To celebrate 150 years of legal education we’ve reached out to our students, past and present, and asked them to share their stories and memories from their time with us.
Studying law doesn’t mean you’re confined to a career in the legal profession. In fact, many of our alumni have gone on to careers beyond the courtroom. We spoke to three graduates who have taken different paths (a traditional legal career, a career beyond law, and a non-traditional legal career), proving that a law degree is flexible and won’t limit your career options.
Edited by Grant Longstaff. Published 4 September 2026.
Shahnaz Farid – A traditional legal career
I’m a newly qualified criminal defence solicitor and have been qualified for around eight months. My role is incredibly varied, and no two days are ever the same. I represent clients at every stage of the criminal justice process, from providing advice at the police station and preparing cases for court to drafting legal documents, taking witness statements, advising on evidence and procedure, liaising with counsel and representing clients throughout criminal proceedings.
The most rewarding aspect of my role is supporting people during what is often one of the most difficult periods of their lives. Criminal defence is about much more than understanding the law; it requires empathy, resilience, clear communication and the ability to remain calm under pressure while ensuring every client receives fair representation.
I have always believed everyone deserves access to justice, regardless of their background or circumstances. That belief inspired me to pursue a career in criminal defence.
Throughout my studies and practical experience, I realised criminal law combines intellectual challenge with an opportunity to make a genuine difference to people's lives. Being able to protect an individual's rights, ensure due process is followed and stand alongside clients during some of the most challenging moments they face is both a privilege and a responsibility.
My own journey has reinforced the importance of resilience, compassion and integrity. Those values continue to motivate me every day and remind me why I chose this profession.
My career goals have evolved significantly. When I began my studies my primary goal was simply to qualify as a solicitor. However, as my career has progressed, I developed a much broader perspective on what I hope to achieve within the profession.
I now aspire not only to become an experienced criminal defence solicitor, but also to contribute to improving access to justice, continue mentoring aspiring lawyers at The University of Law and support the next generation entering the legal profession. I have come to appreciate that success is measured not only by professional achievements but also by the positive impact you have on clients, colleagues and the wider legal community.
The University of Law gave me an excellent foundation for practice by combining legal knowledge with practical skills. I was fortunate to be taught by outstanding lecturers, including Hayley Southgate, Sarah Hart and Dr Derek Barham, whose guidance and encouragement have remained with me throughout my career.
The emphasis on advocacy, interviewing, legal research, drafting, ethics and problem-solving closely reflected the work I now undertake every day. The course encouraged me to think critically, communicate effectively and approach legal issues from a practical perspective rather than simply learning the law in theory.
Most importantly it taught me how to continue learning. The law is constantly evolving, and developing the confidence to adapt and keep learning has been invaluable during my first months as a qualified solicitor.
Shahnaz’s advice for law students
Believe in yourself, even on the days when you question whether you belong.
Law can feel overwhelming at first and it’s perfectly normal not to have all the answers. Focus on understanding the principles, rather than trying to memorise everything. Stay organised from the beginning and don't be afraid to seek support when you need it.
Take every opportunity that comes your way. Attend networking events, volunteer, participate in pro bono work, don't be afraid to ask questions and build relationships with your lecturers and classmates. Legal knowledge is essential, but experiences outside the classroom are often just as valuable.
Don't compare your journey with anyone else's. Everyone progresses at their own pace, and the legal profession rewards perseverance. There will inevitably be setbacks and moments of self-doubt, but they do not define your future. Stay focused, remain curious and keep moving forward.
Take every opportunity to develop practical skills alongside your studies. Build your confidence gradually, because confidence comes from experience rather than perfection.
Most importantly, remember why you chose to study law in the first place. That sense of purpose will help you through the challenging moments and make your achievements even more meaningful when you look back on how far you have come.
Christy Cheung – A career beyond law
I currently work as a project manager in marketing within the hospitality industry. I plan and execute campaigns, manage timelines and budgets and develop content strategies. My role focuses on coordinating teams and resources to achieve specific business goals.
My move into project management and marketing was unexpected, but it was the skills I gained from my GDL (now the PGDL) that made the leap possible and logical. I was offered a role combining project management and digital marketing and saw it as an opportunity to apply my analytical strengths in a fast-paced environment.
My goals have definitely evolved, but the foundation remains. Initially, I saw the GDL as a route into criminal psychology roles within the legal system. Over time, I realised the value of legal training beyond traditional practice. I discovered that my core interest lies in applying analytical rigour and systemic thinking across industries, whether to a legal case, a healthcare plan or a marketing campaign. The GDL gave me a versatile skill set that allows me to thrive in a corporate environment while keeping the option of a legal career open.
The GDL was foundational in ways I didn’t anticipate. If you enjoy thinking critically, solving puzzles and want a qualification that teaches you how to structure your thoughts and work with discipline, this course is invaluable. Not only did it train me to think like a lawyer, but it also taught me to deconstruct complex problems, build logical, evidence-based arguments, understand and navigate regulatory frameworks and work with absolute precision under pressure. All of which are transferable skills that have been essential at different stages of my career.
When I worked in healthcare, it helped me navigate patient rights and ethical guidelines. Now, in marketing and project management, it helps daily, from identifying potential ‘liabilities’ in a project plan and maintaining contract and compliance awareness to communicating clearly through briefs and reports and negotiating with stakeholders.
Christy’s advice for law students
Go for it, even if you don’t see yourself in a courtroom. It's a high-calibre business qualification. It teaches you how to think, analyse and communicate with a level of precision that’s highly valued in the corporate world. It also keeps the prestigious option of a legal career firmly on your career map. Be open to where those skills might take you.
Approach law as both a specialist and a generalist course. Engage deeply with the law itself, it’s a fascinating and powerful system, but also understand the principles and logic they’re built on. That principle-based learning is what will be transferable to any career. Connect with your peers too, you’ll meet people from all academic backgrounds, and their perspectives will show you how legal thinking intersects with other worlds.
Studying law gives you a unique standing: the expertise to potentially practise law, and the intellectual framework to excel anywhere in the corporate world.
Candida Pierce – An alternative career in the legal sector
I’m the founder of Pierce Positive Consulting, a leadership development consultancy specialising in law firms. I provide practical workshops and coaching for lawyers and legal teams navigating leadership responsibilities. I’m also pursuing a doctorate examining leadership within legal practice.
After several years in legal practice my career took me in a different direction, and I realised many of my friends from law school had also followed a variety of career paths. That felt significant and it made me curious as to why.
I kept coming back to questions about people rather than the law itself. I became interested in what helps professionals thrive in demanding workplaces, how careers develop over time and the role leadership and mentoring play in shaping these experiences. These questions eventually led me to where I am now.
After leaving legal practice I had a long and varied career in television production, working across both production and editorial roles. It was a world away from law on the surface, but many skills transferred more directly than I was expecting. I moved to the United States and found my way back to the legal world, this time through completion of an industrial-organisational psychology master’s degree. This introduced me to leadership studies and sparked a lasting interest in how professionals develop, lead others and thrive in demanding workplaces.
One of the things I valued most about The University of Law was its focus on preparing students for practice. It gave me the essential framework and foundations for practice and the tools to get started. My first job was as a paralegal in personal injury and, having covered the subject at law school, I could hit the ground running. That position led directly to my training contract, so in a very real sense the course was the foundation that launched everything that followed.
Longer term, it gave me the confidence to take on subsequent academic challenges. Law, all these years later, remains the most demanding thing I have studied, and knowing I got through it has given me the confidence to take on new challenges, including my current doctorate.
For me, law is very much a craft that you develop through doing. Making mistakes, developing judgment, refining your understanding over time. Perhaps the most enduring thing the course gave me was the ability to think like a lawyer. To analyse, question and construct an argument. Those skills have proved useful well beyond working in legal practice.
Candida’s advice for law students
Make the most of the practical focus at The University of Law and fully engage with your course. It’s demanding, but the skills and habits you develop there can stay with you throughout your career. Thirty years on, I still value what those two years taught me.
Work hard and take your studies seriously, but also start considering sustainable ways of working. The legal profession can be demanding. The habits you build now around managing pressure, maintaining perspective and asking for help when you need it will serve you throughout your career.
When I trained, those conversations barely existed. Now, there’s much greater awareness around wellbeing and mental health within the profession and that’s a good thing. My advice would be to take that as seriously as you take your legal studies.
Whether you’re headed for the courtroom or the boardroom, our range of undergraduate and postgraduate law courses could be the first step on your road to success.
