SOLICITORS
Stories to Inspire You!
An online community that gives you the chance to read about the experiences and journeys of those in the legal world.
Conor McCormack
Why Law?
Law was always my first choice as a University course, the final destination after the course was finished was less clear to me. The intention was to work that out in time.
I found University incredibly rewarding because of the friends and colleagues that I met along the way. I spent three years doing my Degree in Law and then an additional year on my Masters in International Criminal Law and Human Rights. I had finished my Masters by the age of 21 and I took an 18-month sabbatical from Law; before I started studying for my Law Society exams to become a solicitor in Ireland.
I would highly recommend any recent Law Graduate to take a break, travel, find yourself after your Degree; you will be working from long enough!
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What Stage am I at?
I am currently working as a Civil Litigation Solicitor in Dublin. My primary focus is on Insurance Claims, Personal Injury and Medical Negligence. The majority of my work necessitates High Court appearances for high value compensation claims involving International Insurance Companies, Self-Insured Entities and State Bodies.
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Any setbacks?
Unfortunately, I did not have any familial connection that was already working in the area of Law as a Solicitor or Barrister. Therefore, I could not rely on anyone to help me find a Job or an Apprenticeship after my graduation. I had no alternative option but to send 80 or 100 CV’s to Firms all over Ireland requesting interviews. The majority of the Firms that I applied to did not acknowledge or reply to my CV and I found that very disheartening.
However, thankfully, a General Practice Firm in the West of Ireland gave me an opportunity and I have never looked back. I am now working for a specialist Firm in Dublin in the area that I love.
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Any Advices?
I would encourage and advocate to each Law Student and Law Graduate to have an external hobby or pastime. The monotonous studying for exams and working in a Law Firm can really take its toll. Having an outlet or distraction to ‘switch off’ is imperative. This is especially important from a Mental Health perspective.
Fortunately, I have a fond appreciation for animals and Horses in particular. I try to dedicate evenings and weekends to focus on my Horses and this means I am fresher and in a better state of mind for work.
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Any Insightful Philosophy?
I live by the philosophy that; As Lawyers we win our Wars with our weapon of choice; and our weapon is well-spoken words.
Yasmin Khan-Gunns
Throughout school and sixth, I learnt what I was and wasn’t good at. I had a very good eye for detail. I loved drafting documents and analysing poems. I enjoyed reading factual articles. On the contrary, I hated science and I was not enthusiastic about maths, music or art. When it came to applying to university, I had no idea what I wanted to study. Coincidently, I picked up a prospectus booklet for SOAS University, which was lying around in the school library. My sixth form teacher had a look and said that I would be good at law. I researched the university and module and agreed. I made my application and the rest was history. It was as simple and unexciting as that.
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I am a family law solicitor at BLM in the City of London. I moved to BLM in August 2019 from a small firm in Battersea called Hanne & Co. I am coming up to 2 years PQE.
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Obtaining non-legal work experience has helped me to land my first legal role as a Legal Assistant in Slater & Gordon’s employment department. Grabbing opportunities when they come about. I had only worked at Slater & Gordon for 2/3 months and whilst at work, I received a call from a law firm that I had unsuccessfully interviewed at for a training contract. They offered me a paralegal role in family law and although the pay was significantly less, I grabbed the opportunity as I thought that it would lead to a training contract. It did! Within 4 months I was a trainee solicitor. Improving your marketing and business development skills. To be a good lawyer, you need to be an all-rounded lawyer, which means not only knowing the area of law you work in, but also knowing how marketing and business development works. These skills will help you bring in new business and improve your profile. Google has many free digital marketing courses. I recently did the 40-hour course and it was worth it.
I will hopefully be promoted to associate solicitor next year and then I intend to progress from there. I am also keen to develop my Instagram page @londonfamilysolicitor to educate the public about basic and more specific areas of family law.
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I was unsuccessful in numerous training contract interviews. The trick is to keep going and don’t give up. It is easy to become disheartened but I can tell you now that everyone is in the same boat. You will get there. If you don’t, I strongly believe that things happen for a reason and you will find yourself on the right path eventually.
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Amanda Adeola
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I know this will sound like the cliché answer, but the truth is that I chose law because I wanted to be in a career where I could make a difference, give people that do not have a voice the opportunity to be heard and to fight against injustice in all forms. Seeing some aspects of injustice growing up made me desire to want to be in a profession where I could make right some wrongs. I knew that I could not be super woman or bat man, so the law was the closest to doing that.
I am currently a Partner and Solicitor- Advocate at a BHP Law which is a regional full-service law firm and I specialise in Private Family Law matters.
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I have dealt with so many cases over the years and is difficult to select one. I believe that with each case, I learn, and I grow. I hone my skills as an advocate and as a human being. We are never too old to learn new things and that is the experience that I gain on a daily basis which I am grateful for.
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The future is bright, but I focus more on what I can do now to make a better future for myself and others around me. I am an advocate for mentoring and strongly believe that it is important to give back and support others. We never want to be the one that throws the ladder back down after we have reached the top therefore my goal is to continue to serve as a mentor to inspire and encourage other aspiring lawyers coming behind me. The call to action for a more diverse legal profession is not an easy one but again my future plans involve me continuing to speak up and stand out in order to make the profession more representative of the society that we serve.
I have had so many setbacks on my journey into law. From not getting the right grades to struggling to get a training contract but one thing that has kept me going is my passion for the law and the career that I envisaged for myself. It is easy to be despondent and to want to give up but if this is truly what you want and you believe that it is your calling then do not give up. I have been lucky to have the support of some incredible people around me who have championed my growth, and this has been helpful in overcoming many of the challenges I faced. Having a sounding board, solid support network be it your family or friends and the believe in yourself/your abilities are key.
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@chroniclesofafamilysolicitor
Oluwapelumi Amanda Adeola