St Mary's Law Forum 2016 Encourages Students to Get Ahead in the New Legal Landscape

Students from the LLB Law, LLB Law with Criminology and BA Business Law Programmes at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, were joined by the following panel of distinguished professionals from across the legal sector on 20^th October 2016 for an evening of inspiration, discussion and networking. Law Programme Director, Jenny Henry, commented, “There was 'standing room only' at this very successful event. This was a great opportunity for our law students to gain valuable insights and practical tips to boost their chances of breaking into the competitive legal employment market for graduates. “I was particularly pleased to see those who had taken part in the linked workshops on networking and interviewing that afternoon putting their newly acquired skills into practice during the networking session with the speakers, many of whom commented on how impressed they were with the range and content of the employability measures offered for those on St Mary's Law programmes.“ With over 80 St Mary’s students in attendance to hear from the panel it was noted by Lloyd Gash, Lecturer in Law, that the participants in the room represented the full timeline in terms of the various stages of a legal career. Lloyd stated in his opening address, “We have first year undergraduates just settling in to university life and being introduced to the discipline of legal study. We have final year students for whom graduation is hurtling into focus and the next phase of life beckons. We have recent, and very recent, graduates of our law programme who are advancing into those next phases. We have lawyers with significant post-qualification experience, working in vital and stimulating areas of the law for the public good. And we have partners and heads of legal teams, from both private-firms and in-house, who have reached the stage of their careers where they have to be both lawyers and leaders, in firms that serve the businesses and individuals that make up our communities and our economy.” Attendees included:

• Harpreet Bains, BPTC Graduate, St Mary’s LLB Law alumnus, Legal Assistant, Slater & Gordon
• Sebastian Blomeier, LLM Student, St Mary’s LLB Law alumnus, future trainee solicitor at Clyde & Co
• Nick Grant, Head of Legal, J. Sainbury’s plc
• Edward Moseley, Partner, Head of Commercial Property, Morrisons Solicitors LLP
• Emma Nash, Public Law Practice Manager, Garden Court Chambers
• Laura Quartermain, SRA Regulatory Manager
• Jason Smalley, General Counsel, CEMEX UK & Ireland
• Jay Whiting, Student Manager, Aspiring Solicitors
• Karen Woodison, Associate Solicitor, Blaser Mills LLP

Each panellist was asked to speak for 10 minutes about their role within the legal profession, following which there were questions from the floor, with refreshments and time to network afterwards in the Shannon Conference Suite at St Mary’s. St Mary’s Careers Advisor, Anna Favalessa, added, “It was fantastic to see St Mary’s students picking up tips on how to establish their career in law as well as gaining more understanding about the different opportunities available.” St Mary’s offers undergraduates a number of courses focused on law including BA Business Law, LLB Law with Criminology - which is tailored for students who are interested in careers in the criminal justice system and/or are interested in law and in becoming a barrister or solicitor and the St Mary’s Law degree, which is a small, friendly programme in which significant emphasis is given to supporting students individually, with a specific focus on development of key employability skills. The University’s Centre for Law and Culture is an interdisciplinary hub for research at the intersections of law, justice, and the humanities; it is a home for the cultural study of law. And as a rallying point for such culturally enriched legal research, the Centre engages legal study that spans topics and themes from across critical and cultural legal studies. It aims to incubate and promote critical research that crosses and challenges traditional legal boundaries. Feedback from the students following the event has been very positive, noting the event itself was incredibly motivating and informative, adding that the forum gave them insight on so many different legal sectors and describing it as an ‘amazing event’.