In cooperation with the Estonian Quality Agency for Education, a new category – Educational Quality Contributor of the Year – was established last year. A contributor is a student or student organization that, through its activities, projects, and attitudes, has had a positive impact on the quality of education both within its higher education institution and in society more broadly. This year, the title was awarded to the Estonian Law Students’ Union.
The Estonian Law Students’ Union consists of around twenty active law students who, alongside their studies, have dedicated time to the development of legal knowledge and awareness, as well as the provision of legal education. Every week, they organize lectures, workshops, and quiz nights that are open to all law enthusiasts. The topics are wide-ranging, from the work of judges to the legalization of euthanasia. The Union also collaborates with major stakeholders in Estonia’s legal field and has created the Stardiplatform initiative to help students find internships and apply their studies in real-life contexts. In addition, they actively promote international cooperation by organizing, for the fourth consecutive year, a student exchange program with Ghent University in Belgium.
This year, the Estonian Law Students’ Union also launched a unique Moot Court Club, which allows students to practice both written and oral argumentation skills under the guidance of experienced mentors. Thanks to this initiative, students have been given the opportunity not only to gain insight into the “behind-the-scenes” of the legal world, but also to see what a lawyer’s actual working day looks like—how contract negotiations or interrogations are conducted, what the role of a patent attorney entails, and much more.
