Led by Campus Dean Sandie Gaines, our lecturers are dedicated to bringing their real-life experience in practice into the classroom, providing our students with genuine insight into the subject matter. Each of our students are assigned an academic coach and have regular one-to-one meetings where they can get advice on the course and career aspirations.
Sandie is Dean of our London Bloomsbury campus as well as our Norwich, Reading and Royal Holloway satellite campuses. Before joining the University in 2009 Sandie was a practising solicitor for 15 years, specialising in respondent Employment Law. She has worked for a number of “top 100” law firms including Hammonds (now Squire Patton Boggs LLP), DMH Stallard and asb-law. Sandie specialised in advising employers on a range of matters including drafting and changing contract terms, enforcing restrictive covenants, employee relations matters, anti-discrimination laws and whistleblowing. She also advised clients within specialised sectors and notably the recruitment, agricultural, private schools and hospitality sectors.
In addition to her LLB and LPC legal qualifications, Sandie has studied a variety of disciplines and has a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education Studies, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychology. Sandie is currently undertaking a PhD in Psychology on a part-time, distance learning basis on the subject of academic self-efficacy. She is an Associate Professor and Fellow of the HEA.
Margaret manages the Reading campus of ULaw. She has a BA (Hons) from Royal Holloway, University of London and completed the CPE and LPC at the University of Law in York. Margaret trained and qualified as a solicitor at Eversheds, before practicing as a commercial litigator at Fladgates where she became an Associate. Margaret joined ULaw as a lecturer in 2003. She teaches Dispute Resolution and Commercial Dispute Resolution on the LPC and Crime on the GDL.
Clarissa graduated from University College London with a First Class degree in History. She took her CPE and Law Society Finals at City University. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at Osbornes, where she gained experience in litigation (both criminal and civil), property and family, before eventually specialising in wills and probate. Her training contract involved regular appearances at both County Court and High Court, representing clients on interim applications and summary judgements, as well as occasional visits to the local police station to advise following an arrest. After several years in private practice, she moved into legal education. She joined ULaw as a Visiting Lecturer in 2020 and joined the permanent staff as a lecturer in 2021. She teaches Real Estate as well as the Immigration and Employment electives on the LPC. Clarissa also teaches English Legal System and Administrative and Human Rights Law on the PgDL.
Heike holds an LLM in Business Law and a PhD in Insolvency from Kingston University and an MSc in Taxation from Oxford University. Heike is a dual qualified lawyer. She practiced in Germany as an Insolvency Lawyer and worked as a Special Risk Manager in an international credit insurance before moving to the UK. Prior to joining ULaw Heike worked at Kingston University, she started in the Law School and joined the Business School in 2016. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2011 and was Head of the Law Clinic at Kingston Law School. Recently, Heike was MBA Deputy Course Director and Senior Lecturer at the Business School. She has taught, developed and led several different modules in the area of Business Law and Taxation and has a research interest in the area of tax crime. Heike taught at the University of West London on the LLM and LPC; is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an External Examiner at London South Bank University.
Alice graduated from The University of Hull with a 1st Class Law Degree before obtaining a Distinction on the LPC in 2013. She trained and qualified as a solicitor at Blandy & Blandy LLP, specialising in Family Law and representing clients in areas including Divorce, Financial Settlements, Private Children Law, Cohabiting Couples and Prenuptial Agreements. Alice joined ULaw in 2018 and teaches Dispute Resolution and Family Law on the LPC and Criminal Law on the LLB.
Laura graduated with a Biomedical Science BSc (Hons) from Kingston University, London. Having changed career course, she then went on to study the GDL at our Bloomsbury Campus and the LPC at our Guildford Campus before training and qualifying as a solicitor. Before moving into legal education, Laura practised in Property and Wills and Probate. Laura now teaches Real Estate on the LPC.
Debbie has an LLB (Hons) and studied the LPC at the University (then College) of Law at Guildford. Debbie qualified as a solicitor and practised at law firms in the South East of England. As a Lecturer at The University of Law, she teaches across various modules on the LPC and SQE.