The post Sharleen K appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

Aspiring Solicitors were instrumental to getting my foot in the door in the City. Their open days with partner law firms and their application workshops equipped me with the tools I needed to improve my applications and become a strong candidate for interview.

As a first-generation immigrant from Somalia who attended a state school in London, I am the first generation of my family to attend university. Growing up, I didn’t know a single lawyer or anyone that worked in the City, which is common for people from working-class backgrounds.

Providing access to diverse talent is important to me as, throughout my life, I’ve known people who were incredibly talented but didn’t have the network, opportunity or support to nurture their growth and career ambitions.

From a commercial perspective, diversity is important as there is a giant pool of incredible untapped talent that would make an invaluable contribution to the Legal sector.

I have been lucky enough to face numerous setbacks, rejections and obstacles. I say lucky because failure has taught me where I needed to develop and has blessed me with the knowledge to prevent others from making the same errors.

As an AS Mentor, I am keen to help improve social mobility and diversity within the legal profession, and I am happy to provide application, CV and interview support to AS mentees who are navigating the competitive, and often confusing, graduate market. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about working at TLT or generally about pursuing a career in commercial law.

The post Liban F appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

Providing access to diverse talent is important to me because I want to work in an environment which reflects the cosmopolitan and global society, we live in. Our work is often cross-border and having diverse talent will allow us to build and strengthen our international relationships with our partner firms and clients.

Students can email me, set up calls, have virtual and physical coffee catch ups, and add me on LinkedIn.

The post Zaeem H appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

Providing more accessible paths for diverse talent is important to me because I often struggle to see people who look like me represented at higher levels in corporate law, which makes one wonder if it’s even possible for someone from my background to make it up there. It is also extremely important to have frank conversations about your career with people who can understand and resonate with your particular reservations or struggles, especially in a career field which has only recently championed diversity. I did not have any such support through these programmes as it so competitive, so I can only imagine how competitive the entire process is. Cultural gaps are very real in corporate law and I believe it is my responsibility to help where I wish I had help when applying. No one with the skillset and passion should be put off a career in corporate law for lack of transparency or access.

I am happy for students to reach out to me through email and am happy to have a quick phone call or chat off the back of that.

The post Anaya D appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

I then went on to study Law at The University of Birmingham, during my 2nd year of studies I was successful in being appointed as the Campus Brand Ambassador for BCLP.

I left University not having secured a Training Contract and decided against enrolling on the LPC. I worked as a paralegal for 2.5 years, in Real Estate at various firms such as Gateley and Womble Bond Dickinson.

I was offered a direct Training Contract with Pinsent Masons which commenced in September 2023. My first seat was in the Corporate team and I am currently sat in my second seat in the Planning, Environment, Energy and Infrastructure team.

If you can see it, you can be it. And I believe that’s important when trying to break the barriers which people face when trying to enter and become successful in their chosen career. I am passionate that workplaces need to better reflect the world we live in and by embracing diversity you can ensure every voice is heard, valued, and respected.

This will not only increase employee engagement and morale but, a workplace which is made up of people from different backgrounds is one which can offer new and more innovative approaches in decision-making and in turn used to the advantage of the company to help it succeed.

The post Priya T appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

As a Career Changer as well as being the first in my immediate family to practice law, my journey to securing a training contract was challenging at times. Platforms such as Aspiring Solicitor proved to be invaluable along the way.

The post Tutu W appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

People from different backgrounds tend to have different perspectives on the same issue and tend to approach the same problem in different (and perhaps more creative or efficient) ways. Diversity in a workplace therefore creates the perfect conditions to foster greater creativity and innovation. Diversity is also important as a goal to be achieved, because it results in a more equitable distribution of opportunities across different groups, some of which may have been historically excluded from accessing those opportunities. As someone from a non-UK background who works in a diverse team in London, I can attest to the fact that the different perspectives I have witnessed around me have challenged me to question my own thinking and helped me grow as a lawyer and a person.

The post Sahil M appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

Diversity is really important in any workplace as it brings diversity in expertise and perspectives which encourages innovative and creative problem-solving. Diversity should come hand in hand with inclusivity, where individuals can freely exchange differing ideas and beliefs to promote greater understanding of all forms of diversity, helping to tackle unconscious biases that exist in society.

Coming from a non-law background, I understand that the journey to becoming a solicitor can be overwhelming, especially when you are not surrounded by like-minded individuals to guide you through the process. I also understand the stress that international students may face around visa sponsorship issue etc. Aspiring Solicitors were a great help during my application cycle, where my mentor provided 1-to-1 application advice and I was able to attend AS insight days at law firms to further my understanding on the role of a commercial solicitor. I would love to give back and provide guidance to AS members so please do not hesitate to reach out!

The post Q Zhu appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

As an international student who struggled for a while to secure a traineeship, it is important for me to be a role model for other international students who aspire to join the British legal profession and are maybe uncertain or doubtful of fitting in while preserving and showcasing the flair and personality of their nation’s culture. After all – an office where individuality and multiculturalism thrive, is a successful office.

I would love to offer my experience, insights, and advice in relation to what I have struggled with during trainee applications and my career. I can also provide insights around my current traineeship. I can also share what I do on a daily basis to further my career and promote my personal brand; and support candidates from international backgrounds feel included in the legal industry.

The post Penyo I appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

Previous to beginning my training contract at Weil, I completed 2 summer internships in Asset Management (Impax Asset Management and Western Asset Management) and worked for 6 months as a paralegal at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett.

Diversity is incredibly important as a way of ensuring that everyone feels that they belong to an organisation and feels as though they belong at work. I am passionate about encouraging social mobility, so diversity is central to facilitating a workplace where state school educated individuals feel welcome and that they belong.

The post Alex S appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.