Students Find Out More About A Career In Law

An innovative law firm provided youngsters with the chance to find out more about life as a modern day solicitor by taking part in careers events in a variety of different schools in the Leicestershire area.

Lawyers from Irwin Mitchell, which has a consulting office in Leicester, recently took part in an industry day and gave a presentation at Castle Donington Community College. They will be taking part in further events throughout 2013.

It was an opportunity for local youngsters to discover that there is much more to a legal career than old-fashioned wigs and bundles of legal documents.

Rohit Gohil, Assistant Principal at Castle Donington, said: “Year 8 and 9 students enjoyed an informative day looking into the many different aspects of the law.  Students listened intently about specialist cases and the consequences of negligence.  

“The open and welcoming approach allowed for many questions to be asked and misconceptions to be clarified.  The greatest benefit was demonstrating to students that any one of them has the potential to be successful in a law career and the different pathways available to them.”

Former Leicestershire School pupil Jenna Harris, who was born and brought up in Leicester and is now solicitor with Irwin Mitchell, said: “When I was at school I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, but I had no idea how varied and practical the job would be.

“A lot of people think of law as quite dry and a wordy profession, perhaps after seeing TV programmes.

“In reality, it is very practical and you get a real sense of the difference you are making to client’s lives. In the area of clinical negligence, which I specialise in, we work with people who have suffered devastating injuries and make sure they get the practical support they need to improve their quality of life. That’s a very rewarding thing to do each day.

“I hope that through taking part in the careers events we can inspire young people, and get them to think more carefully about whether a career in law would be a good match for their skills and potential.”

Any other schools who would like a visit from the Irwin Mitchell careers team can contact Jenna Harris on 0800 169 4322.