Mr Jason Tucker

Jason Tucker is a Reader in Law and Deputy Director of the Centre for Professional Legal Studies (CPLS) at the School of Law and Politics. Jason worked as a solicitor in private practice, and joined CPLS to teach on the vocational courses for aspiring solicitors and barristers. Jason is committed to experiential learning, believing that students learn most effectively when they are provided with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a societal context, working on 'real life' problems and improving performance through reflection. Impact of Work Jason has taught knowledge and skills subjects on both the Legal Practice Course and the Bar Professional Training Course. Since 2014 Jason has supervised a student advice project delivered in partnership with a leading learning disability charity, Mencap Cymru, as part of the School's clinical legal education programme. The project utilises a problem-based learning approach, with students having responsibility for their own learning, working in partnership with an academic/practitioner supervisor. Mencap identifies legal issues about which it is regularly asked to provide support, and the students draft an advice 'tool kit' to assist Mencap's client work. The scheme enables students to develop their practitioner and employability skills, and supports Mencap's advice work. From 2016, the project has secured funding via the Welsh Government. In 2015, Jason was appointed as Associate Dean (Graduate Employability), College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and is responsible for developing the College's employability strategy. Having reviewed the College's existing skills-based provision, Jason is now leading the development of a series of professional placement year and module options to improve graduate employability, and support the University's mission of the student experience at Cardiff being a by-word for excellence. Plans for the Future Away from the University, Jason sits as a magistrate in the adult criminal court and the Family Court, and as fee-paid Tribunal Judge hearing appeals in the Social Entitlement Chamber, which support his pedagogy by maintaining the currency of his practice experience. Jason is also an active member of the UK and European Clinical Legal Education Networks, and has given a series of papers relating to clinical provision at national and international conferences since 2014.