Studying the 3 year LLB course at The University of Law Birmingham centre, Illana has been driven by her ambition to make a difference in society. Here she shares with us her journey to achieving that.
By Editorial Team. Published 20 May 2016. Last updated 11 January 2023.
I have wanted to study law since the age of 9 when my teacher at the time said I had ‘good debating skills’. It stuck with me and I thought what career would allow me to showcase that skill. Law was that career.
I chose The University of Law because it offered a professional degree and focused on how law is used in practice. This degree was therefore perfect because I knew I definitely wanted to be a solicitor or a barrister. Also I chose the ULaw because of the employability service it offers. A career in law is very competitive and I knew I would have to look at different options to help me stand out to potential employers. I realised that the Pro Bono opportunities offered would help me to do this.
Studying and applying law allows me to be able to support and help people. Law affects most people in most parts of everyday life. By studying law I will be able to offer legal advice to members of the public, help to protect their rights and interests and therefore make a difference.
My career ambition is to become a successful solicitor, ideally in a commercial law firm. ULaw has helped bring me closer to this by giving me the opportunities to become a member of various associations/committees and attend various employer events. For example the ‘Birmingham Black Lawyers’ Association. Through joining this association I have been able to increase my connections with people within the legal sector.
A highlight of my time at the university was when I was involved in a week long Pro Bono programme helping out with the ‘Birmingham Employment Rights Advice Line’. I really enjoyed answering the phone to clients and just listening to their employability issue. Also I really enjoyed observing a qualified solicitor at a law firm help and give legal advice to the clients I’d previously spoken to.
I would rate the Birmingham campus a 9/10 for location, it’s a 15 minute walk from the city centre and a 5 minute bus journey. This means when we have breaks throughout the day we can take quick trips to the centre to grab a bite to eat or do some shopping.
I want to be a part of a profession that helps and benefits the lives of others, a profession that I can clearly see makes a difference. A career in law would satisfy this passion. On a personal level I partake in pro bono work for the ‘Centre for Social Justice in Gujarat’, writing out case summaries and helping them to create a simplified and clearer database of cases. Even though this does have a legal side to it, I am also undertaking this pro bono work because of my passion for justice and equality, as a lot of the cases I deal with focus around these issues.
