Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Centre for justice, law and policy
Law Education and Practice research group
Connecting research, education, and professional practice to create meaningful change.
Changes in education and professional practice raise questions that cut across educational institutions, professions, policy, and wider society.
LEaP is a multidisciplinary, research, evaluation, and knowledge-exchange community that brings together members including academics, students, postgraduate researchers, practitioners, policymakers, employers, professional bodies, and community organisations. Together, we build networks and shared understanding that generate knowledge, inform practice, and create meaningful change for the benefit of all involved.
Through collaboration and partnership working, we explore the relationships between education and professional life, develop new approaches, and strengthen connections across education, professions, and society. Our work as a group particularly aligns with Leeds Beckett University’s strategic research theme around inclusive, prosperous communities and related UN Sustainable Development Goals including quality education, reduced inequalities, and sustainable cities and communities.
Join our growing network to:
- Develop collaborative initiatives, projects, and partnerships
- Explore research, evaluation, knowledge exchange, and impact opportunities
- Inform policy and practice
- Develop professional networks and share expertise
- Access, and support, professional development opportunities
Examples include:
- Research and evaluation projects that deepen understanding, generate evidence, and inform decision-making
- Knowledge exchange activities that connect research, policy, teaching, and professional practice
- Collaborative initiatives with organisations, communities, and professional networks
- Events, seminars, workshops, panel discussions, and meetings that encourage sharing and development of ideas and best practice
- Supporting students and researchers with their professional and career development
- Funding and publication development, supporting bids, outputs, and impact activities
Our aims are to:
- Connect - connecting students and researchers with professionals, employers, professional bodies, policymakers, and community partners
- Collaborate - developing interdisciplinary research and evaluation, co-produced projects, and knowledge-exchange initiatives
- Support - supporting research engagement, professional development, mentoring, coaching, and professional recognition
- Create impact - applying research and shared expertise to questions and real-world challenges that impact education and professional life
- Champion inclusion - advancing research, evaluation, and practice that supports equitable participation within more inclusive educational and professional communities
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Professional identity and career development
- Identity
- Recognition
- Career transitions
Exploring how people develop, experience, negotiate, and navigate professional and academic identities, including transitions between education and professional life.
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Learning and educational innovation
- Pedagogy
- Assessment
- Simulation
- Learning spaces
Investigating how teaching and learning, assessment methods, and learning environments shape experiences, capabilities, and outcomes.
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Student success, belonging and empowerment
- Self-efficacy
- Belonging
- Mattering
Understanding the conditions that enable individuals to thrive, develop confidence, feel valued and see themselves as belonging within their education and/or professional communities.
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Inclusion, equity and community
- Awarding gaps
- Participation
- Community building
Examining barriers to, and opportunities for, building equitable participation in education and professional life, and developing approaches that strengthen inclusive communities.
Our projects include:
Supported by the International Collaboration Funding Scheme of the Socio-Legal Studies Association, this community explores the challenges that those with dual experience as practitioners and academics may face, supports their professional and career development, and champions their potential as part of a diverse faculty.
A research project funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Grants Scheme that responds to calls for strengthening HE industry connections by exploring how those with dual experience as practitioners and academics, or ‘pracademics’, renegotiate their professional identities as they experience the academic research landscape.
Through PALS, first-year students learn from trained Student Leaders in their second and third years who understand the opportunities and challenges that come with starting university. This academic year, PALS has been expanded to support the entire Level 4 cohort, and the PALS team are evaluating the scheme to further develop understandings around how it supports student learning, engagement, and transition.
Funded by the Centre for Learning and Teaching at Leeds Beckett University, this project evaluates the Law School’s co-created Staff and Student Charter, exploring how shared expectations can foster civility, strengthen belonging and promote positive learning environments. Through student and staff collaboration, the project examines how behavioural charters can move beyond static policy documents to become living tools for dialogue, partnership and community building.
To be a recognised, multidisciplinary research, evaluation, and knowledge-exchange community that includes researchers, educators, students, practitioners, partners working together to understand, and improve, experiences of education and professional life and the connections between them.
After many years bridging academic and vocational legal education with a legal practice background, I was delighted to find the ‘Pracademia in Law Schools’ Community of Practice. It provides a vital space both to celebrate the value of practice-informed perspectives in legal education and to share ongoing challenges that many pracademics face trying to fit into (and thrive within) traditional academic structures. I’ve enjoyed participating in discussions with fellow pracademics both in the UK and internationally."
There are many ways in which you could get involved in LEaP e.g. attend events, join discussions, share expertise, seek guidance and support on your own research and professional development, collaborate on projects, contribute to research and publications, support funding bids, disseminate findings from your own research, or simply stay connected to emerging ideas and opportunities. We welcome your engagement at whatever level feels right for you.
Professor Jill Dickinson
Jill Dickinson is Professor of Law and Professional Development. An applied and interdisciplinary researcher, her work focuses on professional development, educational experiences, and place, drawing on collaborative, creative, and participatory research approaches. She works closely with colleagues, students, and external partners to develop research and knowledge exchange initiatives. Jill is also a Principal Fellow of Advance HE, Executive Coach, Recognised Research Supervisor, Recognised Practitioner in Advising, and non-practising Solicitor.
Amy Richards
Amy Richards is a Senior Lecturer in Law with over 13 years’ experience teaching across further and higher education. Her research interests span intimate partner violence and legal education. She is currently completing a PhD at Durham University exploring concepts of justice from the perspective of women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Her legal education research focuses on enhancing the student experience through inclusive and evidence-informed approaches to teaching, learning and belonging.
