The Open University Law School’s Open Justice Centre is reaching out to support the wider legal education sector in its time of need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Open University’s Open Justice team has collaborated with charity Support Through Court (STC) to launch a free open online resource for learners, themed around domestic abuse.

Its timely launch coincides with the rapid rise in numbers of people in domestic abuse situations seeking help during the UK lockdown.

The Co-directors of Open Justice, Francine Ryan and Hugh McFaul, have made these videos to explain the work that Open Justice is doing, in response to, and as business as usual, during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Centre has joined forces with the MP for Rossendale and Darwin, Jake Berry; Rawtenstall Unitarian Church; and University of Lancaster Law School to offer legal advice to the community. There were successful sessions in January (pictured) and February, with a third one scheduled for Friday 20 March ( this was cancelled due to Covid-19 but we hope to reschedule asap). OU Law students were interviewed on their involvement for BBC Radio Lancashire.

The Open Justice Centre is the first UK university to use legal automation platform Josef to educate Law students, as part of its Digital Justice project. In collaboration with Josef, final year OU Law students are spending 12 weeks designing and building a legal bot (software application) that addresses an area of legal need, such as domestic violence or divorce.

The Open Justice Centre has been shortlisted for the inaugural Thomson Reuters ‘Teaching Law with Technology Prize’ which celebrates innovation and creativity in teaching law with technology.

Francine Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Law and Co-Director of the Open Justice Centre, has been nominated for a prestigious Law Teacher of the Year Award. Sponsored by Oxford University Press (OUP), the Award is designed to recognise exceptional teachers in the legal field and Francine is one of six shortlisted.

The ‘Legal Eagles’ project, which ran in February and March this year after a successful pilot scheme in 2018, saw OU Law School students collaborate with prison learners from the Category B men’s private prison on Merseyside.

The Open Justice Centre’s project in conjunction with the St Giles Trust charity has been shortlisted in the Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership category at the annual LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards.

The Open Justice Centre has launched an exciting new initiative for its alumni to help shape the development of future legal outreach projects.

A dozen alumni volunteers have been appointed to sit on the new Open Justice Student Ambassador Panel after being invited to express an interest in this voluntary two-year role. The Panel will have a direct input into the work of the Centre and will meet online three times a year.