As part of Careers Week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Anna Laura Lock to the school to speak with our Year 9 pupils about her role as a Family Law Solicitor. Anna provided a fascinating insight into the legal profession, explaining the key differences between solicitors and barristers and the various fields of law, including Civil, Family, and Criminal Law.
During her talk Anna highlighted the challenges of being a solicitor, particularly in Family Law, where cases often involve highly sensitive issues such as adoption, surrogacy, and child abduction. She emphasised the importance of empathy, strong communication skills and resilience in handling these complex cases.
Anna also explained how the pathway to becoming a lawyer has evolved over the years. She outlined the traditional route:
- A Law degree followed by the Legal Practice Course (LPC), or
- A non-law degree followed by a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and then the LPC.
She then introduced pupils to the new pathway, introduced in 2021:
- Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which includes:
- SQE1 – Assessing legal knowledge.
- SQE2 – Testing practical legal skills.
This session was incredibly valuable for our pupils, especially those considering a career in law. Many now feel more informed about their options and the qualifications required to pursue this path.
One pupil said: ‘I have never considered a career in law before but Ms Lock made it sound so interesting, even if some of the cases can be upsetting. She gave such an inspiring and interesting talk.’
A massive thank you to Anna for taking the time to share her expertise and inspire our pupils with such an engaging and insightful talk!