Reccy's Graduate Story

Find out how studying at the University of Birmingham helped Reccy achieve her career goals.

Graduation year: 2022

Degree Title(s): LLB for Graduates

Job title: Paralegal (SQE Trainee)

Employer: Burley Law

What does your role involve? I am currently working as a Paralegal (SQE Trainee) at Burley Law Limited, a niche firm which specialises in IP, Tech, HR & Employment. I assist Des Burley, the founding partner with IP work such as registering trade marks, drafting contracts, and advising clients on how to secure and commercialise their IP. I also assist Liz Burley, the firm’s Director and HR & Employment Law Specialist, with providing employment law advice and HR services to individuals and businesses. This includes drafting various contracts for employers, and providing advice to both employers and employees dealing with disciplinary and grievance issues in both non-contentious and contentious situations. Having had previous experience as a Legal Administrator, I also assist Des and Liz with various business development tasks such as recruitment, improving and implementing processes, and marketing.

Can you describe the journey you went on to get this role? I joined the firm in November 2021, as a Consultant Commercial Paralegal from Flex Legal, an agency which helps businesses recruit paralegals and solicitors. I originally signed a contract to work for the firm as a consultant paralegal for 3-6 months but got offered a full time role as they were happy with my work and contributions to the firm. However, I had already accepted a role as the Head of the Law and Legal Aid Program at Caribbean Elective, so I worked in Saint Lucia for two and half months before returning to the firm in August 2022 as a full time employee. My time working as the Head of the Law Program for Caribbean Elective helped me develop the organisation, leadership, and problem solving skills needed for my current role as a SQE Trainee, as working in a small firm means we have to handle multiple responsibilities and take initiative on projects to make sure client work and administrative tasks get done on time.

What do you enjoy most about your job? My favourite thing about working at Burley Law is the opportunity to receive 1-1 mentorship and training with the firm’s partners who both have many years of legal experience. Des, who has over 20 years of IP and Tech law experience, has taught me a lot about trade marks, copyright, patents, and design rights, and helped me develop my contract drafting skills. Liz, has helped increase my knowledge of Employment Law particularly around reviewing and drafting contracts, and dealing with Employment Tribunal Claims. Working at a smaller firm means I have been given a lot of responsibilities at a junior level including the opportunity to work closely with clients.

How did your time at Birmingham help prepare you for this role? While I was studying at the University of Birmingham I took part in CEPLER’s Pro Bono Group as a Free Legal Advice Group (FLAG) Coordinator. As I was responsible for organising client meetings with student volunteers and solicitors, this helped me develop my team work, leadership, and organisational skills which I used in my previous role as a Legal Administrator and now use in my current role as a ParaIegal. My 1 month placement at Support Through Court which was arranged by CEPLER also helped me develop knowledge of Civil and Family Law matters, taught me how to fill out court documents and draft legal documents, and help me learn Civil Court Procedure. I also applied for and was awarded a £2,000 Gateway Bursary at the end of my first year of law school. Without the funding from the Gateway Bursary, I wouldn’t have been able to work as a legal intern in Saint Lucia in 2019, an opportunity which led to me being hired as Caribbean Elective’s Head of Law & Legal Aid in 2022. I also took part in Birmingham Law School’s Moot, Debate, and Client Interview competitions as part of the Advocacy Program. This extra-curricular activities helped me develop my critical analysis skills, legal research and advocacy skills, and taught me how to organise and prepare court bundles. All of these opportunities helped me develop legal knowledge and skills which I use on a daily basis as a paralegal.

What advice would you give to students interested in getting into your industry or role? The main thing I would advise law students is that you need to be open minded when it comes to your journey to qualifying as a solicitor. I think a lot of students invest most of their time on academics and getting a training contract that they often miss out on other amazing opportunities to gain legal knowledge and experience. The University of Birmingham and other organisations offer support and funding allowing students to gain experience through volunteer work and international placements. I applied for a partially-funded one month placement with Support Through Court Birmingham through CEPLER and had the opportunity to gain experience in Family and Civil law matters while assisting litigants in person at Birmingham’s Family and Civil Courts. I also applied for the University of Birmingham’s Gateway Bursary which allowed me to work with Caribbean Elective in Saint Lucia in 2019 as a legal intern for the Ministry of Tourism and Department of Legal Aid in Saint Lucia. Joining Birmingham’s European Law Student Association (ELSA) Group in 2020, gave me to take part in a 4 week placement at a law firm in Greece in May 2021, where I was able to gain Human Rights law experience and help asylum seekers and detainees make applications to the European Court of Human Rights. Had I focused solely on my academics and applying for training contracts rather than utilising the opportunities offered by both the University of Birmingham and other organisations like ELSA and Caribbean Elective, I wouldn’t have gained the legal experience which has helped me secure jobs after graduation or been awarded the 2022 Junior Legal Professional of the Year by Birmingham’s Black Lawyers.

How did the University of Birmingham help you on your career path?  The University of Birmingham was extremely helpful in my career progression. My Personal Tutor and module leaders went above and beyond to provide mentorship and advice about career options after my studies and were references for various applications. Taking part in the Professional Skills Award (Advanced) helped me learn how to improve my CV, LinkedIn Profile, application answers and interview skills. The advisors at Careers Network took the time to go through my answers ahead of application deadlines and interviews and give me constructive feedback from rejected applications, which led to less rejections and more invites to interviews and success securing roles.

How did studying at Birmingham inspire you in your graduate path? I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer, but I’ve always struggled to decide on a specific area of law I wanted to practice. Taking the LLB for Graduates course meant that I didn’t have many options for electives as we had to complete our law degree in 2 years. I found that having the opportunity to study various subject areas as well as gain some work experience through CEPLER, helped increase my theoretical and practical knowledge of different areas of law. However, it wasn’t until my work experience as a Consultant Paralegal that I discovered that IP is the area of law I am most interested in practicing, particularly because I am an artist and it allows me to help other creatives secure and commercialise their IP.

Why should someone considering their university options come and study with us at Birmingham? I would suggest studying at the University of Birmingham to anyone who wants to leave university with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills and experience. Before studying at the University of Birmingham, I completed a BA in International Relations at the University of British Columbia. While I gained a lot of theoretical knowledge, there wasn’t sufficient professional development resources available when I graduated in 2015. My main reason for applying to UoB was because it had a good ranking for graduate employability, and I wanted to make sure that I was able to get a job once I finished my degree. The skills I learned from taking part in CEPLER and university funded work experiences as well as the training I received while taking part in the Personal Skills Award helped me gain the work experience which helped me secure various roles after graduation. While graduated with a First Class Honours Degree is something that I am proud of, I am most proud of the professional skills and experience I gained while studying at UoB.

What was your favourite thing about studying at the University of Birmingham? My favourite thing about studying at UoB was how supportive the Faculty and Staff were in our personal growth and development. Despite having large class sizes, our lecturers were always happy to make time to help us understand course work or provide us with support applying for work experience. The staff at the Careers Network were always happy to sit down and grow through my applications and help me improve my answers and prepare for upcoming interviews. Overall, I would say my favourite thing were the people who invested in my personal and professional development.