Sarah Stirk
School of Law
Faculty of Business and Law
Email: S.K.Stirk@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 3986
Sarah completed her LLB hons at Warwick University before studying for an LLM at the College of William and Mary in the US. Sarah then studied for and became the youngest person to qualify at the time as an Attorney in the State of Virginia and took up a post as a Criminal Defence Attorney. After several years of practice Sarah returned to the UK to cross qualify as a solicitor and work in Commercial Property Litigation. Before joining Liverpool John Moores, Sarah was worked as a teaching fellow at the University of Exeter.
Sarah’s main research interests lie in socio legal issues associated with access to Justice in the UK and USA. Sarah is currently pursuing a PhD which focuses on a comparative analysis of the problem of the jury as a democratic representation in ordinary criminal cases and the marginalisation of lay involvement in the criminal justice system.
Teaching: Module Leader for Employability and Business Skills on the LLB and Environmental Law on the LLM and Land on the GDL. Sarah is part of the teaching teams for Equity and Land on the LLB and GDL and Independent Learning and law and Mooting for the LLB and Legal Research on the LLM in LP.
Administrative: Member of the Law School Teaching and Learning and Employability Committees. Sarah also runs the OUP Mooting team with teams having has reached the Quarter and Semi Finals in recent years.
Sarah is admitted as an active member of the Virginia State Bar and the United States Court of Appeal for the 4th Circuit. Sarah is a member of the Virginia State Bar Association, Society of Legal Scholars, United Kingdom Environmental Law Society, National Scholars Honours Society (US) and Liverpool Law Society, SLSA, SOLON, British Journal of Criminal Justice.
Sarah is the APSS Associate for the Leadership and Development Foundation.
Sarah is also an External for Land and Equity on the GDL at Nottingham Trent University.
Degrees
2011, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, PGCERT with distinction
2007, William and Mary Law School, USA, United States, LLM
2006, Warwick University, United Kingdom, LLB hons
University of Exeter, United Kingdom, PhD in progress
Certifications
2011, Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Higher education Academy
2010, Law Society of England and Wales, Solicitor
2007, Virginia State Bar, Attorney and Counsellor at Law
2007, United States Court of Appeal 4th Circuit, Attorney
Academic appointments
Associate Leadership and Development Foundation APSS Faculty, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, 2017 - present
External Examiner of the GDL, Law, Nottingham Trent University, 2014 - present
Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University, 2010 - present
Teaching Fellow, Law, University of Exeter, 2009 - 2010
Chief Examiner Introduction to Practice, CILEX, 2009 - present
Thesis/Dissertation
Stirk S. 2022. The Future of Lay Participation in the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales: A Critical Assessment Millings M, Burke L. Public Url
Other
Lawrence FLEUR, Stirk SARA, Cavandoli SOFIA, Diver ALICE. 2021. Equity as ‘Monstrous Offspring’? Trusts, Estoppel, and other Horrors Critical legal conference - 2021FRANKENLAW: COMMUNITY, DIVISION, MODERNITY
Journal article
Brooman SD, Stirk SK. 2020. Who am I?: Using reflective practice and self-determination to redefine ‘employability’ in legal education Liverpool Law Review, 41 :79-98 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Stirk SK, Aiello M, Box M. 2019. The Leadership and Development Foundation Associate Role at LJMU: a case study brown G, Huxley L. Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Advance HE, Publisher Url Public Url
Conference presentation:
Equity as Monstrous Offspring? Trusts, Estoppel, and other Horrors, CRITICAL LEGAL CONFERENCE 2021 ; FRANKENLAW, DUNDEE UNIVERSITY, Oral presentation. 2021
Are we missing an opportunity to give forward thinking “space” to law students?, CUHK LAW Directions in Legal Education 2020, Hong Kong/ Online, Oral presentation. 2020
The Impact of the Leadership Development Foundation Associate (LDFA) role at Liverpool John Moores University, UFHRD2019, Nottingham, Oral presentation. 2019
Is reflective learning an essental key to student success?, LJMU Teaching and learning Conference, LJMU, Oral presentation. 2019
The Impact of our “unique” Leadership Development Foundation Associate (LDFA) role at Liverpool John Moores University., Higher Education Leadership Forum 2018, Sheffield University, Panel Discussion. 2018
From Retention to Employability - Can Reflection Help?, Teaching and Learning Conference, Liverpool John Moores University, Oral presentation. 2018
From retention to employability can reflection help, LJMU teaching and learning conference, Liverpool John Moores, Oral presentation. 2018
Research Grants Awarded:
Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, LJMU Case Study on how the creation of the new Leadership and Development Foundation Associate role demonstrates a pioneering approach to leadership development and change capability in Higher Education, Meriel Box and Mike Aiello, Grant value (£): £400. 2018
Higher Education Authority, ‘A new employability model for the twenty-first century: the importance of social media and digital employability skills, Dr Alison Lui, Grant value (£): 750, Duration of research project: 3 months. 2012
Conference organisation:
A new employability model for the twenty-first century: the importance of social media and digital employability skills, Co-Covenor and organiser. 2013
Fellowships:
Fellow of the Higher education Academy, Higher Education Academy. 2011
Teaching qualification:
PGCERT with distinction. 2011
Editorial boards:
UKLSA Student Law Review, Editor and then Editor in Chief. 2010
Membership of professional bodies:
Member, Law Society of England and Wales. 2009
member, SLSA. 2009
Admitted as member, National Scholars Honours Society, USA. 2007
member, Virginia Bar Association. 2007
Member, Virginia State Bar. 2007
Other Professional Activity:
I chaired a session at the Professional Services Conference at LJMU in June 2017.