qLegal, in partnership with Baker McKenzie, recently concluded an engaging and educational project called "Welcome to Law!".
The project’s aim was to create a user-friendly guide to Baker McKenzie's Standard Letter of Engagement, for use with their pro bono clients. It was recognised that not all pro bono clients of the firm have experience of working with lawyers, and some clients may find legal documents inaccessible.
The project, which spanned two semesters, fell within Queen Mary’s SKETCH initiative which prioritises interdisciplinary experiential learning. In this case, mixed teams of students of law, psychology, and linguistics received training from qLegal on teamworking and Legal Design. During the first semester, the students worked together to understand the ‘end user’ needs. The psychology students’ expertise in survey design was a particular help as the whole group created a survey for Baker McKenzie to send to their pro bono clients. The data gathered helped give a deeper understanding of problems surrounding accessibility.
In the second semester, the students worked in four interdisciplinary teams to design and test prototype solutions in a friendly competitive environment that encouraged innovation and collaboration. Throughout the project, students demonstrated remarkable dedication and teamwork. Utilising Design Thinking methodologies, they empathised with the pro bono clients' needs and developed innovative solutions that met the brief. The students pitched their respective prototypes to a panel of judges at Baker McKenzie's offices, the judges comprising the firm’s Senior Pro Bono Associate, Director of Global Service Design, and the GC of one of the firm’s clients.
The innovative solutions developed by the students impressed the judges, and the winning team was invited to return to Baker McKenzie to present their work to the firm’s Director of Global Experience and the GC and Head of Risk & Compliance, as part of their prize. The judges commented:
"The teams had a very clear understanding of the end-user needs, which were very well set out by the presenters and slides. Excellent thought was given to accessibility, and the product had the end-users' needs at its core. Overall, a creative but appropriately professional product. A confident presentation that played to the strengths of the interdisciplinary team."
Reflecting on the project, one student highlighted, "Our prototype addressed various accessibility requirements, including for neurodivergence, by ensuring the language is clear and straightforward, and by providing alternative formats such as audio and visual aids."
That wasn’t the end of the students’ activity. Another team presented their work to academics at a SKETCH-run symposium on Student Knowledge Exchange, showcasing their findings and benefits of working as a part of an interdisciplinary team helping an external client.
qLegal is grateful for its longstanding partnership with Baker McKenzie and appreciates the support and guidance provided by them. This project exemplifies qLegal's mission to offer students practical, hands-on experience in making law more accessible to diverse clients.