Look into Law: Bitesize Online Course
Online Course | Open to students nationwide | Designed for teachers to incorporate into lesson plans
Following the overwhelming success of the online version of Look into Law which was open to an unlimited number of students during lockdowns, The Bar of Ireland was delighted to introduce a brand new initiative entitled Look into Law: Bitesize.
This online course is an additional outreach offering to secondary school students. It will be of interest and relevance to all students as it will explain how the law and justice system impacts every citizen of this country.
There are no limits to the number of students who can take part and schools can slot the course into their timetables at a time that suits the school between September 2023 and May 2024.
The course comprises four lesson plans including videos and links to further information, as well as suggestions for quizzes and research projects. Each lesson plan will be sufficient for one class, so this course could be run by a teacher over four consecutive weeks, or alternatively over half a day or over two double periods of class time.
Although the online course can be accessed individually by students, you should be aware that it was created and designed to be used by a teacher with a class.
Registration for the bitesize programme is now open. Once processed, you will be sent a link to a webpage which contains the full information. Please ensure you enter the correct email address as all information will be automatically sent to that address.
Look into Law – Bitesize is not restricted to transition year students and can be used by teachers as part of the CSPE class in third year or as part of English or History in fifth year. No prior knowledge will be required by teachers as they will be given easy-to-follow lesson plans.
Look into Law Transition Year Programme – Applications now closed!
Transition Year Programme | Combination of onsite and online learning | Open to 100 students, 1 per school
The Bar of Ireland’s Transition Year programme ‘Look into Law’ returned in 2023 and there is an online programme available too.
The Look into Law TY Programme has been reimagined as a blended offering with one week online and onsite for 100 students who are interested in learning about life as a barrister. In 2024 it will take place between Monday 26th February and Thursday 29th February 2024.
The online days consist of live Zoom sessions with barristers and include breakout rooms and quizzes. The online days will take place Monday and Tuesday. Then the programme moves to in person and the onsite days consist of job shadowing and tours on Wednesday and Thursday.
Applications are now open until Tuesday 5th December for the 2024 Look into Law TY Programme. 100 schools will be chosen by a lottery with at least 20% of places allocated to DEIS schools. Schools will be notified by Monday 11th December. Only one application is allowed per school and only TY Coordinators/Guidance Counsellors/Principals can apply. Any applications by students or parents will be deleted.
Registration is open for the Bitesize online course which is open to all schools – please see below for further details.
The Big Legal Q&A
Live Online Session | Friday 12th April
The Big Legal Q&A will return for a third time and will be open to all participants of both the Look into Law TY Programme and Look into Law – Bitesize. It will take place online on Friday 12th April at 9am to 10.30am. All schools and students are invited to attend and ask questions to a panel of barristers. Students will be able to pose questions about life at the Bar, how the legal system operates, as well as ask career advice!
Only one registration should be made per class by the teacher.
Please contact transitionyear@lawlibrary.ie for any further queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Application for a lottery place on Look into Law TY Programme
1. I completed the form online and submitted it. Is there anything else I need to do before applications close?
No, there is nothing more to do for the moment. We will contact you when the lottery draw has occurred and inform you if you have received one of the 100 places.
2. How many students can one school submit?
There are only 100 places and the schools who are given a place via the lottery can submit one student each.
3. When will I need to submit the student’s name?
Each school who receives a place in the programme will require to submit their student’s name by early January along with permission forms.
4. When will I send my students’ CVs/email addresses/phone numbers
As all communications will be through the designated teacher, we will only need the student’s email address when you submit their name. We do not need anything about the student before that.
5. My school tells me that they have already applied
If your school has already applied, please make sure to let them know you would be interested in the programme. Schools will be notified whether or not their schools have been given a place in December.
6. My school tells me there are several students interested
Unfortunately, each school who has a received a place in the programme will need to submit one student only. Schools are encouraged to hold a competition for the place if necessary.
7. We don’t know which student to put forward
In previous years, schools have held competitions, in the form of essay etc., to determine which student to put forward.
8. My child wants to apply
Unfortunately, we only accept applications from schools, if your child wants to apply, they will need to ask the school to apply on their behalf.
9. The student requires assistance
Please let us know any assistance your student will require.
Accessing the Look into Law – Bitesize course
1. I am a teacher, but I don’t know anything about the law, how will I know the answers for the students.
The lesson plans will have all the information you need to teach your class. Each plan will contain several quizzes to check that students understand the information. You are welcome to create a Kahoot quiz or similar with these questions – we will supply you with a number of wrong answers as well to help you create these quizzes. We will also supply you with the answers for all the quizzes and a teacher resource page with further information.
2. Do we need to access it daily or weekly?
Each lesson plan will be sufficient for one class, so this course could be run by a teacher over four consecutive weeks, or alternatively over half a day or over two double periods of class time.
3. How many lesson plans are there?
There are four lesson plans.
4. Is there a limit to the number of students that can access the programme?
There is no limit to the numbers.
5. How much does it cost to take part?
There is no cost to take part. It is completely free of charge.
6. Will the students receive certificates of completion?
Yes, there is a template included on the page for you to personalize and print out if you so wish.
7. Will there be any live components in this course?
There will be no live components in this course, but teachers are welcome to apply to the Look into Law – Transition Year Programme, there are only 100 places available. All TY classes will also be invited to attend the Big Legal Q&A which takes place on 12th April 2024.
8. Will we get a chance to job shadow a barrister?
Due to the nature of the course, it will not be possible to organize job shadowing at the moment. The Look into Law – Transition Year Programme will have an element of job-shadowing, although due to resource constraints, there are only 100 places on offer.
9. Are there any other opportunities for interaction between schools and between students?
As the programme is teacher-led, there will be opportunities for discussion within the class on different topics. There will also be a number of quizzes to check that information has been understood.
10. Social media
We encourage schools and students to use the hashtag #LookIntoLaw to show them engaged with the programme and to showcase their involvement. We will be encouraging schools to share photos of the students with their certificates on social media using the hashtag #LookIntoLaw.