I am state school educated and the first in my family to attend higher education. My parents are from low-income backgrounds so I can appreciate the additional difficulties that come with having poor quality teaching and a lack of role models. I am also neurodivergent, so I am incredibly passionate about reducing the stigma that is commonly associated with neurodiversity in the legal profession. If you are an aspiring solicitor, I would be delighted to support your endeavours and to help you use your background to your advantage.

The post Megan E appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

I come from a family of non-lawyers and attended a state junior school. Having fairly recently started my training contract at Covington in September 2023, I am aware of how competitive the industry is, and how challenging it can be to obtain work in this field. I would like to help increase accessibility to the legal profession by sharing my knowledge, advice and support where I can.

The post Emilia D R appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

I studied Law at the University of Surrey and during my penultimate year, I did a placement in accountancy. I finished university in 2021 with a high 2:1 and went straight onto studying the LPC at the University of Law. Prior to university, I attended a state school and obtained a small amount of legal work experience in two local firms and one city firm.

I was diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age and found school difficult. However, since starting at BCLP, the firm has helped me identify my obstacles and find reasonable adjustments to support me in overcoming these. With the support provided by BCLP, I have been able to thrive and learn about how my neurodiverse strengths benefit my team and work.

I have become an AS Mentor because I am passionate about helping others and hope to share my experiences and learned knowledge with aspiring solicitors with similar backgrounds to myself.

The post Harriet L appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

As an Indian born, internationally educated woman who is a first generation lawyer from a lower socio-economic background, diversity is extremely important to me. As an immigrant from another country, whilst applying for law firm applications, I had not come across many individuals in high positions in the legal industry that represented a little bit of me. That is why being an Aspire candidate was extremely influential for me. Not knowing where to begin, how to go about things or whom to approach, Aspiring Solicitors helped me go to various open days, and networking events to see that the legal industry was not something that was out of reach. This was paramount in my receiving a training contract and choosing a firm where I enjoy working as my most authentic self. Having had this experience so far and knowing the importance of diversity it would be wonderful to be a part of the Aspiring Solicitors team and help create further space for more bright minds with a variety of different strengths.

The post Rudrani S appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

Whilst applying for training contracts, I soon realised that being a first generation lawyer made it slightly more challenging. I slowly began to gain more work experience by getting involved in pro bono opportunities available at University. I also realised that through my other non-legal part time jobs I was able to approach people who were solicitors/barristers and asked everyone for advice and even got some work experience by doing this! At first, I was reluctant to declare my disability as I thought it would be seen as a disadvantage and I became disheartened after submitting so many applications. However, I soon realised that this was the wrong approach for me, I did the necessary adjustments to be made prior to interview.

Diversity in the legal profession for me is about making everyone feel welcome and widening opportunities. If you have any questions then feel free to get in touch I’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions.

The post Izzy D appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

Arriving at Warwick, I had no idea how to break into corporate law as a non-law student. I struggled to balance academia, applications, and working 30 hours a week as a waitress to support myself financially. It was not until I signed up to AS First that I began to understand the profession and how to write a successful application – to any first years, I can’t recommend the programme enough!

Being Deaf and neurodivergent (ADHD, autism and dyspraxia), I worried that my disabilities would hold me back and make others believe that I was not capable, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. AS gave me the confidence to stop hiding my Deafness from law firms and to request the Reasonable Adjustments I needed. Prior to this, I was trying to guess my way through phone interviews – unsurprisingly, this wasn’t very successful! The incredible support continued on AS Aspire. The one-to-one coaching was invaluable in helping me secure multiple first-year schemes across my first two years at university. From these first-year schemes, I secured direct Training Contract offers from two Magic Circle firms, ultimately accepting my offer at Clifford Chance.

Coming from a background with no connections to law, being the only one in my family to go to university, and being disabled, I am all too aware of the feeling of imposter syndrome and how this can hinder you. I am more than happy to help in any way possible, so please feel free to reach out with any questions or for a chat about getting into the profession.

The post Eleanor H appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

I studied Management and Information Technology at Lancaster University (Non-Russell group). I then studied the GDL and the Accelerated LPC at BPP in Manchester and London, respectively.

Identifying openly as both gay and autistic has meant I have sometimes struggled to know where I ‘fit in’ or find people who are similar to myself. Therefore, I hope I can provide support and be a role model for others.

Everyone is different, including those with the same condition, so this will not apply to everyone, but personally I find that certain approaches to work help ‘enable’ me. These include:

• Having clear direct instructions and concreate goals provided are very important.
• I find it helpful to use noise cancelling headphones or to listen to music when working and needing to concentrate for long periods of time.
• It can be useful for me to have a quiet space to work in to enable me to concentrate on more complex tasks.
• When transitioning into a new setting, it is useful to see the surroundings and meet people before I start.

As a trainee solicitor I have continued to educate against intolerance and promote understanding on the issues faced by my community, challenging the negative perceptions and stereotypes that are attributed with Autism and in identifying as LGBTQ+. These have involved becoming an active member of Clifford Chance’s LGBTQ+ Arcus network, speaking at their LGBTQ+ events in both the UK and Hong Kong. Furthermore, I have spoken on disability/neurodiversity panels for ‘Access to Law’, National Autistic Society and the City of London law Society.

The post Tom M appeared first on Aspiring Solicitors.

As a proud member of the LGBTQI+ community, diversity has always been extremely important to me. No one should be afraid to be who they are, and everyone should have an equal chance at achieving their goals. A diverse workforce helps to generate new ideas, which is exactly what a law firm needs to be able to provide the best level of service to clients. Aspiring Solicitors understands this, and they were a huge support to me during my search for a training contract. I would love to now return the favour to others so if you have any questions, I’m here to help.

The post Laura R 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.