Andrew S

Profile:

I feel passionate about diversity, because I truly believe that everybody should be permitted equal opportunity. I myself am state schooled, come from a low-income family, and have not attended a RG-university. I understand the very real difficulties that this can pose, especially when trying to break into a profession such as law.

I studied History at University as I did not then know that I wished to study Law. When I then had to convert into Law – by completing the LLM at BPP – my post-graduate loan did not cover all of the course fees. Unfortunately, I was unable to lean on my family for financial support. As a consequence, I had to work two jobs to be able to afford the course. Then, when I had begun studying full-time, I had to continue working full-time in order to meet my living costs. I remember feeling frustrated that I had such little time to study when others in my class had far greater opportunity. Working alongside my studies has been a common trend in my education. I worked fulltime during my undergrad studies, and during my A-Levels also.

As a first-generation university student, nobody in my family believed in – or pushed – my academic potential. I think that though the legal profession is often considered archaic, it is gradually becoming more progressive. There is a growing belief that those in the top academic percentile do not always make the best lawyers. This is a belief to which I strongly ascribe. I think that there are many skills that are required to flourish in the legal profession, and academic capability is but one in many. Today, I am working towards obtaining a training contract, and I am fortunate enough to work with a firm that respects my capabilities holistically, as opposed to just my academic background. If you feel you want to ask anything, or simply chat about the legal profession, please feel free to drop me a message.

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