Katie Br

Profile:

Growing up my father served in the UK Armed Forces. Whilst this was, and is, a source of pride within my family, it did mean that I was required to move schools every two years and my education was disrupted.

When I started at the University of Nottingham in 2015, I was the first member of my family to attend university and I did not know at the time that there were any other routes to becoming a solicitor. I therefore chose to study law despite my interest in other subjects.

It was a challenge to get legal work experience without any contacts within the profession. Instead, I focused on growing my skills in a variety of part-time jobs and applying to open days to try and get a “foot in the door”.

When I failed to secure a training contract by the time I graduated, I was unsure what to do. I moved to London and obtained a job as a Legal Assistant in an in-house construction legal team. Following this I took a role as a Paralegal at the Infected Blood Inquiry within the Cabinet Office. During this time, I was fortunate enough to secure a training contract at Edwin Coe LLP. I started my LPC at BPP in February 2019, studying part time in the evenings alongside working full time to support myself.

I am now a solicitor at Joelson LLP and I am passionate about increasing participation in the legal profession. I truly believe that the profession would benefit from having a multiplicity of views in order to make it a more enjoyable and inclusive industry for all.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like any support or advice.