Case Study

It had always been my goal to attend university to complete a law degree – since studying the subject in sixth form, I knew I had a passion to become a lawyer. I liked the idea of helping vulnerable people and supporting those through difficult times in their lives through the law.

I applied for the LLB (Hons) Law degree at the University of Sunderland through Clearing. I remember calling the helpline on A Level results day and chatting to the lecturers, who were amazing and put my mind at ease. I was accepted onto the course and in hindsight, I’m so glad I ended up studying here. I’m a massive believer in everything happening for a reason!

What I loved most about my time at university was forming lifelong friendships and having an incredible team of supportive lecturers. My favourite part of studying on both the LLB and LLM Legal Practice courses were the family law modules, which is where my passion for this area of law started to blossom. I’ve also really enjoyed having the opportunity to work in the Student Law Clinic, working on real-life family law matters, which gave me invaluable experience.

When I graduated, I was offered a job as a paralegal for a law firm in Gateshead, and I later went into another paralegal role for a firm in Newcastle, specialising in family law. Here, I was able to complete my Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) training to become a solicitor. Because I’d completed both my law degree and Legal Practice Course (LPC), and due to my desire to specialise in family law, I was able to qualify through the alternative route of CILEX. The qualification route allowed me to work full-time whilst completing my training.

I qualified as a family law solicitor in 2022 and have since moved to my current role at Richard Reed Solicitors in Sunderland, where I represent parents and other family members in Children Act proceedings. This year, I’m working towards completing my Children Law Accreditation so I can represent children in the proceedings.

My advice to prospective students thinking of studying law at Sunderland would be that organisation is key! Make use of a diary and get into the habit of managing your workload. This will give you an advantage in practice as ultimately, you’ll have a large caseload that you’ll be expected to manage yourself.

I can’t recommend the University of Sunderland enough. The staff were so supportive and guided me through my four years of studying, leading me to graduate from the LLB (Hons) Law with a First Class Honours degree. It’s important to remember to study hard but also enjoy the experience and form great friendships. It’s been such an enjoyable experience and the best four years of my life to date.”

Published 27 March 2024