Soroush Fini | Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Soroush Fini studied the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), graduating in our April 2017 ceremony. He ran his own business at the same time as studying and the hard work has paid off; leading firm Berwin Leighton Paisner have offered him a training contract, which he’ll start after completing the Legal Practice Course (LPC) next year. The soon-to-be trainee solicitor reveals more about work, study and how ULaw helped him to achieve his goals.

I’ve been running my own immigration firm in London. I’m a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), providing advice on moving to Canada. After a period of deep reflection, I realised that I wanted to move into the law – it suits my skills, experience and personality.

My academic background is actually in mechanical engineering. I have a PhD in the subject, but it’s law that will bring me career fulfilment. My career goal is to become a commercial solicitor and hopefully one day to become a partner at an international firm.

I decided to continue working at the same time as studying the GDL because I’d grown to rely on a regular salary. Balancing work and study is no walk in the park, but being able to attend university for three days per week made it achievable – as did the amount of support I received.

ULaw has a great student community. I enjoyed relaxing with my coursemates after a day of lectures and also meeting up over a coffee to discuss our assignments. This was great for me as running my own business can be quite isolating.

ULaw’s Employability Service is brilliant. Their advice, patient and support during the training contract application process was invaluable. My tutors were also very available and their one-on-one support is something I am very grateful for.

I feel great about graduating. It marks the beginning of a new chapter and I’m excited to start the LPC in September. I’m going to continue running my business during the LPC.

It’s never too late to explore new avenues and follow your dreams. You certainly don’t have to take a traditional route to your chosen career. Working while studying the GDL definitely takes hard graft but it also has benefits. The experience I gained at work helped me excel in the classroom and I also learned a great deal on the course that helped with the day-to-day running of my business.

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