Celebrating Success: A career milestone for a member of Team HE!

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I completed my law degree at Swansea University and then began working as a Paralegal.  Whilst working as a Paralegal I then also worked towards obtaining qualification as a Fellow of CILEx, as well as completing my LLM in Legal Professional Practice at the University of Law.

I began working for Harding Evans in 2014 in the Clinical Negligence team, before moving over to the Dispute Resolution department.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my pets, volunteering for an animal charity, spending time with friends and family and reading.

What was it that attracted you to a career in law?

I wanted to pursue a career in law from a very young age, around 7 years old – I think I had likely seen something on the TV!

The older I got the more I researched and looked in to it and decided to undertake my Law degree.  I enjoy continued learning and development and there are always changes in the law which keeps things interesting.

Could you tell us a little more about your journey to qualification?

I completed my law degree in 2014 and then began working as a Paralegal.

At that time I wanted a taste of what working in practice was like before qualifying so I began working as a paralegal in a firm in Bristol. I enjoyed the work so when I began working in Harding Evans, I started pursuing the CILEX qualification which allowed me to continue working and developing professionally.

Once I had completed the Graduate Fast Track Diploma with CILEx, I then began my LLM in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Law part-time, whilst continuing to work as a Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution team.

I completed my LLM as well as my work-based learning portfolio for CILEx in August 2021.  This allowed me to qualify and be admitted as a Solicitor.

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a similar route of study?

I think that working full time and studying part-time should not be underestimated.  Time management is key and there are going to be times where sacrifices such as social events are needed, but ultimately the experience you gain being able to work whilst qualifying is invaluable and has really prepared me for qualification, which in the end, is the aim and it is worth it in the long run.

Describe a typical day in the Dispute Resolution team…

Due to the busy environment there is no typical day really, which is why I enjoy working in the team! Generally I advise clients, prepare court documents, attend court hearings and assist other members of my team.  The varied type of work is what interests me and I enjoy being able to help clients.

A huge congratulations to Jess on such a fantastic achievement – we look forward to seeing the next stage of your Harding Evans journey!

If you’re thinking about a career in law, why not check out our handy ‘hints and tips’ guide.