Solent Unviersity Southampton logo
Solent Unviersity Southampton logo
Skip to main content

Local lawyers - including Michael Coyle, managing partner of Lawdit LLP; Ben Evans, Associate of Blake Morgan LLP; and Serhan Handani and Hannah Rafferty of Bramsdon and Childs Solicitors - kindly offered Solent's LLB (Hons) students insight into how they entered the legal profession.

28th February 2017
Law and criminologyLaw

As part of the law careers programme, the law team from the School of Business, Law and Communications organise events to ensure that Solent's law students are well prepared for the future. This work is often conducted in in conjunction with local legal professions and the Southampton City Law Network.

This spring's Southampton City Law Network event focused on the crucial theme of 'Getting a law job, and keeping it'. 

Local lawyers - including Michael Coyle, managing partner of Lawdit LLP; Ben Evans, Associate of Blake Morgan LLP; and Serhan Handani and Hannah Rafferty of Bramsdon and Childs Solicitors - kindly offered Solent's LLB (Hons) students insight into how they entered the legal profession.

Left to right: Hannah Rafferty, Serhan Handani, Michael Coyle and Mark Wing

The event introduced a new 'speed dating' format, giving all student attendees the opportunity for a one-to-one discussion with these excellent role models, who gave practical advice based on their own varied life experiences.

Mustapha Shaldoum, President of the Solent Student Law Society, said:

“Today’s Southampton City Law Network event was a great opportunity to meet a wide range of professionals from within the legal industry. Being presented with the chance to speak candidly in an informal setting on a variety of issues has provided me with clarity on the best way to progress in my chosen career.

"The event allowed us to ask a variety of questions spanning from postgraduate study options, to tips on acquiring a training contract and how best to present myself when approaching potential employers.

"It was particularly beneficial to have a wide range of legal practitioners available to field our questions. We had the opportunity to quiz a managing partner, a senior associate and trainees from three different firms. They provided very different perspectives from their careers to date, how they got to where they are and where they see themselves in the future.

"I highly recommend any law student to attend this event in the future."

Solent's law students taking part in the 'speed dating' event

Mark Wing, organiser of the event and an academic within the School of Business, Law and Communications, said:

“I was delighted at the law student turn out and how well informed our LLB students questions were. This was good for our school’s reputation, but most importantly good for the students themselves.

"While we try and make sure our students are well informed about choices they will make and how to enhance their employability at University, nothing beats talking to those in current legal practice.

"I am very grateful that the lawyers, three of whom are Solent law alumni, all gave up valuable fee-earning time to be with us today.”