When I completed a biological sciences degree at the University of Leeds, I was blessed with a good qualification and the knowledge that I did not want to work in a lab for my career. I was reminded of a lecture I enjoyed that taught the importance of patents in the pharmaceutical industry. With this in mind as a possible career, I set out contacting people that worked in the industry to get a better idea of what it was like – don’t be shy to ask, I am yet to come across anyone that doesn’t want to help. After doing my due diligence, I decided to commence a law conversion course.
After finishing my qualifications, I set out to get a paralegal role. I worked at several firms on short term projects before I landed a role at a big firm as a paralegal. I was excited to immerse myself into the legal world. However, life had a curve ball. A little virus by the name of Covid-19 decided to crash the party and due to economic uncertainty, the law firm could not bring me on. I found myself unemployed at the height of the pandemic.
After a rough few weeks, I was lucky enough to secure a paralegal role at Powell Gilbert. The pandemic seemed to coincide with a very busy period at Powell Gilbert and I was immediately thrust into working on a trial. This meant I had to learn everything fast. This was incredibly daunting, but I was lucky to be working with a great team that were more than happy to guide me through the different tasks. The responsibilities included making trial bundles, filing confidential documents, lodging documents at court, monitoring patents, expert searching, among many others. Even today (four years into the role) there are still tasks that I ask my colleagues for guidance on, such is the breadth of responsibility given to the Powell Gilbert paralegal team. In that respect Powell Gilbert is different to most other firms. The depth of work a paralegal undertakes is more akin to trainee work. This proved to be excellent for my own experience as I looked to qualify as a solicitor. My biological sciences degree also proved handy in a number of pharmaceutical cases.
After a couple of years at Powell Gilbert I was promoted to senior paralegal, which involved training others and even further responsibility managing cases. I decided to sit the SQE exams while working for Powell Gilbert. As this was a new route to qualification, I worked closely with senior members of the firm to plan exactly how it could be done. I felt very supported throughout the whole process and was able to pass the SQE1 and SQE2. It was Powell Gilbert’s flexibility and the friendly environment that helped me achieve this goal. I am now a qualified solicitor assessing what will come next.
For anyone looking to qualify as a solicitor or work as a paralegal, I would say that the environment you work in is incredibly important. I believe that you are more likely to develop into a well-rounded and experienced lawyer if you work in an open and friendly environment. This is because you have the confidence to ask questions, and the space to grow. If you plan on qualifying through the SQE route, you will need two years of qualifying work experience. It’s important that you work somewhere that gives you full exposure to the legal world. Repetitive work is less likely to help and is much less interesting. Finally, I would say that if you’re feeling lost searching for a role in the industry, keep trying! Although I felt lost during the pandemic, I kept applying and eventually landed a great paralegal role. Looking back, I think the initial setback worked out better for my career.
Senior Paralegal / Powell Gilbert
Last Updated: October 30, 2024