Welcome to the York Law Society, the largest society at the University of York.

President's Welcome

On behalf of the Committee for 2024/25, I am delighted to welcome you to the York Law Society! We are the largest and most active society on campus, recognised nationally by employers for our efforts and influence. Having been part of the Society since my first year, I am thrilled to share some of our achievements over the years, including highlights from last year. As the Pro-Bono Officer last year, I am proud to announce that we were nominated by LawCareers.net for the Best Pro-Bono Society. We have also won LawCareers.net’s award for "Best Law Society for Non-Law Students" in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2024. Additionally, we have been nominated three years in a row for The University of York’s Societies Award for 'Society of the Year' in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and received the award for ‘Accessibility’ in 2023.

The Society has three main goals: helping you understand life in the legal sector, whether that be the solicitor router or the barrister route or even something entirely different, achieving your ambitions by providing networking and educational opportunities, and creating a safe and inclusive community. Our key themes are inclusivity, diversity, and well-being, making the society a fantastic place for all students to unwind, meet new people, and come together as a community.

After a successful year with YLS Goes MET and YLS Goes North, we are launching the very first YLS Goes Local, partnering with local law firms to provide more opportunities to our members. Additionally, we are transforming the Careers Dinner into a Solicitor's Careers Dinner and adding another focused Careers Dinner for the barrister route, ensuring a wider audience and helping members explore different career paths.

This year, I am keen for members to discover an exciting range of traditional events, including the President’s Welcome, York Races, Summer Formal, and Solicitor’s Careers Dinner. I am also keen for members to discover a range of new events, including Paws for Wellbeing, the Law Society Running Club, the Law Society Charity Tournament, visits to London and other northern cities, and a large-scale sports tournament.

As last year’s Pro-Bono Officer, I had the chance to experience and see with my own eyes some of the financial difficulties students go through, especially in their first year. To target that, I am introducing an ‘Opportunity for All’ scheme where members of our society who are at a financial disadvantage can take part in events free of charge. I believe financial difficulties should not limit someone's exposure to opportunity.

We are proudly associated with successful law firms and prestigious chambers, providing members with presentations, workshops, and office visits. The YLS Application Acceleration Programme offers university-wide mentoring to transform undergraduates into future legal professionals.

Whether your interest lies at the Bar, in a City-law firm, or in a charity, we are equipped to help you achieve your goals. Our Mooting and Bar Society offers exceptional training, our journal Ebor Lex provides an academic outlet, and our Sustainability and Diversity Officer ensures our events are as sustainable and inclusive as possible. Meanwhile, our careers team ensures you are exposed to as many opportunities as possible by maintaining and fostering new contacts.

I’ve enjoyed every minute of my membership and promise that you will too. The committee and I are excited to make 2024/25 our best year yet.

Emanuel Ferreira

President of the York Law Society 2024/25