Kelly Rowney is a senior lecturer in law at our Leeds campus. Here she opens up about overcoming self-doubt, discovering her passion for a legal career and how sometimes a change in direction can lead you to a better path.
Written by April Baniqued and Student Contributor Musfira Nasir. Published 05 August 2025.
Talk us through your career journey and how you became part of The University of Law.
I started my undergraduate journey with the desire to make a positive impact in the world as a judge or barrister. This changed during my LLB, when I fell in love with legal research and critical thinking. I mentioned it to my lecturer, who then suggested a PhD in law. And so, after I graduated with my LLB, I started a PhD and taught as a graduate teaching assistant, all while researching. It didn’t take long for me to realise that I loved teaching because it was a great mixture of learning, reading, researching and sharing that with others. I always particularly liked the more challenging subjects because it meant I had to really get to know an area of law intimately.
After a year, I began looking for something more permanent and saw a lecturer position at the University advertised so I applied right away. I was offered the job and have not looked back since. I love that I’m passing on my knowledge to the next generation of lawyers.
Who has influenced you on your journey?
I don’t think there’s one singular person who has influenced me but rather a range of small meaningful moments that helped me continue. This includes seeing powerful women in TV and film (real and fictional), for example Judge Judy and Elle Woods. My A-level law teacher also influenced me. She told me I would never make a career in law which gave me a deep-rooted determination to prove her wrong. As well as my lecturer in my third year who told me I was a genius when I suggested mixing a theoretical approach with a critique of parliamentary law-making. It gave me the push I needed to stay motivated. Finally, being hired for the position I have now was the chance I needed to solidify my academic career and I will forever be grateful.
What’s a challenge you faced whilst studying?
I always struggled at school. As a neurodivergent, I often felt forgotten about and destined to under-achieve. When I finished school, I did not have the A-level grades I needed to study law so I started a different degree instead. I spoke to Careers and they said if I passed all my year one subjects, I could swap to law the following year (starting from first year again). I made it but once I was there, I struggled to get more than 60%. To improve, I went to the staff at my library and asked if they could help me based on the feedback I had received. We spent nearly two hours talking about research tools, essay structure, phrasing and proofreading. I took every word they said to heart and over the summer I practised. In my second and third year, my grades improved dramatically. I even achieved 80 marks for my undergraduate dissertation. The moral of the story: it’s not that you don’t have what it takes, you just might not have the tools yet.
What makes the University’s environment unique?
The University is unique because of its practical approach to learning. Unlike other universities, the lecturers and the employability service, alongside the teaching materials, are all committed to training practising lawyers instead of just teaching the academic side of law. This focus has been in place since the 1960s, long before it gained university status, when it first began as The College of Law. Its proven commitment to preparing students for the real world truly sets it apart.
Plus, the teaching staff includes a high number of trained individuals. Our faculty is made up of lawyers with years of experience and people who have dedicated their lives to the study of law. This means students learn from experts who truly understand the field and can offer advice grounded in personal experience.
What achievements are you most proud of?
Professionally, I think I’m most proud of achieving my LLB. I was in the first generation of my family to go to university and to achieve a first-class honours degree, especially in a highly respected subject, felt out of my reach. I imagine completing my PhD will become my greatest achievement but for now I view my LLB with the greatest level of pride.
Personally, my greatest achievement is probably getting married to my best friend. My husband and I met at university. He had also started a law degree after trying something else first and then taking a year out. I always keep in mind that if we had both started law right away, we probably would never have met or at least would never have sat next to each other in Contract Law. Sometimes it is the bumps in the road that redirect you to exactly where you’re meant to be.
What advice would you like to give to students?
My number one piece of advice is simple: ask questions and don’t be afraid to speak up when you’re unsure. It can be daunting but it’s so important. To get the most out of your degree, you need to be asking for advice and assistance. Remember that your mock and final assessment feedback is not the only guidance available to you. If you ask the right questions and give every task a go, you will be getting constant input which will help you improve.
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