Muzammil was previously a C-Chair of our Alumni Leadership Board, and he is a frequent volunteer both on the Pathways to Law Programme and across other alumni events and activities. He shared his experience growing up and how the Sutton Trust helped him on his career path:

“My parents originally moved to the UK in the 90s, and like a lot of Gujarati Indian immigrants, settled in Leicester. I was raised in what was largely a working-class area of the city that was, and unfortunately remains, economically and socially disadvantaged. I studied at an inner-city state school and sixth form college which did not have the best of reputations during the day and studied at a mosque in the evenings. Despite this, I was very fortunate as my parents were extremely supportive, encouraging me to pursue my passions as best as I could, while instilling a strong work ethic. The Pathways to Law programme provided a means of growing in ways I had never imagined. On the intellectual front, masterclasses and residentials meant I was regularly meeting with passionate academics who had a genuine desire to help me develop, mostly through intellectual discussions, but also occasionally by allowing me to contribute to their research, which boosted my confidence in my abilities.”

After securing a training contract in his final year, Muzammil graduated and moved to London and started his accelerated LLM LPC. He shared some reflections on the practical elements of the Pathways to Law Programme that really accelerated his understanding of how to progress in law:

“On the practical front, networking events and work placements meant I had the opportunity to meet a wide range of industry professionals, some of whom I am still in touch with today. The networking was particularly helpful as prior to the programme, I had no family nor friends in law, so did not have a role model to look up to. Pathways to Law allowed me to meet so many inspirational people – I was left in awe and spoilt for choice. All of this allowed me to develop to the point where I was able to overcome many of the barriers linked to a career in law. The programme allowed me to grasp an understanding of the law, the people, the etiquette and the general know-how that no one normally thinks to teach a 16-year-old. Six years on, I still use many of the lessons taught on the programme on a day-to-day basis.”

Having now come to the end of his training contract with Clifford Chance, Muzammil is now a qualified solicitor. For over a year he worked on the firm’s real estate team as an Associate, working alongside industry leading lawyers on some of the largest transactions. He now works as Corporate Counsel for Vantage Data Centers. He also continues to be a champion of social mobility which led him to join the Alumni Leadership Board at the Sutton Trust, supporting the Trust’s alumni community in various ways. He also continues to support on education and social mobility initiatives, with a particular focus on the Midlands.

Interested in knowing more about the Alumni Leadership Board? You can reach out to ALB members via our LinkedIn group, or contact the alumni team for more information.

Want to inspire others with your story? Get in touch with us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

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