LAW, NON-LAW & GDL 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.
Catherine Ievers
Ah, yes, the question I always dread…why law? For a while I convinced myself that the only answer to this was a long-winded, overly elaborate essay on the merits of practising law and its crucial role within society. A few dubious looks from well-respected barristers later and it was clear that, as we would say in my native Belfast, they ‘knew fine rightly’ I was just saying what I thought they wanted to hear. Barristers are well-versed in distinguishing truth from nonsense, and an honest answer is therefore what they want, and respect.
Back at the drawing table, I stripped it right back: In my case, it was less about why I wanted to study law, and more about why I wanted to become a lawyer. Truthfully, people often cross paths with lawyers at some of the most difficult points of their life. They are faced with a host of jargon in an unfamiliar environment, which goes no way to alleviate their concerns. In the absence of any real support, it would be my goal as a lawyer to marry my passion for justice and natural debating skills with my care for others and ability to translate complex legal issues into better understood chunks of information. Thereby instilling trust in my client that their case will be represented appropriately, and providing comfort by helping them understand the outcome.
As a second-year law student at Queen Mary, that is the biggest lesson I have learnt thus far, and I have continued to adopt this underlying principle of honesty across all my endeavours. If I do not know something, I am honest about that. If I cannot make a deadline, I am honest about that. By adopting this approach, you can deal with any potential issues before they become a real problem. People respect this honesty, and will often elaborate further to aid your understanding, or help you to come to a solution.
I am particularly interested in Criminal Law and aim to secure a few work experience opportunities in my remaining time at university. I became a member of my university’s bar society last year, and it has proved to be extremely helpful in expanding my knowledge of the legal world, and the Bar specifically. This has created new connections for me, and I plan to reach out to those connections to further my network and experience.
Soniya Ponniah
Growing up as part of a minority and the daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants, I have been consciously aware of the law as a whole and the disproportionality it presents. Knowing this from a very young age, I was drawn to understanding the workings of law, which ultimately led me to complete my Bachelor of Arts: Combined Honours in Law and Human Rights degree at Carleton University. During those four years, my decision to become an advocate for miscarriages of justice was fortified and I decided to pursue an L.L.B. at Queen Mary University of London. Deciding to move away from my family was not an easy decision however after completing my first year of law school I have realised that this was one of the best decisions I have made. London has offered numerous opportunities to practically understand and witness law in action. From shadowing barristers at the Old Bailey to volunteering with firms who take on pro-bono cases, I have been able to gain exposure of the realities of law.
However, these experiences did not come without difficulties. Many people I encountered did not believe that me, being a Sri Lankan and a woman, would be capable of being a barrister. I was faced with comments of being weak, emotional, and indecisive, while more traditional people believed that becoming a criminal law barrister would not be safe.
Even so, rather than allowing those comments to impede career path, I chose to let them motivate me; instead of believing that being a minority and a woman are weaknesses, I accepted them as strengths.
Becoming a barrister to me does not only mean fighting injustices, addressing the disproportionalities of the prison system, or wanting change for victims of not only crimes but also victims of the system. Personally, it also means being an advocate for any woman of any race who wishes to pursue the same career. I have used my setbacks as my motivation and any hurdle as a lesson. My goal to practice as a criminal or human rights barrister and work for an organisation that strongly advocates for miscarriages of justice is one that I am constantly striving for and will continue to do so.
Justin Griffin
My name is Justin and I am a recent GDL graduate from The University of Law. Prior to this I studied Business Law at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh where I’m from. Since finishing my undergraduate in 2014 I have been living in the APAC region, specifically Hong Kong for the last four years. Currently, I am waiting to see if I have passed the application stage for a select few UK-based training contract positions, but I also intend to apply to the Kennedys SQE Training Programme in a few months.
When applying to university back in 2010, I chose a combined business and legal degree purely out of academic interest, and to give me a solid foundation for finding future employment. However, after being able to specialize in different legal modules I found that this industry appealed to me more than the graduate scheme route into commerce.
Living in Asia has had a profound influence on my choosing law, particularly Hong Kong since the advent of the protests last June. I have had more encounters than I care to mention with people in positions of authority undermining the rule of law, or abusing their role for their own gain, which has inspired me to pursue a career as a solicitor to uphold our shared principles and moral standards of our society.
As a GDL student studying remotely from China with Ulaw, I have encountered a few setbacks. For example, the accessibility of practical legal work experience for a non-Chinese speaker, as well as the inability to attend a relevant insight evenings or open days for UK national firms. However, the emergence of virtual experience programmes by specific leading law firms have enabled students and graduates alike to bridge this gap and gain some first-hand knowledge of the type of work that these firms do. Additionally, COVID-19 has actually birthed certain advantages for international students with a view to qualifying in England and Wales, namely graduate recruitment events such as the aforementioned are now taking place online with far greater quotas for attendance that transcend geographical restrictions.
Alongside studying and working, I spend a lot of my free time contributing articles to Human Rights Pulse which helps raise awareness for global human rights issues, whilst promoting accountability, democracy, and justice. In the future, I would like to use the skills and experience that I will acquire through a career as a legal practitioner to be part of the community making a pragmatic change in the human rights sphere.
Tejal Shah
My answer to “why law” is probably why not law? After I studied A level Law, which included a whole year of solely Criminal Law, I knew that there was nothing else I wanted to study at University. No other subject interested me more than Law. However, that was quite naive of me. As at University, Criminal Law will only make up one of the seven foundations of Law that you will need to study.
That being said, I knew, from about the end of high school, that I wanted to be a lawyer. I still don’t know the answer to “why do you want to be a lawyer”. And I probably will never have a concrete answer to that.
I am now about to start my third year of studying Global Law [LLB] at QMUL. After a very lengthy application process, I was successfully awarded the QM School of Law Gianni Sonvico Scholarship in my first year, renewed in my second year, and which will be subject to renewal again this year.
I think the real benefit of studying law, though everyone says you do not have to, is the ‘law student only’ events and opportunities that you can take part in. As a Law student, I have been able to participate in competitions, work at QM Legal Advice Centre and make the most of Law related societies. It is safe to say that, the Queen Mary Bar Society is my second home. The most exciting experience that I have had whilst being a Law Student is participating in the Gray’s Inn Vocalise Programme. This opportunity allowed me to firstly master debating skills myself, and secondly put it into practice by teaching prisoners how to debate. Prisoners. I visited YOI Feltham for 2 months straight and I taught inmates, who were close to my age, how to debate. It is a whole different world in there, one inmate even said it feels like, “Butlins behind Bars”. Take that as you will! I wholeheartedly recommend this programme to all students.
A law degree is difficult though. I will put no filter on this. Yet, probably every degree is hard. You just have to choose which one is “worth it”. I found that I performed the best in the modules that I liked the least, if not, absolutely hated!
My reason why, Criminal Justice Society?
Again, A level Law. It sparked my interest and knowledge about the Crime world. I also got to visit two prisons [Pentonville and Surrey] whilst at college. The 17-year-young me was clearly very eager to learn about the CJ system.
At Law School, unfortunately, there is hardly any attention given to the CJ system. At QM, you only learn about Criminal Law in your second year, [first year if you are Senior Status]. Even that, can be very syllabus focused. Most lecturers and almost everyone just assume that firstly, you will only be interested in Commercial Law and secondly, you only want to be a solicitor.
Therefore, I took the step of creating, yours truly, the Queen Mary Criminal Justice Society. This might just be the highlight of my ongoing degree. Through this society, I hope to not only learn more about the CJ system myself, but to introduce and challenge like-minded students to new topics. And give the CJ system the importance it deserves.
Launching in September 2020. Yes, 2020 really and truly has it all!
Claudia Brooker
Hi! My name is Claudia and I’m going into the second year of my History degree at Queen Mary’s. After binge watching Suits (cliché I know) and then hearing about the Innocence Project that I researched a career in law. However, in terms of Suits, it wasn’t Harvey’s lifestyle I aspired to but the pro-bono work that Mike completed and the passion he demonstrated to helping people which I became interested in.
Although I am determined to become a Barrister, I chose to study History because after seeing the modules on offer at QM and loving the subject at A-Level, I had to choose it! I’m especially looking forward to my modules next year including Human rights history, as this is knowledge which (in my opinion) would help my future self. Some lawyers do say that a non-law degree can be harmful as there are disadvantages to not being at the same level as others, but I disagree, as it can make you stand out and show you have other interests.
I have completed a mini pupillage and other work experience with Barristers and Solicitors and if I can give anyone a tip it would be to talk to as many people as you can in different areas as you do not know what you do and don’t like until you try it! It was through this and attending various webinars that I decided I wanted to become a Barrister and perhaps go into Criminal and Family Law (but this is just an initial idea!)
My long-term plan is to complete my degree, then do the PGDL before my Barrister training. Short-term, I am a committee member of two Law Societies at University which are going to be extremely exciting and useful to be a part of. I have a mini pupillage lined up for the future and hopefully I can keep my legal knowledge and awareness intact!
I think my biggest setback has been applications. My first ever cover letter I wrote I had no idea what I was meant to include, after it being checked by a careers advisor I felt quite intimidated as I was quite off base with my initial drafts. However, I personally feel that I have mastered a cover letter method which has worked for my applications for minis! It was a long process but worth it as they are so important to perfect!