Cherie Booth visits UCL
13 August 2004
Ms Cherie Booth has visited UCL's Faculty of Laws to talk to summer school students about her professional experience.
In an event held at Bentham House Moot Court, the QC gave an insight into her busy life as a barrister, mother of four and wife to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Event attendees included two eminent lawyers: Professor Malcolm Grant, UCL's Provost & President, and Professor Michael Bridge, Dean of the Faculty of Laws.
Ms Booth's talk was given as part of a summer school programme for students
from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington DC. The annual four-week
programme, held in collaboration with UCL's Faculty of Laws, is now in
its third year and going stronger than ever, said course organiser Ms Christine
Washington. She explained: "Students on the programme attend courses and
take examinations in international and comparative law. They also go on a series
of walking tours to the Royal Courts of Justice and Inns of Court, and meet
distinguished speakers through the colloquium series. Cherie Booth's talk
was a particular highlight of the visit."
Ms Washington said that Ms Booth's experiences had helped the summer school
students to understand how differences between the UK and the US legal system
can affect legal practitioners. For example, British barristers have an obligation
to take on all the cases that are offered to them. In practical terms, this
has meant that as wife of Prime Minister, Ms Booth has been able to continue
her career without accusations of political bias. American litigators are able
to pick and choose the cases they represent, making it virtually impossible,
for example, for her US counterpart Hillary Clinton to continue to practice
during her husband's presidency.
She said: "Our collaboration with UCL has been a tremendous success and I hope that we will continue to run this programme for many years to come."
Image: Professor Grant, Ms Cherie Booth and Georgetown's Professor Peter Tague.
For more information about the faculty or the programme, use the links below.
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