How and why did you decide on a career within the legal profession?

Please give brief details of any special interests you have, including hobbies, sports, travel.

I greatly enjoy amateur [Sport] and have been [Sport] for over a decade. I find that [Sport] increases my discipline and motivation levels. Over the years I have won over sixty trophies and medals, including a gold medal for England in the [tournament name]. I am a member of the [university] [sport] club and have been selected to play in the [sport] National Championships last summer. Playing [sport] allows me to appreciate pastoral settings and reflect on various things. I am also a member of the [university] [club] where I get an opportunity to do some target shooting as a way of improving my precision and concentration levels. I greatly enjoy motor sports and last summer, along with some friends, I have rebuilt and modified a rally car ‘Subaru Impreza Turbo GT’. During my holidays I like to travel, explore new places and learn new cultures by meeting people. Recently, I have travelled to Turkey and especially enjoyed the picturesque scenery and the rich culture.

How and why did you decide on a career within the legal profession?

I decided to pursue a legal career when I was studying English Literature at A-Level. I truly enjoyed the interaction of law and the society in literary texts such as ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, ‘Bleak House’ by Charles Dickens and ‘Mrs. Warren’s Profession’ by George Bernard Shaw. English literature allowed me to empathise with various societal groups, who were normally an epitome of political structures, through their experiences and character development. I decided to pursue a legal profession because I would like to assume early responsibility. As a commercial lawyer I will have an active involvement in project management, making sure deadlines are met, colleagues are kept up to date and information is communicated to the client. Given that commercial law is both transactional and ongoing suggests that I will have to build a rapport with the client and apply strong communication skills coupled with high technical ability when forming a clear picture of the client’s needs and objectives and then explaining what may well be a complex area of law when advising on the best solution. This may require me to liaise with a number of legal departments thus making each day unique, enjoyable and fulfilling work experience.

Do you have any areas of law that particularly interest you and, if so, why?

I am interested in commercial law because I feel that commercial law can provide me with a framework to which I can apply my analytical, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Recently, I have undertaken a Commercial and Consumer Contracting module where I had to analyse the law surrounding contract clauses, terms and conditions, circumstances that invalidate a contract and other regulatory instruments that govern the operation of contracts. I found this area as a perfect opportunity to apply my problem solving skills and creativity by applying case law and other legal instruments to the problem. My interest for commercial law was further consolidated whilst I was on a vacation scheme at [law firm]., where I was working on a commercial contract governing the supply of goods. I found commercial law a very contentious area where innovative solutions and creativity could prosper. More importantly, I greatly enjoyed the teamwork element where we had to discuss numerous and, most of the time conflicting cases, which forced me leave my comfort zone and think more pragmatically to deliver an effective solution to our client. I found commercial law as a perfect opportunity to learn more about different types of commercial activity and sectors, which allowed my learning trajectory to grow at a steeper pace.