From mentoring to developing those all-important softer skills, The University of Law is passionate about supporting the ambitions of our students in practical ways. Benjamin Yip studied both his GDL and LPC at our London Moorgate campus. His aspiration is to become a solicitor advocate within commercial and private client disputes. We asked Benjamin about his time studying with us and his experience of the support he received during his courses.
By Cara Fielder. Published 31 March 2019. Last updated 8 January 2020.
I chose to study at The University of Law because of the high quality of teaching. A number of friends, who are alumni of ULaw, wholeheartedly endorsed the University and the tutors, as well as confirming that its reputation for having a friendly and a supportive culture was well-founded.
The Director of Employability Services, John Watkins, has been a huge support to me. From our first encounter, he has been an absolute stalwart. He really leads the Employability Service well and his enthusiasm trickles down to the other careers advisors.
I also used the mentoring service last year and have met with Dawn and Aditi at Moorgate. The service’s StEP programme has also been helpful making an application strategy for the year. I also secured a summer internship at a leading Chinese law firm’s London office. This valuable experience really opened my eyes to the legal working world and pointed me in the direction I wanted to go.
I’m a member of the International Society. Being involved with lots of different cultures all wanting to pursue the same goals is fantastic. There are lots of students from plenty of jurisdictions and, as some did the GDL in order to practise in the UK, they often have international legal experience to learn from.
Dealing with people on a day-to-day basis is definitely a skill I’ve learned while at ULaw. I have worked with clients before, but it’s mainly the collegiate atmosphere I’ve really enjoyed being a part of and developing those softer skills.
My top piece of advice to students would be to try and work a week ahead. I was constantly fighting to stay above water in my first term on the GDL and subsequently worked to a strict schedule. Staying on top of notes will allow you to revise effectively, rather than struggling to cobble together revision notes at the last minute. The phrase “sink or swim” has no better application than studying both the GDL and LPC. The swimming starts before the course starts.
I’ve made a good few friends whilst at ULaw and we have a real class camaraderie. We were lucky enough to be put in an LPC class together following the GDL and we’ve grown even closer as a pack. We review each other’s notes and often consolidate together.
Find out more about how The University of Law works to support your ambitions by checking out our website.
