The post Sharleen K appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

I nonetheless enjoyed teaching in secondary schools of all different kinds, where I learned a lot about people, relationship building, adaptability and organising myself. I continued volunteering at my local Citizens Advice, as my background had taught me that the impossible is around us all the time, so one day, a legal career might become a possibility for me. Often the doors we think are closed just need a little push at the right time.

When my children left home, I decided it was now or never. In my early 40s I returned to university. I worked full time as a courier, and ran a business online while I studied. I wasn’t afraid of hard work, but I needed help to direct my energy where it’d be most effective. Aspiring Solicitors’ support was invaluable in showing me how to research and evaluate different firms to know which ones really ‘walk the walk’ in terms of diversity, building my confidence to aim for the top.

Since starting my TC at Withers, I’ve often found that elements of my unique background turned out to have taught me many soft skills such as how to & work smart cope under pressure, establish good relations and healthy boundaries, all of which complements the academic and practical skills I’ve picked up through my life experience and studies.

The post Finn H appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

After studying Law at Cambridge, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer but decided to gain some industry experience first. My first job after university was working in the Head Office of Lyle & Scott on several change management projects. It was an invaluable commercial experience, which gave me an insight into the world of fashion and running a business more generally.

I studied the LPC at BPP and then began my training contract at Bristows in 2015 with seats in our Patent Litigation, Commercial IP, IT & Data Privacy, Competition and Corporate Teams. I also completed a client secondment to a leading technology provider. I qualified into the Commercial IP, IT & Data Privacy team, which I sit in today, and was lucky enough to go on another client secondment when I was about two years qualified.

Whilst on secondment, I had the opportunity to advise on a number of media, consumer protection and advertising law matters and decided this was something that I wanted to do more of, so when an opportunity arose to do all three at Bird & Bird, I took it. I specialised in these areas of law at Bird & Bird for just under two years before ultimately deciding to move back to Bristows.

Diverse and inclusive workplaces foster a sense of belonging, which in turn promotes wellbeing, understanding and innovation. In the legal industry, our clients are diverse and it’s important that we are too. As a minority in the legal industry, it’s an area which is personal to me and which I seek to promote.

The post Alice EG appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

As an internal candidate for a training contract, I had already experienced how supportive and open RPC was to people from all walks of life and this was a determining factor in my application. I was newly out about being transgender when I started at the firm in September 2017 and was fairly apprehensive. I need not have been as RPC is a firm which values difference and recognises the strengths this brings.

I have a particular interest in employment and discrimination law. At RPC I am on the committee for the firm’s LGBT network, RPC RAIN. I am also on the committee for PROUDBristol, a professional LGBT network based in Bristol.

Although not disabled myself, I have advocated for people who are both personally and as a Citizens Advice Bureau advisor while I was at university. I am currently a member of the disability workstream at RPC.

Visibility is vital.

Many of us have faced barriers based on who we are. Positive and visible action is needed to counter this. This is not tokenism, but removing roadblocks which disproportionately affect specific groups of people. You do not need to fit a narrow mould to be a great lawyer.

The post Emrys M appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

I left school at 17, half-way through my A levels, I didn’t go to university, but BPP offered me a place on the GDL based on my CV (I was an experienced police sergeant). I accessed support offered by AS before I started my studies and had the opportunity to attend a networking event at BDB. Without this event and the subsequent interview coaching from AS, I don’t think I would have been offered a training contract.

I am very proud of what I have achieved without the background that is so often referred to as being important to enter this profession. Diversity is not about ‘quotas’; it is about creating a level playing field to attract creative, different people to an ever-evolving sector. I am honoured to be an AS Mentor and I hope to help others in their journey to a career in law.

The post Lore M appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

During the 90’s, I followed my brother (Corporate City Partner) and sister (Judge) in to law and successfully completed my law society exams, it was during this time that I was diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria. As a result, instead of obtaining a training contract, something that was impossible as a visible trans women back then, I joined The College of Law and later transitioned my gender expression from male to female.

I left my Production Director role at the University of Law to set up and run Global Butterflies, a consultancy providing advice to law firms on how to be trans & non-binary inclusive.  I have spoken all over the UK and also in the USA, Canada (and Hong Kong 2020) to audiences on trans & non-binary rights.

I am Vice Chair of the Law Society’s LGBT Lawyers Division committee representing trans & non-binary solicitors and am a Trustee for GiveOut.

The post Rachel R appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.