My first significant hurdle was the financial barrier to university. After leaving school, I worked in a factory over the summer. Once college began, I applied for countless part-time jobs without success until I finally secured a cleaning role at a doctor’s surgery. This job required a daily 15-mile round trip by bike through the Welsh hills, which built resilience that has been invaluable in my career.

After A-Levels, I earned a place at the University of Manchester to study law, expecting a straightforward path to becoming a lawyer. However, I quickly realised I was unprepared for the concept of commercial awareness. Unlike my peers, I had no background in political or commercial discussions, which put me at a disadvantage. I faced multiple rejections from law-related events and schemes, and my grades were unimpressive. This led to imposter syndrome and a temporary decision to abandon law for other graduate schemes.

While applying for business-related roles, I honed my skills in psychometric tests, video interviews, and assessment centres, even securing a few offers. Encouraged by my improved academic performance, I realised I wasn’t ready to give up on law. I pursued a masters in international business on a scholarship, dedicating myself to bridging my commercial awareness gap. This effort culminated in securing various vacation schemes and a training contract offer from Shoosmiths, where I will start in 2026.

The importance of diversity in the legal profession cannot be overstated. The best solutions arise from diverse perspectives, and this can only be achieved by introducing different experiences and backgrounds into the legal sphere.

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After a year of soul searching during my gap year teaching physics, I decided to attend Warwick University to do a degree in Liberal Arts. Unsure of what I wanted to do after I graduated, I did various internships whilst at university, including at the Civil Service, a digital marketing internship at an Ed-Tech company and a vacation scheme at a law firm. I also volunteered to teach physics at a local secondary school. I enjoyed the technical and international nature of corporate law and following a successful vacation scheme, I accepted a training contract offer at Norton Rose Fulbright.

Following graduation, I completed the gradate diploma in law (GDL) and the legal practice course (LPC), and commenced my training contract in March 2021. During my training contract, I completed seats in financial services regulatory, banking (on international secondment to Dubai), investment funds and tax. I enjoyed the technical but also varied nature of financial services regulatory, and had a particular interest in asset management, so decided to move to Kirkland & Ellis following qualification in February 2023.

First and foremost, diversity is important because it is the right thing to do. People should not be prevented from accessing opportunities because of their background. Secondly, diversity allows firms to access and hire the best talent. Finally, it is now the expectation amongst clients that law firms reflect the diversity of the society they are part of.

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I trained at Baker McKenzie before moving to Kirkland as an associate. While at Baker McKenzie I was a member of the firm’s steering ethnicity steering committee.

I grew up in a single-parent household, with an ethnic minority immigrant mother. So I am very aware of how difficult it can be to feel like you belong somewhere – whether that is school, university or the workplace.

As someone who is now in a position of (relative) power – I feel that giving mentorship and opportunity is a core part of the role I now play in society.

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I was incredibly lucky to participate in the first Aspiring Solicitors’ Mentoring Scheme in Northern Ireland. Coming from a working-class background, working in a professional environment, never mind the legal sphere, was completely alien. The mentoring provided by AS helped me develop essential skills for my training contract applications.

Feel free to contact me using this platform. I am more than happy to have a chat or answer any questions.

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I know how daunting and overwhelming it is to try and access (and feel like you can fit into) a world you have no idea about and have no immediate reference to. I also know how overcoming those challenges and actually finding your way into this field can make such an incredible impact on people’s personal lives but also on the teams and firms you work for by offering a fresh and unique perspective. I had such incredible mentors growing up and playing any part in supporting those in similar positions would mean the world.

Please contact me via any of the following: email, set up calls, LinkedIn.

I didn’t receive support from AS, as I was in South Africa, however I had the benefit of incredible mentors growing up and owe so much of who and where I am to those people.

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I am a member of Travers Smith’s Enable group and am involved in various disability inclusion activities inside and outside of work. I’m also active in EDI more generally. For example, I helped to write the Pensions Regulator’s recent EDI guidance.

I have a number of physically disabling and energy-limiting chronic health conditions.

After state school, I went to UCL for a Philosophy degree, then the College of Law and BPP Law School. I did paid work throughout my studies. I also had caring responsibilities – then and since.

Travers Smith has always been very supportive of my EDI and pro bono activities.

I’d be very happy to provide mentoring support via email, scheduled calls or LinkedIn. Feel free to get in touch.

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When preparing for applications and considering firms, I found AS and these pages helpful. I reached out to several solicitors who I recognised as having similar a similar background to me who were generous with their time. No matter your background, seeing people you can relate to within the profession gives you confidence that you can also achieve. The contacts I made through these pages, despite not previously having any legal network, inspired me to apply and I would now hope to give back and help others.

I would welcome emails with any questions people have or feel free to add me on Linkedin.

Apart from using these profile pages, I also took part in an AS mentoring scheme with Bank of America Merril Lynch and Mayer Brown. This was fantastic at building my confidence, preparing me for interviews, and understanding the profession.

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This legal experience gave me the kick up the backside I needed, and I decided to study the LPC part-time whilst working full-time, and to continue to look for a training contract. Luckily during my first year of the LPC, I managed to secure a training contract at a West-End law firm. Since qualifying I have had experience both in-house and in private practice. I am currently a Commercial, Media & Entertainment Associate at Simkins LLP. I joined Aspiring Solicitors as my journey into law was not conventional. As a mixed-race person with British/Irish and Filipino heritage, I always struggled to find lawyers with a similar identity as me. Further, being state-school educated meant I did not have the networks or exposure to practising lawyers that many of my peers have had. It is extremely important that there is representation in the legal profession so that the next generation of aspiring solicitors see people who look, sound and have come from a similar upbringing to them.

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At university, Aspiring Solicitors helped me hugely in providing a framework to guide my research into the law, offering mock interviews, and ultimately highlighting my ‘unknown unknowns’ about beginning a career in commercial law. The Black Aspiring Solicitors mentorship scheme with Stephenson Harwood gave me valuable industry insights that were unavailable elsewhere, as I organised regular catch-up’s with an associate at the firm. I built commercial awareness by preparing a topical presentation for each meeting, whilst also learning about my mentors role and practice area.

Alongside these mentorship sessions, attending open days, workshops, and a Diversity Fellowship at a US law firm, I have made use of a countless number of opportunities and resources which have directed my professional development. I currently work at an organisation which provides interview and application coaching to commercial law candidates, so I have seen first hand how even a 30 minute call to sound out ideas can boost your confidence, giving you more clarity and reassurance in your applications.

Pursuing a career in law is difficult, let alone with the added stress and barriers that come with holding an intersectional background. Please feel free to get in touch with me, and I’d be happy to answer any questions about the legal industry in general or the application process.

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During school I undertook a one-week PRIME work experience placement at a full service commercial law firm. This piqued my interest in a legal career and pursuing studying law. I was offered a Training Contract having not completed a summer placement- my summer placement had been cancelled in 2020 during the worst of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Diversity is extremely important because individuals from diverse backgrounds have an abundance of unique skills and talents to offer law firms and the legal profession. 

As a working class, state educated and first-generation university graduate, I believe it is essential that young people have others to look up to in order to give them confidence that pursuing a legal career is a real possibility for them. I grew up knowing nobody who was a lawyer or even worked in a profession. Without participating in various widening access schemes aimed at students from underprivileged backgrounds during school and university, I doubt I would have ended up in the position I am in now. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me as I would be delighted to assist.

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