PRESIDENTIAL

CANDIDATES

Nujhath Shamim 

Hello Everyone! My name is Nujhath and I am currently a second year Law LLB student. I am running for the President’s position in the Law Society. I have had the pleasure of being an Executive Member of the Law Society this past year and I have worked hard as part of the team to ensure that our society provides students with a multitude of opportunities that will help open doors to a successful professional career. 

As the Admin Officer for the society, I have worked closely with the President and Vice President and I have been involved with practically every aspect of the society, which is why I feel I am a strong candidate. I have gained invaluable insight and experienced the strengths and weaknesses first hand, which is why I am determined to push our society above and beyond current expectations. Not only do I understand how the system within the society works, but I have found ways of improving the efficiency of the society. I hope that you will give me the chance to utilise my knowledge and showcase my skill set to benefit you all. The main areas I plan to focus on are detailed below:

 

1. FUNDING

All societies are pre-dominantly financed through sponsorship and self-funding which is why fundraising is one of the most crucial aspects! I have a lot of experience in this field as I currently volunteer for a charity organisation where I have helped raise money for those less fortunate. I have also been a part of school and college committees where we successfully raised money for internal events and charities. It is through this previous experience that I can assure you that I have plenty of fundraising ideas. Additionally, I have established a network of professional contacts, who I have liaised with recently, and who have generously offered to provide the Law Society with financial support. With the financial aid of sponsors and fundraising, I hope to provide students with even better events and opportunities whilst sustaining the society for the future. 

 

2. PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

As mentioned before, I have built up an extensive network of professional contacts who are eager to come in and share their expertise with us in order to help us get a head start in our professional careers. From Graduate Recruitment Specialists who will advise us on how to stand out from the crowd in applications and interviews, to Lawyers from big city firms, who can give us insider tips on how to secure training contracts and work our way up in the legal profession. I am also hoping to set up relations with other university Law Societies so that we can work in partnership to give you access to a range of events. I promise you that if elected, I will make this happen and I will provide a networking platform that could potentially help you procure work experience and mentoring that will boost your employability. 

 

3. SOCIAL EVENTS

Being a part of the Law Society is not all about academics and career connections, us Law students need to let our hair down too! That is why if elected, I want to put the choice of social events down to you. I want to know what you would like from your society. My plan is to offer a variety of social event options and leave the decision to you all to vote for what you would like. Whether it’s to go bowling or have a dinner and dance or ice skating etc. The options are limitless and I feel as Law students we deserve a choice! I understand that we all have different needs, hence why I want everyone to feel included and feel like they are making the most of the Law Society by having their own say. 

 

Finally, I would like to finish with a summary of why I believe you should vote for me. As explained above, I have been a part of this society for a year now and my fellow Executive Members have recently rewarded me with the ‘Executive of the Year’ award which proves how dedicated I have been to the Law Society. I am ambitious and determined which means if you have a plan, I will fight for your cause as hard as I can! I am approachable so if I do get elected, you can always feel free to come and talk to me about any ideas you have to improve the society and I will do my best to implement your ideas. My previous experience in fundraising and leadership will ensure that you get high quality events that cater to student needs based on your feedback. My aim is to regularly get student feedback so that the society has a clear vision of what students want. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my manifesto and if you have any questions or feedback then please feel free to talk to me in person or contact me via email at N.Shamim@my.westminster.ac.uk. Constructive criticism is always welcome! ☺

 

Farah Ali

With two years’ worth of observation and absorption of knowledge, leadership and team-work in a law firm, I have been able to develop not only as an individual but also as a professional. This is important in order to inform you of what I have learnt in my experience and how I can apply all of that into the skills required from a president of this university’s biggest society. 

 

I’d like to draw your attention to the prominent goals I would aim to achieve during my time in office: 

 

Prioritise student concerns/difficulties: 

I want to be the port of call that reminds you of the enormous help available around university 

If we have improvements to suggest to our current standard of learning - then why not suggest it earlier when there are more chances of it being dealt with, within the same academic year? 

 

This is KEY: If you want change, say it & then let me deal with the implementation.. 

Inform students in semester 1 of all vacation schemes available 

You need to stand out from the crowd and no need to wait until summer to know that! 

Keeping you updated with all vacation schemes starting from semester 1 is definitely on top of the list

Something which we are promised but not always provided.  

Making this top of my list so you know how to bag those marks in the way the examiner wants you to! 

Ensure the smooth running of the society 

PERSEVERANCE: Ensuring that my presence and leadership in the society will make the experience for our batch more ENJOYABLE and EFFICIENT - and that can only happen through listening to my peers and implementing everyone’s valuable thoughts

ACCESS: Ensuring that you all know where to find the help and from whom

MOTIVATION: By organising informative and fun events throughout the year