Richard A

Profile:

I studied Law at City University of London, and graduated in 2016. Shortly after completing the LPC at the same institution in 2017, I secured my training contract with BDB Pitmans (legacy Bircham Dyson Bell). During the two year gap before joining the firm, I took up a paralegal position at Herbert Smith Freehills in its commercial litigation group.

During university, I remember being clueless when my family and friends quizzed me about my future career plans. Being the first in my family to pursue a career in law (and part of the first generation to attend university), I had no idea about what becoming a lawyer actually entailed. I finally decided that I wanted to become a solicitor in my final year of university, and I began the process of researching potential firms and drafting applications.

I became increasingly disheartened by the various apparent barriers I would have to overcome, I was conscious that my background could potentially prevent me from securing a training contract. I came across Aspiring Solicitors and found reading through the various Ambassador profiles extremely useful. I soon realised that there were many trainees and solicitors with similar backgrounds to my own, which made me feel much more confident about my chances.

I am very grateful to now be in a position where I can actively help increase diversity within the legal profession. I would be happy to speak to any students and/or aspiring solicitors about how I approached the training contract application process. I am also happy to speak more generally about my experiences in the legal profession to date. Please do not hesitate to reach out!