Law graduates return to Southampton to inspire today's students
Second year law students seized the opportunity to learn more about the realities of working in the profession during the 2014 Employability Skills Programme.
A packed programme of talks, workshops and visits over two weeks just before the start of the second semester gave them new insights into life in the law and other professions after graduation.
All students were advised to take part in at least seven sessions; Stephanie Kritikou from Cyprus and Bianca Patulea from Romania signed up for more than the minimum and enjoyed the diversity of their choices, ranging from court visits to Winchester Crown Court and a social security tribunal in Southampton to talks and interactive workshops by Law School alumni who are now senior lawyers in many branches of the profession and advice on time management, assessment centres and personal branding.
“For me the highlight was listening to human rights barrister S Chelvan who spoke about his experiences, including pleading at the Supreme Court,” explains Bianca. “It was an amazing inspirational talk and I’m now thinking about working in this area after university.”
Both students enjoyed the visit to Shoosmiths in Fareham which included a session on presentations, lunch with partners and an opportunity to meet trainees. Stephanie, who is interested in working in commercial and corporate law, says: “It was good to practise our networking skills and find out about what it’s like to be a solicitor.”
Events during the week were organised by Jan Steele, Careers and Employability Co-ordinator within the Law School, with help from academic colleagues and their extensive network of former students.