Subject: British Law Centre – Diploma 2013-2015
Dear WPiA student
I write to inform you of the 2-year Diploma in English and EU law conducted by the British Law Centre at UW WPiA.
The British Law Centre (BLC) has been based at the UW since 1992 and has taught thousands of UW students over
those years, most of whom have gone on to illustrious careers in international law firms, international institutions or
government. The BLC has extremely close links with all of the above and BLC students are looked upon extremely
favourably during application procedures. Equally, many BLC graduates have gone on to further studies at the world’s
top academic institutions, such as Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Columbia etc. The BLC forms part of the activities
of Juris Angliae Scientia (JAS), a Cambridge-based educational charity comprising academic staff of the University of
Cambridge.
The reason why BLC students are so well viewed is that, during the Diploma Course, they acquire numerous practical
legal skills which broaden their experience and knowledge, such as:




Practical problem-solving skills
Legal writing and drafting skills
Advocacy, public speaking and mooting skills
Persuasion and negotiation skills
The Diploma teaches these skills alongside a number of substantive law subjects, over a 2-year period. Those subjects
are as follows:
Year 1: English Legal System; Criminal law; Contract law and drafting; Tort law; Trusts law; EU constitutional law
Year 2: Company and commercial law; Intellectual Property law; International Trade law; EU Substantive law
In addition to the above, BLC students also receive lectures from the BLC’s numerous law firm sponsors (inc. Clifford
Chance, Allen & Overy, Linklaters, Cameron McKenna, Wardynski & Partners, SK&S legal), from lecturers of the
Cambridge University Faculty of Law (and other top English Universities), and from members of the judiciary and legal
professions.
For further details, see:
http://britishlawcentre.co.uk/ (the BLC’s home page)
http://www3.wpia.uw.edu.pl/studia/szkoly-prawa-obcego/centrum-prawa-angielskiego/informacja-ogolne/ (UW page Polish)
http://en.wpia.uw.edu.pl/41,English_and_European_Law_Centre.html (UW page – English version)
Recommendation videos:
https://vimeo.com/75257686 (Prof Richard Fentiman, University of Cambridge)
https://vimeo.com/75282395 (Adelina Prokop, BLC graduate – Clifford Chance)
https://vimeo.com/75254436 (Marcin Krzemien, BLC graduate – University of Oxford)
https://vimeo.com/75094503 (Central & Eastern Europe Moot Court Competition)
You may also e-mail the BLC Kierownik (Dr Steve Terrett) at: s.terrett@uw.edu.pl
If that hasn’t convinced you to apply, why not read the quotes below form those who have worked or studied with the
BLC. If you are already interested, act quickly because there are only a few places left for the 2013-2015 Diploma!
Yours,
Dr S. Terrett LLB, LLM, PhD
Director and Senior Lecturer
British Law Centre
University of Warsaw
Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 47, room 11
03-347 Warszawa
E-Mail: s.terrett@uw.edu.pl
Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill,
Chairman of Members of Juris
Angliae Scientia and judge of the UK
Supreme Court
“Over the twenty years of its life the British Law Centre has transformed the approach to
teaching law in Central Europe, and so played an important part in helping to strengthen
the rule of law in those countries.
A generation of some of the brightest students have learnt to see legal issues in a new
and different way through their experience of the common law and of European law
taught in English. Graduates have been enabled to find challenging careers in the public
and private sectors that might otherwise have been closed to them.
I have been proud to be associated with the [JAS] Charity for many years, and look
forward to working with its friends and supporters to build on that successful record.”
Sir Konrad Schiemann (former UK
judge at the ECJ)
Juris Angliae Scientia and its British Law Centres based throughout Central and Eastern
Europe have made a magnificent contribution to legal education throughout the region.
Eleanor Sharpston (Advocate-General
at the ECJ and President of the
CEEMC moot competition)
“Working within any legal system requires both linguistic precision and deep immersion
in that system’s legal culture. Young lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe who have
studied with JAS therefore have an immense advantage when it comes to dealing with
English-speaking colleagues from common law systems.”
Prof W.R. Cornish (University of
Cambridge and JAS director)
The British Law Centre Diploma equips students with the skills one would expect from
those graduating the best English universities. The skills acquired during the BLC
Diploma are well recognised in the legal and academic worlds and it is no surprise that
numerous BLC graduates have achieved great success in a wide variety of academic
and professional environments.
Prof Richard Fentiman (University of
Cambridge and JAS director)
I have had the pleasure of lecturing on the BLC course since it was first created in 1992
and I look forward to many more years of doing so. Many things have changed in Central
and Eastern Europe since the BLC was first created but one thing remains unchanged –
the high standards and commitment of the BLC, its staff and its students.
Stephen Denyer (Global Markets
Partner, Allen & Overy).
“Juris Angliae Scientia is a truly unique institution. I have been involved in legal
education and training and the development of new markets for legal services all over
the world, and have never encountered anything to compare with it. It has made a
unique contribution to the development of many of the most talented lawyers from across
Central Europe having been involved with it for the last 20 years, I look forward to many
further years of successful partnership.”
Nick Fletcher, Partner at Clifford
Chance Warsaw
“With increasing numbers of law graduates on the employment market, graduates need
to ensure that they stand out from the rest of the pack. The BLC Diploma is a great way
for candidates to distinguish themselves and Clifford Chance is proud to be one of the
commercial sponsors of the BLC. Clifford Chance has employed numerous graduates of
the BLC, some of whom are now at or approaching partner level, and we recognise and
value the skills that BLC graduates are able to bring to the workplace”.
Ewelina Kajkowska, LL.M. (graduated
from University of Cambridge in 2011
with First Class Results, having
My Cambridge experience started in Warsaw. Thanks to the British Law Centre, I
became familiar with the methodology of studying law at an English university. I also had
the opportunity to study common law subjects and this benefitted me greatly on the
completed the BLC Diploma)
LL.M. course. More importantly, when I came to study in Cambridge I had classes with
lecturers I met in Warsaw. Seeing familiar faces at the top Law Faculty in the world was
an unforgettable experience. I strongly recommend studying at the British Law Centre as
it can help develop your career opportunities, both in Poland and abroad.”
Tomasz Ciecwierz (BLC graduate)
“The BLC course was the most valuable experience during my legal education. The
skills and knowledge gained during my 2 years at the BLC contributed greatly to my
professional career, both in applying for jobs in international law firms and in legal
practice itself. Moreover, the BLC Diploma was largely responsible for me being
accepted for postgraduate legal education [at the University of Columbia] in the United
States”
Marcin Orecki (BLC graduate)
My acceptance to the LLM course at the Queen Mary University of London was mainly
due to my having studied at the British Law Centre. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the
BLC Diploma course and I value greatly the legal skills that I gained during my BLC
classes. I would not hesitate to recommend it to others and, indeed, I have already done
so!
Maria Patakyova (Vice Rector,
Comenius University, Bratislava and
BLC student 2008-2010)
Attending the BLC course as a student provided me with a unique opportunity to imbibe
the specialties of the English legal system and the chance to perceive EU Law through
the very different prism of the English legal system. It also greatly enriched my own
personal development, both in my position as a University law professor and as a
practising lawyer.
Mateusz Gawalkiewicz (BLC student
2010-2012)
The British Law Centre provides an extraordinary academic journey which takes you
through the fascinating world of the English legal system, judicial precedents and wigwearing barristers. During this two-year-long, rigorous course you will immerse yourself
in the core subjects of an English law degree and develop your problem-solving skills in
enjoyable seminars and tutorials.
The BLC offers completely different perspective on teaching and studying law. There are
no to-memorize-and-forget exams based on repeating statutory provisions but rather
open-book and usually take-home assignments which predominantly test a student's
ability to reason and apply the law to practical cases. And this is how every lawyer's
bread and butter work looks nowadays, no matter whether in a law firm, in a court or
within government. My core legal skills of legal research, reasoning and drafting were
shaped by the tutors at the BLC.
The extracurricular activities offered by the BLC , including debating, moot courts and
legal-skills sessions also offer a host of opportunities for BLC students to develop their
legal skills.
Jan Zaremba (BLC student 20102012)
My interest in English Law came from the British Law Centre course which showed me
the main areas of the common law system. Upon graduation, I decided to continue my
education in the United Kingdom and was accepted to the University of Edinburgh. I'm
sure that my study at the BLC helped me to get accepted to the one of the best
universities in the UK.