“With law sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”

The GCU Law Clinic have helped students look to the future thanks to a Careers Fair and motivational lecture inspired by the Common Good.

The event took place at GCU on 2 March and gave LLB (Hons) Bachelor of Laws students the chance to come face-to-face with future employers. The afternoon Fair was followed by an insight into the personal journey of Dr Naeema Yaqoob Sajid, who has over 20 years of experience within the Scottish legal system.

The GCU Law Clinic is a student-led initiative which provides free and confidential advice and assistance to individuals within Greater Glasgow who do not qualify for legal aid and cannot afford professional legal advice. The service also allows LLB student the chance to develop their practical skills alongside their degree.

Final year students Kirsty Titshall and Louisa Richardson have both been involved throughout their university journey and currently take on the role of Student Directors within the GCU Law Clinic’s Management Team.

“We really try to focus on equality, diversity and inclusion within the profession,” explained Louisa. “This event tied into that while also aligning to the Common Good.

“This was our first Careers Fair and there was a lot of GCU Alumni here for the event, which also helped inspire the students to come along. There was a mix of bigger firms and smaller firms in attendance, as well as organisations like Citizens Advice.

“Some people think that events like this are mainly for first and second years, but I actually got a lot out of it as a fourth year.”

Kirsty added: “There can be a real gap between finishing a law degree and having that chance to make connections within the profession. We wanted to give students the chance to ask any burning questions around traineeships and future opportunities to people who are actually solicitors. With law sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

“The students were really grateful that it gave them the opportunity to scope out exactly what they want to do in an environment that they’re used to. There are different careers fairs all over Scotland but bringing it to GCU really helped encourage engagement from our students.”

After the opportunity to network and develop their future aspirations, it was time for the GCU Law Clinic’s annual Common Good Lecture. Students in attendance got the chance to sit down and hear the inspiring journey of Dr Naeema Yaqoob Sajid.

Kirsty explained: “Naeema spoke openly and honestly about her arranged marriage and having a baby at a young age before going on and working for Parliament and then as a Procurator Fiscal. She then became a partner in a firm and retired at 47 years old.

“One of the key messages was that we can all go away and have different careers doing different things but we should strive to make a conscious effort to be strong leaders and stand up when something is wrong within our profession.”

Louisa added: “Since retiring at 47 years old, Naeema most recently started the D+ Academy (Diversity+ Law), which is a business consultancy service that helps students develop their skills and confidence to secure traineeships at the end of their degrees. There are around 14 students taken on each year through the Academy and some of the GCU students are currently part of it.”

Louisa and Kirsty were delighted to receive positive feedback from students who attended both events and felt that the experience was another example of the development opportunities the GCU Law Clinic can offer.

Kirsty said: “I want to go into academia, but it was still hugely beneficial for me to meet new people. Knowing there are solicitors out there with different opinions in different areas can only benefit me in the future.

“The beauty of the GCU Law Clinic is that it’s student led - we get to propose our own ideas for our events. As long as you can deliver on it then you can build it around your interests. I previously was involved in the creation of blog posts and a series of vlogs with people who maybe didn’t take the most conventional path within law; going into academia, taking a career break, etc. The idea behind this was to show there’s not one set pathway – you can do whatever you want to do.”

Louisa said: “I would say I’ve became so much more confident since getting involved with the GCU Law Clinic in second year.

“Getting experience in meetings with lecturers and other students has made me feel less anxious and allowed me to talk more openly. All of these skills that I’ve developed are transferable and I can take that into different jobs in the future.”

Find out more about the Law Clinic at GCU here

By Ross Clark

Achieved something related to your course or in your personal life? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk