Introduction

First off, I must introduce myself. My name is Paul Shephard, and I am currently a final year Law LLB student at Birmingham City University. I have decided to write this blog essentially as a documentation of my struggle to gain access to a legal career, so that hopefully one may potentially look back on it and reflect. It also allows others who perhaps come across the blog via Google to take ideas from where I’ve either been successful or not so successful.

For those unfamiliar, I think it is pertinent to point out that my university is by no means a ‘red-brick’ university, which instantly lowers my chances of a legal position. So again, I hope that there are other law students in that same position who can potentially take some optimism from the pure fact that they are not alone.

In terms of where I am at the moment; the final year at my university is solely based on electives. I have chosen to embark on Commercial Law, Company Law, Employment Law and Practice, and Human Rights Law. In respect of extra-curricular activity, prior to my current final year, I hadn’t participated in a single thing. Which in hindsight is something of a regret, so I would advise to start sooner rather than later. This year, I am representing LexisNexis as a Student Associate. This involves me assisting students and members of staff at my university with the legal research system. Furthermore, I have joined my university’s legal society and also the mooting society. Ironically enough, I am participating in my first moot tomorrow, which is more of a test than anything.

All in all, I consider myself an ‘average’ law student, and I hope to keep this blog up to date with my progression through academia and then with any luck, practice.