Law Teacher of the Year - 2017 finalists announced!

The finalists this year are as follows: 

• Mohsen al Attar, Queen’s University Belfast
• Nick Clapham, University of Surrey
• Michael Fay, Keele University
• Matthew Homewood, Nottingham Trent University
• Geoffrey Main, Thomas Bennett Sixth Form
• Amanda Perry-Kessaris, University of Kent

The strength in depth in this year's field meant that there was an exceptionally difficult task for the judging panel in cutting down the candidate list to just six finalists. Both students and fellow lecturers submitted candidates for the award, to give due credit to those lecturers who are leading their field and making a lasting difference to the legal professions. 

The six candidates remaining will now move on to the second stage of the process - which involves campus visits from the panel of the judges. During these visits, the finalists will be observed in their natural habitats - the lecture theatre and the classroom. There will also be a host of interviews with those associated with the candidates - their colleagues, heads of departments, and most importantly, their students.

Once they have gained a thorough understanding of the ways in which each finalist works, the judges will then compile their reports to make a final decision and announce the winner of this year's Award. 

2016 award-winner, Lisa Webley from the University of Westminster, commented of the Law Teacher of the Year process: “I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the OUP Law Teacher of the Year assessment process. It made me reflect carefully on my teaching and assessment methods and also my role as a teacher of law; my teaching has improved as a result.”

This year's winner will be announced at the second incarnation of the Celebrating Excellence in Law Teaching conference, which will be held at Warwick University on Thursday 29 June.