University: University of Plymouth
Degree: Law with Criminology
Year of qualification: 2023
Position: Solicitor
Department: Property litigation

What attracted you to a career in law?

I actually didn’t realise that I wanted to study law until I was already studying another subject at university. I originally studied forensic science and criminal investigation and soon realised that my favourite subject on the course was criminal law! I was particularly drawn to essay subjects at school and found that I was perhaps more academically inclined rather than practically focused, although I didn’t realise this until I’d already completed a year at university.

I really enjoyed being able to help others but also appreciated the research and intellectual challenge that being a solicitor and/or working in a law firm would bring. I was able to obtain some work experience in several firms prior to joining Ashfords LLP as a paralegal after graduating, and this helped me to clarify that this was definitely the career for me.

How did you decide which firms to apply to?

After graduating from university, I applied to a few law firms for paralegal roles. However, Ashfords was always one of the firms I was most interested in. I was also intrigued by the litigation role as many of the other roles on offer at that time were transactional, and I wasn’t sure that was for me. The culture and supportive nature of the firm were also things that drew me in. I applied for the training contract once I’d been a paralegal for a year and had gained some experience in an office environment and, fortunately, I was successful.

What kind of legal or non-legal experience did you have before applying, and how did it help when you were making applications?

I was fortunate to have a variety of work experience before applying to Ashfords for a paralegal role in 2018. I’d always worked since I was around 16 years old (mainly in retail) and I gained a lot of customer service and team work experience. While I was at university, I had a part-time job at weekends in retail but I also tried to ensure that I had experience in the legal sector as well.  

I completed work experience with two firms – one was a criminal law firm and the other was a multi-service firm – which allowed me to see a number of departments in practice. I was also able to shadow the legal and procurement teams at a local hospital, which was very insightful and gave a different perspective to working in a law firm. These experiences gave me lots to talk about in my training contract interview and I was able to draw on the different skills I’d developed.

Which departments did you train in?

I completed seats in the banking and finance, real estate (commercial property) and property litigation departments. I was a paralegal in the property litigation team for three years prior to my training contract and then decided to qualify there a year and a half later!

Please outline your area of expertise. What might you do in a typical day?

As a solicitor in the property litigation team, my work involves assisting private clients and social landlords/organisations with landlord and tenant disputes, building safety act queries, housing disrepair matters, possession matters, injunctions related to property and boundary disputes – among many other issues! This includes advising on certain areas of law, preparing proceedings, advising as to settlement options, sometimes attending hearings and/or mediations and preparing letters before action. The work can be very varied and often involves working with other departments if, for example, commercial property is involved. This provides a great opportunity to work closely with colleagues across the firm.

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of life as a lawyer?

One of the most challenging aspects of life as a lawyer is managing the demand and stressfulness of the job. Being a lawyer is a very important role and clients will be relying on you to advise them in a timely manner and in a way they can understand. This means that sometimes you may need to work longer hours; however, this isn’t the norm and most of the time you don’t need to stay late.

The most rewarding part of the role is knowing that you’ve been able to assist someone with something that they’ve been worrying about and/or needed assistance with. A lot of the matters that I deal with are very personal and involve people’s property, so being able to put their mind at ease or be able to give them a way forward is great. I also like that you’re constantly learning with this job, particularly where the law changes.

How involved are you with business development and promoting the firm?

Business development and networking are very important in anyone’s career but particularly when you’re a junior and want to build some contacts in the local area and/or at the same level as you. It’s great that Ashfords provides us with the autonomy to attend networking events, and to organise and attend events for the firm for either clients or other professionals.

I’m a committee member for XYBC, which is an Ashfords initiative for Exeter Young Business Professionals to meet up on a regular basis and connect with other individuals working in the same locality. This has provided a lot of new contacts for not only the firm, but also individuals who attend our events. I’ve also helped to organise and run Christmas wreath making workshops with other professionals and hosted several roundtable events for landlords regarding the Renters’ Rights Bill.

What makes your firm stand out from the rest?

Ashfords stands out as a very approachable firm with supportive colleagues, and it’s great to know that you can speak to anyone in the firm and they’d be happy to help you with any queries you may have. In addition, Ashfords is a multi-service firm and covers a broad range of legal practice areas, so as a trainee you’ll never be short of a variety of interesting work.

What advice do you have for budding solicitors who are contemplating a career in law?

I think experience is key. Even if you only have non-legal experience, it can go a long way in helping you demonstrate the skills needed to be a lawyer. When you study law, there are a lot of essays and content to cover, but in practice the law can be very different!

I believe it’s also important to get involved generally. While you’ll be expected to work hard and give good client service, it’s really important to get to know your colleagues and the firm. Most law firms will have lots of initiatives and social events, which can be really fun and help you to build a rapport with colleagues.

What is the work/life balance like at your firm? How often do you have late nights/work at weekends?

There’s a good work/life balance at Ashfords. For example, there’s no expectation to work beyond your contracted hours and the firm appreciates that everyone has a life outside of work. If an urgent deadline arises or you have a lot of work to do, and it’d benefit you to work later or outside of contracted hours, that’s absolutely fine. However, this isn’t the norm, and more often than not you’ll leave work at a reasonable time on the majority of working days.

Describe the firm in three words.

Approachable, supportive and forward-thinking.

How often as a trainee were you communicating directly with clients (calls, attending meetings)?

As a trainee, the direct communication with clients was a lot more than I expected. In most departments this was daily and would sometimes be in person. I was given a lot of responsibility as a trainee and would have to use my initiative to run my own files and be the main contact for clients. This gave me a real understanding of what the solicitor role is in practice and allowed me to develop a rapport with clients.

Where is your dream holiday destination?

I’m currently planning my honeymoon to Mauritius, so I’m definitely looking forward to that!