My diversity networks
Profile:
I am a trainee solicitor with the U.S. law firm Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP in London.
I studied law at the University of Exeter where I was president of the law society. I subsequently undertook an LLM at UCL, studying corporate and commercial modules. I then spent two years as a paralegal after graduation, first at a small corporate firm in the City and subsequently with HM Treasury’s in-house legal department. Following my time at HM Treasury, I worked in a non-legal role regulating the UK’s big deposit-taking banks as a financial regulator at the Bank of England.
I am a state-school educated, mixed-race Black male of Windrush heritage. As a result, my attempt to secure entry into the legal profession was not straightforward and my journey to obtain a training contract took five years. I worked most evenings and weekends over the same period to complete applications for training contracts and vacation schemes, gain legal experience and attend hundreds of events run by organisations including Aspiring Solicitors. Whilst comparisons are seldom helpful, I believe it is important context that my journey was several times longer than those of my peers with comparable experience and educational profiles from ‘traditional’ backgrounds. In hindsight, it was an invaluable lesson in resilience that has positively impacted every aspect of my personal and professional life. But it certainly did not feel like that at the time! So now I’d like to share some of the hints and tips that I picked up along the way, particularly with those from underrepresented backgrounds similar to myself.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions! I’ll be more than happy to help.
