Mrs Kate Holtaway

I am a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Exeter, having previously spent over a decade teaching and leading in the Law School’s Cornwall provision. I am passionate about legal education and particularly value creating learning experiences that are engaging, inclusive and connected to the realities of legal practice.

I have taught across a range of subjects, including Contract, Property, Trusts, Commercial Law, Dispute Resolution and Environmental Law. I am particularly interested in helping students develop confidence in applying law to real-world situations, and in using experiential and practice-informed approaches to make learning meaningful and accessible. My experience as a practising solicitor is an important part of this, allowing me to bring professional experience and perspective into the classroom.

A significant part of my work has been in developing Clinical Legal Education and opportunities for students to learn through working with real-world legal and community issues. I have directed pro bono clinics in Environmental Law and Tenancy Advice and re-established the Legal Project at the Dracaena Centre in Falmouth, which received the Cornwall Law Society Access to Justice Prize in 2024. I particularly value the way clinical education can bring together academic learning, professional skills, student confidence and positive community impact.

My current doctoral research explores the relationship between Clinical Legal Education and the Teaching Excellence Framework. More broadly, my interests lie in legal education, experiential learning, student employability and professional identity, and the ways in which universities can create opportunities for students to connect academic study with professional practice.

I have held a range of academic leadership and programme development roles, including Subject Lead, Director of Education and Director of Employability at Exeter (Penryn), as well as LLB Stage Lead and Clinic Director at the University of Plymouth, and Sustainability Lead at the Open University. I have also contributed to the development of new and interdisciplinary programmes, online learning and widening participation initiatives.