Who am I?
I am 21 and currently half way through my study of the OU's LLB.

At this point in my studies, I am uncertain whether I will peruse a career as a lawyer. For the time being, I am enjoying widening my skill set and knowledge base - preferring to see where life takes me.

When I'm not working or studying, I can be found sailing, playing guitar, out for dinner with friends or relaxing at home with a glass of wine and a DVD. 

Why am I involved with the OULS?
Having watched the OULS grow and establish a firm foundation with accreditation from the OUSA, I felt now was the time to get involved and assist in the further development of a student law society to be proud of.
 
My vision
Ultimately, I envisage a society that will rival those of the long established brick universities. In my role as Communications Officer, I hope to secure the inclusion of all OULS members.

Juliette and I intend to produce regular newsletters and provide information via the website, giving our members the all the important, and interesting, information they want!

Who am I?
I’m 23 years old and I live just outside of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. I work full time in a sales role for a large energy company (boooo!). I have just finished the W100 module and plan to complete W200 in 2012, hopefully continuing on to build a career in international or commercial law.  

Why am I involved with the OULS?
It is great to see a platform such as the OULS for students who study long-distance to keep in touch with each other and spend time communicating in a way similar to studying at a conventional university. Since the start of the OULS there has also been fantastic success for the mooting team and its members, which I think is of great inspiration as I would love to take part in mooting at some point. Also on a personal note I am pleased to be able to contribute to the Society, and to learn more about the day-to-day running of the organisation.
 
My vision
I would love to see the OULS provide a wider forum for law students to communicate on matters involving the law as well as general friendly chatter. There is endless potential for the Society, and I am glad to be a part of it.

Who am I?
I am 38 and a former OU law student. I graduated with a qualifying law degree in December 2004, having completed all of the compulsory law courses and 2 social science courses. After the degree I went on to win a full scholarship from the Law Society which enabled me to attend the University of Sheffield to complete the Legal Practice Course, starting in September 2005. I found it hard to get a training contract but was eventually offered one by a local Law Centre which I started in January of 2008, finally qualifying as a solicitor in January 2010. I have continued working at the law centre, currently specialising in debt. 
 
I am married, with 2 children and spend as much time as I can with my family although after 10 years of emotional neglect they don't expect much of me anymore! Whenever I get the opportunity I like to dress up in my cyber gear and go to a rave although i'm equally content to curl up at home with a book or a computer game for entertainment.
 
Why am I involved with the OULS?
Having helped to establish the OULS in 2010 and served as Chair for the first year, I felt that although I wished to remain involved with the Society, it was time for me to take a step back and allow current students to take hold of the reins. I chose to stand for election as part of the news team and now share the Communications Officer role with Sarah Pearsall.
 
I am passionate about the OULS and believe that it could provide something that OU law students have been lacking for many years - a social group to be a part of that can offer additional information and experiences which are both relevant to their studies and their ongoing careers. 
 
My vision
Ultimately, I see the OULS as a social hub for both OU law students (past and present) and any other interested individuals. It is my aim to ensure that members can benefit from the member only area of the OULS website - including access to an online social forum where they can freely interract with other members and an online newsletter
There is much more that I would like to see but I am aware that it wil ltake time to build. I also don't want to be limited by my own vision but would prefer to allow the society to grow in the way that it's members would like.

Who am I?
My name is Sarah Ashworth, I am 23 and in my final year of LLB study with the Open University. I completed my first year of study at the University of Liverpool and transferred to the Open University, so have experience of a more traditional institution, as well as nearly 4 years of full time study with the Open University itself.

I am passionate about the Open University- the indiscriminate opportunities it provides, the flexibility of course structure and the quality of course materials and tutors, which I have experienced time and time again on my various OU Law courses.
 
Why am I involved with the OULS?
I am involved with the OULS because I recognise and believe in the importance of the OULS, and want to see it reach it’s full potential. I believe that the one and only drawback to the OU is the lack of connectedness and communication between students. I believe a strong, representative student body is such a vital part of the student experience. It not only enhances the learning experience by the pooling of ideas and the facilitation of topical debate, but it enables like minded individuals to form friendships from which we can encourage and support one another.

The very nature of the Open University as a distance learning institution means the need for inter student communication is even more important, as it cannot be gained on a day to day basis as in other Universities. Again, this poses challenges and requires innovative and engaging solutions to be found to enable this interconnectedness.

A lot of hard work has been put in by many dedicated committee members to create the OULS as we know it today. I would like to build upon those solid foundations and continue to expand the Law Society. I believe committee members need to be dedicated, innovative and prepared to push for change which I am. They need a passion for the Law and legal issues and most relevant to my role as Social Coordinator, a passion for people and the society as a whole. I have original ideas and the drive and determination to bring them to fruition. I aim to give the OULS 100%.
 
My vision
My vision is essentially to create a greater cohesiveness between all members of the society- current students, past students, OU lecturers, the successful mooting team, staff members and the elected committee. I aim to help to promote the OULS to being a more widely recognised and credible student body, which enriches the lives of all it’s members in some way. As a current student myself, I want to provide current OU Law students with information and opportunities for development of legal skills, an awareness of legal issues and access to a network of successful people in the field to inspire and motivate. For past students, I hope to encourage greater contributions to the OULS via the pooling of ideas, stimulating debate and making and maintaining connections with other alumni.

Above all, I want all members of the OULS to feel that they can contact me at any time, with any query or suggestion and to feel rest assured that I will do my best to support them. That is my fundamental aim during my time as Social Secretary of the OULS.