
“It’s been a pleasure to lead the JLAP Exeter group this year and to work alongside such a dedicated and driven committee! We’ve had a great time collaborating with Katrina and the ILBF on the book drive and are very thankful for their continuous support. We’re excited to start collecting even more books when we come back after Christmas and to hopefully start a twinning scheme with Mzumbe University in the near future!”
Diana Ciurezu, President of the JLAP Exeter 2020/2021 Committee
The ILBF is incredibly grateful for the efforts of the JLAP group at the University of Exeter, and the JLAP groups at the University of Nottingham, the University of Surrey, King’s College London and University College London. It is very impressive to see students making time for pro bono during their studies to improve access to justice both here and in the UK; it augurs well for the next generation of lawyers and the pro bono that many will undertake during their professional lives.
Thank you
