With weekly critical thinking sessions, students at SIL are able to interact with professionals from varied walks of life who come in for interesting sessions, talks and seminars. Students get to make the acquaintance of lawyers, judges, legal and social consultants, scholars and individuals from volunteer organizations. These sessions not only allow healthy debate and discussion but also act as opportunities for the students to network with resourceful individuals and organizations.
What good is a law programme where you do not get any opportunity to display your advocacy skills? Law firms appreciate confident and assertive individuals who can voice their opinions in a well thought out manner. This is what mock trials help achieve. Students get to play opposing lawyers on hypothetical cases which not only polish their advocacy skills but also require research, leadership and teamwork; equally crucial attributes that organizations look for in an individual. For those who plan to work as consultants/in- house legal advisors, mock trials become an opportunity for them to experience the adrenalin of a pending judgment.
A true institutional experience is incomplete without participating in inter—school/international competitions. Hence, at SIL, we train our students according to international mooting and model UN standards. Internal and external trainers work with the students to equip them with the research ability and articulation skills needed to compete on international platforms.
A unique initiative at SIL is its Law Clinic, which allows students to supplement their resumes to reflect adequate amounts of research conducted throughout their academic years in the programme. Moreover, they are able to acquaint themselves with Pakistani law, an aspect which most distance learning students are otherwise deprived of. Students get to assist lawyers/NGOs with their litigation process. The SIL Law Clinic is affiliated with leading firms and NGOs within the city, that send in their pro bono cases. The students report back to the respective organizations with their study and opinion, which is then used in the litigation process by the organization.
Good lawyers are good orators. That is why at SIL, students actively participate in parliamentary debate training/forum debate sessions. Such an exercise not only helps students refine their public speaking skills and overcome any initial hesitation but also allows them to improve their lingual skills for examination purposes.
Ask any professional and they will advise that one must keep up some sort of research and writing activity. Especially, if one would like an academic career and pursue a postgraduate doctorate. At SIL we have a very proactive editorial team that is constantly on the lookout for key current affairs matters/innovative study topics and legal reforms. With a monthly "Judicial Review" newsletter and a bi-annual publication “Spectrum of International Law" we keep students updated on global matters. More so, this publication allows their research to be circulated to notable firms, government departments and universities.
It's important to be aware. At SIL we encourage a variety of workshop opportunities, whereby activists and members of the legal fraternity, human rights and development sector professional conduct interactive seminars with our students. Social awareness is vital, especially when working as a lawyer. However, we even have a fair bit of fun with these workshops. The theatre workshops for instance allow everyone to let Ioose a little and explore the actor within us all!
What do the courts look like? How does a national assembly session take place'? If you're curious, you shall be rewarded at SlL with trips to the Parliament and District/High/Supreme Court to see the real action and meet with renowned lawyers, judges and politicians. These visits give the students a taste of what to expect when they venture out into litigation or politics.
At SIL, the Law Society organizes all prominent events and competitions. It is our equivalent of a student council which takes ownership of all SIL initiatives. Members are appointed based on academic and co- curricular performance at the start of the term.
We do not only want responsible students to graduate from our institution but also responsible citizens who take a fair share of responsibility towards their community That is why we have a very active volunteer group that has organized several collaborative projects with volunteer groups within the city, working on varied community needs.
We appreciate active lawyers. That means we may need them to sprint now and then! We encourage all kinds of sports activities and our students participate in interschool competitions.
A lot of work can make life mundane, but one seldom gets the opportunity to get bored at SIL. We believe in stepping out while we can to enjoy some pure leisure. It's justified when having a vigorous study schedule!
Students can make use of the analysis that guest lecturers bring when they share their expertise on particular subjects. It allows them to look at certain matters in-depth and benefit from research conducted by experts.
