BTC & LPC STUDENTS
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.
Harriet Ealden
I decided that I wanted to enter into the legal profession following an international mock bar trial competition I involved in during sixth form. I found performing oral advocacy to be a very stimulating experience, and one which I wished to emulate in my future career.
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I have recently graduated law with first class honours. I undertook a placement year following my second year at a commercial law firm, which I found to be a valuable experience.
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During my time at university I have had the opportunity to participate in mooting competitions, academic debates and to undertake mini-pupillages. All these experiences have been incredibly useful and have enabled me to develop my knowledge and understanding of the legal field. Perhaps one of the most valuable opportunities I have had was court marshalling. This entailed the shadowing of a District Judge for two days, once in family court and once at the magistrate’s court. I found this to be an excellent insight into exactly what is expected of advocates from a judge’s perspective, and which styles of advocacy are perceived to be the most effective.
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As aforementioned, I am a law graduate and I am hoping to pursue a career at the bar. I am yet to decide on a practice area as I would like to keep my options open. However, I have always been particularly interested in criminal law. During my time at university I have also developed a love for employment law and tort law. After a successful application and interview process I am due to start the bar course at the ICCA in January.
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Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, I failed to achieve the A-level grades I was predicted. This meant I was unable to attend my first-choice university. At the time I was very disheartened. I was concerned that attending a non-Russel Group university would put me at a disadvantage against other candidates. Despite these fears, I was determined to make the most of my university experience and fully immerse myself in all that it had to offer. As I continued to improve my grades, my confidence grew, and I realised the only thing that could set me back was my attitude. Hard work reaps reward no matter where that work is carried out.
Jasmine Guy
I am currently a paralegal at DWF, studying my LPC part-time. I studied the LLB at Durham University.
At university, I volunteered at Citizens Advice. The experience showed me just how energising it can be to come up with creative solutions for clients. Being able to solve complex problems for clients is what makes me excited about a career in law. Having been part of two vacation schemes and attended three open days at a range of firms, my ambition is to obtain a training contract from a commercial law firm.
I am particularly interested in contentious work (being a litigation paralegal does that to you) and construction/projects as a practice area. I also find M+A so interesting- I even do a post on my Instagram every Monday covering M+A stories I’ve read that past week. That said, what I’ve learnt from speaking to trainees is that you may start off wanting to go into one area but there’s a good chance you’ll change your mind during your training contract.
Post-graduation I went travelling, having worked in retail (and in numerous other ad hoc roles at university) throughout my third year. This enabled me to self-fund my trip and although working so much may have caused my grades to suffer slightly, it was the right decision for me. I met a range of new people, was thrown out of my comfort zone and grew my confidence exponentially. To me, this was more valuable than getting a first.
When I was at university, I struggled with training contract applications (not that they are by any means a walk in the park now I’m a graduate.) Trying to think of examples and achievements etc. was like getting blood from a stone - pitching yourself is definitely a skill that takes practice. Having now thrown myself into numerous opportunities, from becoming a BeComAware student ambassador to attending more virtual networking events than I can count, I now have confidence in my own skills and commercial awareness.
One of the main errors you can make is comparing your career journey to someone else’s. Would I have loved to have gained a training contract offer in second year? Yes, of course. But then again, I’d be a
totally different person now and would have missed out on so many of the unique experiences I have had post-graduation.
Everyone’s journey is different.
Jessica Powell
Why law? I suppose that is the most important question at any stage of the legal career. For me, it has always been very simple. I have wanted to make a change; I have always wanted to speak for those who cannot or do not speak for themselves. It is in my nature to be incredibly caring; I aspire to have a positive impact on those who I meet.
A career as a legal professional, a barrister, enables me to be able to express this side of my personality, whilst simultaneously addressing the fiercer side of my personality. This so called ‘fierceness’ is exactly what enables me to be so passionate about a career at the criminal bar. This drives my ambition to want to help those in need, to defend those who are entitled to a defence and address any miscarriages of justice.
I have just completed my undergraduate LLB Law degree at the University of Bedfordshire and received a first-class, I shall be commencing the BTC at BPP Law School this September. My urge for a career at the criminal bar was solidified when I spent two weeks shadowing a trial at Luton Crown Court with barristers from 25 Bedford Row. This experience was eye-opening, to be able to see the entirety of the trial was an amazing experience and one I am incredibly grateful for. The BTC is, of course, very expensive. This is something which I inevitably had to take into consideration, especially considering my working-class background. Luckily, I received two scholarship from my BTC provider, so this enabled some financial flexibility. Ultimately, the financial stress was not enough to hinder me from commencing the BTC.
My plan for the future remains a fairly straightforward one in theory, to complete the BTC and get pupillage. Understandably, this may not be as straightforward in practice however that is the eventual goal.