School hosts inaugural Executive LLM Immersive Weekend
Students and staff at the welcome reception at the Executive LLM immersive weekend
The Dickson Poon School of Law hosted the inaugural immersive weekend of its new Executive LLM programme between 6-9 April.
Over the course of three days, students explored advanced negotiation skills and worked in small teams to tackle cutting-edge legal challenges under the guidance of leading academics and practitioners from the School. Immersive weekends are also an opportunity for students to meet each other, broaden their international professional networks and hear from prestigious and inspirational speakers.
The Executive LLM at King’s is run jointly with the International Bar Association (IBA) and is taught part-time over two years. The programme blends online learning modules with five London-based immersive weekends and features a range of unique course content. The Executive LLM is designed to equip talented lawyers with advanced legal, commercial and policy knowledge as well as sectoral expertise.
At the first of their five immersive weekends, students covered advanced theoretical and practical negotiation skills and worked in small teams on a Sectoral Case Study in either Energy and Natural Resources, Technology Based Enterprises or Major Projects. During lunch and dinner, students also heard from prestigious speakers.
Kirsty Schneeberger MBE and Manager, Climate Change at the Children's Investment Fund Foundation spoke about ‘Climate Change and Role of Investors’. As part of the advisory team of the Office of the Executive Secretary at the UNFCCC, working to support the Executive Secretary in securing the Paris Agreement, Kirsty led the investor engagement programme working with progressive and mainstream investors to support their efforts to engage with the Paris process.
Dame Katherine Grainger, Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, gave an excellent motivational talk. One of London 2012’s shining stars, Dame Grainger is an expert at overcoming challenges in sport and working towards a goal with fierce determination. She won medals at the Sydney, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Stephen Denyer, Director of Strategic Relationships at The Law Society of England & Wales spoke about the ‘Global Trends in the Delivery of Legal Services and the Changing Role of Lawyers’. Stephen has played an instrumental role in the internationalisation of legal practice and has been at the forefront of the globalisation of legal services throughout his career. Stephen is also an author, commentator and strategic advisor as well as a respected manager and leader.
Bruce Patton, Founder & Partner of Vantage Partners spoke to students about ‘Negotiation War Stories’. Bruce is Co-Founder and Distinguished Fellow of the Harvard Negotiation Project, which he founded with Professor Roger Fisher and William Ury in 1979. He is also co-founder of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, an inter-university research consortium. During his career, Bruce has helped to resolve numerous public conflicts including mediating the US-Iranian hostage conflict in 1980 and suggested the multiparty process used in the constitutional talks that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa. Today, Bruce is helping bring together future Palestinian and Israeli leaders and others to build relationships and learn about effective negotiation process as part of the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiating Partners and Shades initiatives.
Professor Gillian Douglas, Executive Dean of the School said: 'I am delighted that the Dickson Poon School of Law has launched this truly innovative development in executive legal education. Our first cohort of students have come to join us at King’s from all round the world to take part in this new programme. We are looking forward to helping them further deepen and widen their knowledge, skills and networks, in order to build on their already highly successful careers in law.'
You can find out more about the Executive LLM programme in our online prospectus.