Our first staff Kent Diamond is Darren Weir. Darren supports a wide range of extra-curricular activities and events for Kent Law School and is responsible for the roll out of a national scheme adopted by other universities. Hear from Darren:
“My name is Darren Weir. I am a Senior Lecturer in Kent Law School. Before I started teaching law, I was a criminal barrister prosecuting and defending in Kent for over a decade. My practice involved an array of offences ranging from murder to drink driving and everything in between. If you were to google me though, the case of mine that will always come up is the time when I was responsible for getting the first Lap Dance Club licence within the Cathedral walls in Canterbury.”
Tell us about your role at Kent and how you make an impact.
“I specialise in the law of evidence and criminal litigation. I am Director of Kent’s Solicitors’ Practice Course as well as Director of our Lawyering Skills Programme and Employability. The Lawyering Skills Programme that I have the privilege to run is giving students authentic experiences, enhancing their skills and helping to grow their confidence. The experiences and the network of practitioners and professionals that contribute to the programmes I run provide added value and richness to the education that Kent law students receive.
The programme is often cited by final year students in the NSS survey as the most positive aspect of their education. Graduates keep in touch and email to say how what they did at Kent helped set them up for the careers that they are embarking on. Since the lawyering skills programme has grown and been made available to more students, we have seen those students do better in scholarship applications and job interviews.”
What is the “Student Outdoor Clerking Scheme” that is being rolled out nationally?
“One of the Lawyering Skills that we offer is our Student Outdoor Clerk Scheme (SOCS). This is where students get a unique opportunity to attend court and assist the advocate in court. They take notes, support the lay client and report back to their instructing firm of solicitors. They get the opportunity to feel like they are part of the legal team during the case, as opposed just a spectator from a public gallery. It has been running since November 2021 and because of its success, it has now been rolled out as a national scheme and other universities have adopted it and are doing something similar.”
What are some of your favourite things about the University?
“The campus itself is an amazing place. Having gone to a city based university myself, I can say that the students at Kent are exceptionally fortunate. The campus is its own self contained community on the doorstep of the city centre. The green spaces, the views, the different buildings – I think it’s all amazing. There is something for everyone. Are there things that could be changed? Of course. But that’s the beauty of having the campus that we have – it can, and indeed does, adapt to the needs of the community it serves.”
Who helps make the Kent community special for you?
“My work colleagues are special to me. Those of us in the lawyering skills programme and solicitors’ practice course get on incredibly well, and they are my rock. The professional services colleagues who support us are also great. I also have a team of student mentors who support our programmes and give up their time to help their fellow students. It is this collegiality across all sectors of the Kent community that makes it such a great place to work and to study.”
What advice would you give to current Kent students?
“Make every moment count. Show up to classes. You are going to have good days and bad days. Learn from them.
Sign up to extra opportunities. Commit to them when you do. Higher education is not just about lectures and classes – its all the extra activity that has learning value.
Use your time at university to make yourself an attractive proposition. The time goes quickly. Don’t waste it.
Work Hard. Dream Big. To steal a phrase from one of the best movies of all time, ‘If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything’.”
The Kent Diamonds campaign recognises the students, staff and alumni that make Kent shine. Learn more about our Kent Diamonds and our other 60th Diamond Anniversary celebrations.