Peter Goodchild teaches on our GDL and LPC courses; he even designed some of the course modules. Based at our Bloomsbury centre, he can also lay claim to being in the Guinness Book of Records, although he won’t disclose for what. He will disclose what he loves about teaching though… especially the buzz of the classroom.
By Editorial Team. Published 10 February 2017. Last updated 29 October 2020.
I was a commercial solicitor until 2000, specialising in 'soft' intellectual property (IP), new media and data protection. I most fondly remember advising on the sale of a Formula 1 (F1) team to a major manufacturer, and being seconded part-time to an internet service provider (ISP) in the early days of the industry.
That F1 sale was the last deal I ever worked on in practice. I’m an F1 fan so I really enjoyed getting my hands dirty, so to speak. I also managed to bring my knowledge to bear to help the client. It was great to go out on a high.
When I left practice to join The University of Law, I wanted to use my expertise to help aspiring lawyers make the most of their potential. The University was an obvious choice for me; it’s always been the leader in providing innovative and high-quality learning resources to aspiring lawyers.
The University of Law has staff who are second-to-none in their commitment, skill and expertise, and it offers a fantastic portfolio of learning products. The core product is strong and up-to-date. The University of Law delivers good courses very well. Like any world-class organisation it constantly seeks to improve itself but it also retains many of the core values it started with so many years ago, such as integrity and quality. These days, it reacts imaginatively to the challenges presented by liberalisation and the information society.
The classroom is a great environment. On a personal level it’s very satisfying when I help a student understand something challenging – that moment when the light bulb switches on above someone’s head. As a lecturer, I’ve enjoyed many of these moments. Quite often a class really gels, and as the course goes on, even when people get tired, the energy levels go up. It’s especially satisfying when a class gets to this point. It doesn’t feel like work.
I tell my students to work clever. It sounds a little hackneyed but it makes sense. It’s easy to fixate on learning mountains of information; it’s at least as important to improve understanding of the subject matter, for instance by getting the structure right.
At The University of Law you will be taught by tutors who are trained lawyers with invaluable practical experience. Come along to an open day and find out more.
