About CEPLER

CEPLER enhances and extends the vocational opportunities available to Birmingham Law School students to increase their knowledge and experience of the law and legally-related careers in practice.

Photo of students at the Law Fair at the University of Birmingham

CEPLER is working to maximise the scope of student employability and introduced the CEPLER Professional Development Scheme (CPD) to recognise and value students' commitment and dedication to skills development gained through participation in CEPLER activities.

CEPLER's professional partnerships are also helping us to develop practitioner-led teaching with the introduction of practice-based modules, whilst our ambitious  research programme is responsive to the transformation occurring in the legal profession and legal education.

Download the CEPLER Annual Reports:

Annual-Report-picture282x200Annual Report 2015-16

Annual Report 2014-15

Annual Report 2013-14

The CEPLER Framework

CEPLER's objectives are to:

  • create opportunities for and facilitate world class research on the legal profession, law in practice, and legal education;
  • support and facilitate the impact of the Law School's research across all fields of law, and encourage public engagement;
  • enhance the legal practice skills, commercial awareness and employability of Law School students;
  • have instilled in Birmingham Law School Graduates a sense of civic duty and citizenship;
  • increase awareness of legal rights and responsibilities amongst the wider community

each of these is in collaboration with the legal profession, our students, the wider university, other academics, policy makers, regulators and others.

2015-16 CEPLER's impact in numbers

  • 21,635: the total number of CPD points earned by this year's graduands
  • 100%: the percentage of unrepresented parties in Employment Tribunal cases who found the advice in student Streetlaw presentations helpful
  • 48: the number of external speakers who provided careers talks and interactive workshops this year
  • 73: the total number of CEPLER Professional Development Award-winners in 2015-16
  • 98%: the percentage of students who felt that working on FLAG cases has been of educational value
  • 4,343: the number of downloads of CEPLER Working Papers since its launch
  • 40: the number of cases advised on by students through the Birmingham Free Legal Advice Group
  • 513: the number of hours of paid academic research assistance given to Birmingham Law School staff by LLM students through the CEPLER Re-skill scheme