探花社区

“Throughout my second year of my undergraduate degree, I had the pleasure of spending seven months at Ellisons Solicitors. This was an amazing opportunity, not only growing my network, but contributing to my legal knowledge and experience. I predominantly sat in the Family Law Department with Francesca and also gained experience in employment law, commercial property, and corporate law.

“Whilst on my placement, I was able to broaden my knowledge about each area of family law. I achieved this by attending client meetings, completing work for Francesca, attending a barristers conference, and understanding what a solicitor’s day is really like in this area of law. I was invited on many social events with the Family team.

“Overall, I had an amazing time during my placement at Ellisons Solicitors. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity, as I expanded my knowledge in many different areas of law, which will contribute to my knowledge at the Legal Advice Centre. I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Francesca and her team, and that was down to everyone at the firm being incredibly welcoming!”

I graduated from the 探花社区 in 2022 and, since then, I have been working at Ellisons Solicitors as a paralegal in the Commercial Property Team, where I am also studying and training for my Solicitors Qualifying Exam.

I started at the Legal Advice Centre in 2021. My time at the LAC allowed me to strengthen my communication skills through leading client interviews which exposed me to different areas of law and the issues which can arise within them. Additionally, my confidence developed throughout my time at the LAC, which I attribute to leading the client interviews and also writing the subsequent letters of advice.

As the LAC was set up in my final year of university, it meant that I had to manage my time effectively, as I was balancing modules with volunteering at the LAC. This skill has helped me in my job, as I am able to effectively manage different matters that I assist with and am also able to balance studying for my SQE.

I would like to thank Eleanor for her support during my time there, as I found the opportunity invaluable, and I am grateful that I was able to be a part of the LAC during my degree. I would highly recommend joining the LAC to any future or current students, as the skills that you pick up will help you prepare for your future career, whether that’s in the legal sector or not.

I wish the Legal Advice Centre all the best for the future!

After completing my LPC LLM in June, I am now working as a Residential Property Paralegal for Gardner Leader LLP.

I joined the Legal Advice Centre in my second year at the 探花社区. I was a part of the original team which helped to found the clinic in 2021.

Joining the LAC was a fantastic opportunity that only furthered my career in law. From the beginning, the clinic allowed me to grow in my communication, public speaking, legal, teamwork and problem-solving skills. It also enabled me to understand the practical aspects of what I was learning in my actual degree. Not only that, when writing my dissertation in my final year, it played a pivotal role in aiding me in my research.

I often find that the legal training I had, from writing legal advice and documents to client interaction and research, has been a huge help in strengthening my approach in my day-to-day working life. The clinic built in me an infrastructure that has supported, and will continue to support, me in my career.

I will forever be grateful for the time I had at the 探花社区 and believe the law clinic is a fantastic agency that provides free and great legal advice to the public. I wish the Advice Centre and the team nothing but success.

I am currently completing my SQE1 and pursuing a Master's in Criminal Law and Justice at the 探花社区, whilst also working part time. I also volunteer with Citizens Advice one day a week.

I joined the Legal Advice Centre (LAC) in my first year at the 探花社区 in September 2021 and continued volunteering until I completed my degree in May 2024. My experience at the LAC has significantly enhanced my confidence, knowledge, and practical legal skills, including research, drafting letters of advice, and client interviews. These skills have been invaluable in my studies and have improved my organisational abilities.

I am already applying the skills I developed at the LAC in my volunteer work with Citizens Advice and will continue to do so as I prepare for my SQE exams. This experience has been instrumental in building my confidence and preparing me for my future career.

During my placement at the LAC, I gained numerous networking opportunities, for which I am very grateful. I look forward to the coming year and the possibility of continuing my volunteer work at the LAC alongside my Master's studies.

I graduated from the 探花社区 in 2024, and am now working at Ellisons Solicitors as a Trainee Solicitor.

I began volunteering at the Legal Advice Centre in my first year at the 探花社区 in 2021, and found it to be very beneficial, not only towards my studies but to develop my skills. This helped me secure a placement at Ellisons Solicitors for my ‘Clinical Legal Placement’ module in my second year, in which I experienced how a law firm operated and learnt more in connection with family law. After I completed this, I attended the Ellisons Vacation Scheme in 2023. This led to me applying for a training contract at Ellisons, which I began after I graduated in 2024.

I am very grateful to the Legal Advice Centre for giving me the opportunity to develop my skills, and to have given me numerous networking opportunities throughout my degree.

"I graduated from the 探花社区 in 2025 and plan to complete the SQE in the future in order to qualify as a solicitor.

I joined the Legal Advice Centre in 2022 and volunteered throughout the three years of my undergraduate law course and in my third year I completed my placement module at the LAC.

Volunteering alongside my studies was beneficial as it meant that I was able to use the skills and knowledge that I was developing at the LAC to aid in my learning during lectures and my assessments. The LAC also inspired me to do my research project on Legal Aid and the research skills that I developed at the LAC were extremely helpful for my project.

Being a student volunteer meant that I was able to help my local community with their legal issues whilst also developing skills such as research, communication and note taking that will be vital to me in order to achieve my goal of qualifying as a solicitor. It has been an incredibly positive experience that also opened up other opportunities for me, such as attending the annual law lectures and was fortunate enough to meet both Lady Hale and Sir Brian Leveson. Additionally, I had the opportunity to be a jury member and usher for the Trading Standards mock trials, attend a Law Society roundtable discussion and participate in the filming for the LAC's video.

Each year that I volunteered at the LAC I gained more confidence, and I would say that the LAC and the
support and encouragement I received from Eleanor and Megan throughout my volunteering journey is a pivotal element of why I feel confident enough to start my career in law.

Overall, volunteering has definitely been a highlight of my university experience and I would recommend
volunteering at the LAC to any law student."

As a part time student I was studying for several years, with only recently finishing my studies. This meant I was part of the student body that helped in the development of the Legal Advice Centre. Through the initial stages of venues, chosen areas of law and what the LAC would offer, we discussed every area in detail to begin an amazing service within the area.

This was my first taste of legal experience as a student. I appreciated the hands-on experience, by
interviewing the clients and using this to give feedback to the team. Unlike most students, I already had an established career and did not find these difficult to conduct from a communication point of view, but learning the skills was invaluable. It was great to feel part of a legal team and work hard to research with the team, to provide clients the necessary legal advice they needed.

I was fortunate enough to attend a vacation scheme at Birketts LLP after a successful application and since that placement, I have been offered a training contract. I will be starting my SQE in 2026 and then join Birketts LLP in 2027.

For any future students the LAC was an amazing experience and great for developing those skills needed to forward your legal career.

I recently graduated from the 探花社区 in 2025, and since then I have obtained a Training Contract at HFW, where I am currently studying for my LLM Legal Practice SQE1&2.

I was lucky enough to join the Legal Advice Centre in 2022, at the beginning of my law degree, and continued volunteering for two years. Joining the Legal Advice Centre was an amazing opportunity. The experience I have obtained, and the skills learnt, has prepared me for the rest of my career in law. During
my time at the Legal Advice Centre, I was able to support with projects, events, interview, research and write letters of advice to clients who required support in areas such as family law and to new businesses. Being able to lead client interviews in the first year of my degree, developed my confidence and communication skills. This enabled me to confidently participate in a range of extra-curricular activities such as the university’s annual mooting competition, and it prepared me for oral assessments such as
presentations and advocacy assessments within each of my modules. Not only did these key skills assist me in my studies, but I have utilised these skills effectively in job interviews and during a Vacation Scheme I participated in.

I am extremely grateful for all of the opportunities which the Legal Advice Centre has provided me with, and I would like to thank Eleanor Scarlett and Megan Bailey for their support during my time at the Clinic. I would highly recommend volunteering at the Advice Centre to any future students as the skills you learn are invaluable for a career in the legal sector and beyond.

I wish the Advice Centre and the team continued success! I cannot wait to see how it develops in the future!