Lisa graduated from the Leeds Law School nearly 20 years ago. Throughout her diverse career, she here reflects on her journey into Property Law, her achievement of become a Partner, and the importance of hard work and determination.

Why did you choose your course at Leeds Beckett?

I chose the course at Leeds Beckett because I loved the city and student community. I felt that Leeds would be a great place for me to experience student life, whilst pursuing my ambition of becoming a solicitor.

Tell us a few details about your current role and how you got here.

I have been practising Residential Conveyancing for fourteen years. It's quite hard to believe that it has been 20 years since I started University, the time has absolutely flown!

Following Graduation, I went onto study the Legal Practice Course (LPC), which was essential on my quest to qualify as a solicitor. I successfully completed the LPC and had to find a position as a Trainee Solicitor at a law firm. This was quite challenging as there was so much competition and many of the students on the LPC already had Training Contracts before starting the course. I had many of my applications for a Training Contract rejected, which was quite demotivating but I had to keep pushing to get to where I wanted to be.

I completed the LPC but did not secure a Trainee Solicitor position by the end. At the time, this felt like a failure but looking back to that time in my career, it was just another challenge which I had to overcome. When I see others who are pursuing a legal career, I absolutely sympathise with the difficulties they face.

Following the LPC, I found a job working as a Paralegal. I gained experience in small claims and complaints against solicitors on behalf of what was the Legal Complaints Service (now Legal Ombudsman). This was really valuable paid work experience where I could learn about the inner workings of a law firm and understand how others had progressed in their careers as solicitors.

Whilst working, I continued to apply for Training Contracts and received more rejections, but did not let this deter me. I found a different job in a law firm as a Paralegal and provided support to the Professional Negligence department. This job was where I secured a Training Contract after proving my competence and passion for the Profession. I will never forget the day I was offered a Training Contract as I had worked so hard to get it. I called my parents straight away to tell them the good news.

I stayed with the firm where I trained for 13 years, progressing from Paralegal to Partner in that time. If you had asked me whether I thought I would be a Partner in a law firm when I was receiving constant Training Contract rejections, I would probably have said not! But the moral of the story is to keep on pushing, which I still believe to this day.

I now work as a Consultant Solicitor for a London based law firm. This is another new challenge for me as it means I generate my own work and have full accountability to my clients. The Consultant structure is a relatively new way for solicitors to work, and I love that this takes me out of my comfort zone, to achieve more than I thought possible.

How did your course at Leeds Beckett help you?

My course at Leeds Beckett provided me with a solid grounding in the key principles of legal practice. I am now a Property Solicitor, so the lectures in Property Law and Practice have certainly paid off!

What are some of your best memories of studying at Leeds Beckett?

I loved everything about going to University. I met some of my best friends there and still have a network of peers, who now hold senior positions in a variety of businesses. I am proud to say that my studies at Leeds Beckett have lead my career along different paths, to where I am today.

What has been your biggest success so far?

My biggest success was achieving a position as Partner, through hard work and never giving up.

What advice would you have liked to receive when you were a student?

When I was a student, there was a common misconception amongst law students there was only one way to be successful in your legal career; and the only way to get there is to work for one of the biggest law firms, which is simply not the case. Looking at my peers, many have diversified into different careers or law based roles which did not seem attainable when we were at University.