Yasmin S

Profile:

I am currently a real estate finance associate at Kirkland & Ellis having trained and qualified at Addleshaw Goddard.

I studied at a state school in Essex and had wanted to become a lawyer since the age of 11, however, with no relatives or close friends in professional roles, it was difficult to work out how best to do so other than the generic route of going to university and reading law. At the time, I was naïve to the potential bias against non-Russell Group universities or a state school education as it was all I had known growing up.

Because of this, I had worked hard to show a dedication to law, spending school holiday periods working for a local solicitors firm (which gave me a good insight into how law works in practice but was vastly different to the world of corporate law in London!) and taking on (often unpaid) work experience where possible. Following university, I took the decision to embark upon the fast-track LPC so as to further bolster my CV and, during this time, secured a training contract with Addleshaw Goddard.

Since beginning my legal career, I have found there is far less of a focus on my education or background however I do believe that there remain socio-economic barriers to starting a career in law. That is why this programme is an excellent tool for aspiring solicitors from non-conventional backgrounds and I’d be happy to offer advice and guidance or answer any of your questions based on my experience to date.

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