Gayathri K

My Law Firm

Profile:

I am an Associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. I studied at a Non-Russell group university and completed my Legal Practice Course (LPC) at BPP University.

When I started university, I was already drawn to a career in law but was initially set on becoming a barrister. However, I quickly found that the modules I enjoyed and excelled in didn’t support this particular career route. It was only in my final year of university, through attending open days at various city law firms, that I started contemplating a career as a commercial solicitor. As a third year student with no contacts in the industry, I felt that I was underprepared and uninformed about the application process for vacation schemes and training contracts. It was at this point that I began to seek help and mentorship from diversity initiatives such as Aspiring Solicitors.

Despite graduating from university without securing a training contract, I was determined to pursue a career as a lawyer, so I self-funded the LPC. After finishing law school, I found employment as a Legal Editor at FromCounsel, an online corporate knowledge service. This role bolstered my commercial knowledge and helped further my chances of obtaining a training contract.

Having personally experienced the barriers faced by underrepresented communities trying to enter the legal profession, I feel lucky to have had the support and mentorship of Aspiring Solicitors to help me through the application cycle. I found the process to be daunting and overwhelming at times, especially as I felt that there were not many people who looked like me or shared the same experiences as I did. I hope as a Professional Ambassador, I can also support and help others who may otherwise be discouraged to pursue a career in commercial law. If you have any questions about the application process or assessment days, feel free to get in touch.