Finally, after five years of studying (and 14 years of experience in law firms) I possess an Entrance Certificate and this month started my traineeship with Lindsays working alongside our Family Law experts. I could not be happier!
My first experience of a law firm was in High School when I took a summer placement (I think I was about 13 or 14 at the time) with Maclay Murray and Spens in the residential and commercial conveyancing department.
I then spent a week with a criminal firm of solicitors based in Glasgow, for my High School work experience in 4th year. After leaving school I went on to work with two criminal firms in Glasgow as an office junior and then as a junior typist.
When I was 20 I moved to another firm in Glasgow where I was employed as a Legal Secretary. I started working for one of the Family Solicitors, which first prompted my interest in Family Law. I also gained experience with the litigation and debt recovery departments. During my time there, I completed an 18 month paralegal course (family law) in four weeks and started another paralegal course (debt recovery).
By this time I had six years’ experience working as a fee earner in the Family Law team and knew that this is what I wanted to do. My confidence had grown and I then enrolled with Glasgow Caledonian University to study the part time LLB. This involved night classes and studying every weekend, for a long four and a half years until I graduated in June 2014.
In May 2012, when I was 26, I started working with Lindsays in the debt recovery department. I was still undertaking the LLB and from day one, Lindsays has been supportive of the career path I wished to follow.
Once I had completed the LLB I enrolled with Glasgow University to undertake the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice which commenced in September 2014. Lindsays were extremely supportive and flexible. I was able to reduce my working hours so that I could study on a full time basis, while keeping a job to pay for the University fees!
After completing the DPLP in March 2015, I finally received confirmation in June 2015 that I had passed, with Merit.
My work background has always been closely linked to Family Law in some way which is what I would like to continue to specialise in. Whilst I have always been fascinated by criminal law, I think I will stick to reading criminal novels!
I do think that a specialised traineeship will be great for my career development and am enthusiastic about what the future holds.
