Kim McDonald

Kim McDonald is the Co-Director of the award-winning University of Exeter Community Law Clinic. She is a practising Solicitor and Senior Lecturer in Law at the University. Kim McDonald specialises in Clinical Legal Education and experiential learning with her expertise and practising experience being in Employment Law.

With over 15 years experience in private legal practice, obtaining the position of Partner, Kim McDonald oversees the pro bono activity for the Law School and leads the clinical legal education programme for the University. Her overarching responsibilities includes developing and maintaining effective quality management processes for the clinic. She led on the project which resulted in the clinic being awarded the Recognising Excellence 'Special Quality Mark' owned by the Legal Aid Agency.  Kim McDonald is the convenor for the Access to Justice Module for the Law School where students act as legal advisors for the Community Law Clinic. The Clinic helps to plug the gap left by cuts in legal aid and assists those who cannot afford expensive legal representation providing access to justice and making a real difference to the local community whilst the students gain invaluable practical experience accelerating skill development which provides the scaffolding from the academic law to the legal profession.

In addition, Kim McDonald convenes the third year Employment Law Module within the Law School bringing her knowledge and practice experience into this academic module resulting in a comprehensive and dynamic taught module. 

 Kim McDonald has a keen interest in dispute resolution and as a Civil and Commercial Mediator herself undertakes a range of mediations involving various types of disputes from small claims to high value claims and those involving employment disputes. Kim is a mediator on the Devon and Somerset Law Society Mediation Panel.