Sadie participated in the Pathways to Law programme at UCL in 2012-13 and went on to study an LLB at the University of Bristol. She gave us an insight into where she is from and what her Sutton Trust programme was like:

“I grew up in Harrow and wasn’t really sure if I was very academic until GCSEs, where I did mocks and got better results than expected. At this point I started thinking about opportunities that could be open to me that I’d never considered before. My parents hadn’t gone to university, so I didn’t have much knowledge of higher education. During my first few weeks of sixth form, a year 13 Pathways to Law alum gave a presentation in assembly sharing their experience of the programme and how it had benefitted them. I wasn’t doing A level Law, but I applied anyway as I wanted to explore my options as much as possible. I was excited at the prospect of going to UCL, listening to lectures, and meeting others from similar backgrounds with similar interests.  

It’s funny as recently I met someone who I’d done work experience with on the Pathways programme, and we’ve somehow ended up working at the same law firm now! It’s crazy to think back to being 17 years old at our work experience, hoping that one day that would be us – and we’ve overcome all those hurdles on the path to becoming a solicitor. Having that opportunity was a real springboard to get to where I am now.

One of the highlights was a panel event just before our work experience, with all the students from the UCL and LSE programmes attending. The panellists had been specifically selected because of their background. I think there is a stereotype that comes to mind when people think of a city lawyer which can make that career path seem unattainable to many, especially when statistics often reinforce this, but having that representation of seeing people from a similar educational background to you in those roles was so important and made me think that I could do it too. Then being able to spend a week in a law firm was such an exciting experience – it was very fast-paced and everyone I met was really interesting and clearly very good at their jobs, but also very down to earth and took the time to help all of us learn despite their very busy schedules (which I now have a new found appreciation for!) It confirmed my career path to me and made me believe I could pursue it.”

Sadie also shared what it’s like being a Trainee Solicitor, where she’s planning for her career to go next, and how she’s supporting others to achieve their ambitions:

“I’m now a trainee solicitor at a leading international law firm, currently in the corporate team and previously with the construction team. I’m there to provide support to the wider team while learning a lot, with the safety net of being a trainee. It really varies from team to team in terms of what you get given and you put into practise lots of the transferrable skills you use at university; for example, I learnt to use journals and databases at university which I’m doing a lot of now when asked to conduct research. I’m learning to do a lot of project management too, keeping on top of lots of documents moving between different parties. I get a lot of responsibility and autonomy and am trusted to make decisions. Beinga trainee solicitor is very unique – it’s a bit like a two-year interview, but at the same it’s also extra two years of education and you get to sample lots of different practice areas to help you decide whether you like the work.There’s also a big support network of other trainees and we all share knowledge and practical tips. 

In the immediate future, I’ll hopefully be qualified by next September, though I’m still quite undecided about what I’ll specialise in. I’m keen to be proactively involved in Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, especially to do with social mobility, which is something close to my heart. Representation is still a big issue in the legal sector and being vocal and visible is the way to help. I’ve been a mentor for both Pathways to Law and the GROW network and I want to stay involved with this.”

If you’d like to volunteer on a programme like Sadie, or get in touch to share your story – just contact the Alumni Team via [email protected].