On Tuesday 29th October, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors hosted a group of Catalyst mentees for a fantastic insight day to learn more about careers in law. Read on to hear more about the day from two of the attendees!
On the 29th October, members of Catalyst Collective, including myself, went to Irwin Mitchell in Holborn in order to have an Insight day. Our day started with an introduction about Irwin Mitchell themselves, including learning about the members of their senior leadership team, and how all 6 of them (excluding group CEO Craig Marshall) are in charge of one of the various areas of law that Irwin Mitchell covers. We then got taken on a short tour around the offices, where we had the opportunity to see first-hand the different departments that each tackle different cases. We even had the luck of being there on the day of a bake sale, which was raising money for one of the 3 charities that Irwin Mitchell supports.
After our tour and a short break, we heard from Leena and Charisse about medical negligence, and their journeys into Irwin Mitchell. Hearing both of their stories enabled me to really understand the different pathways in which you can make your way into law. Leena, having debated between journalism and law in her early years, is now a partner after working her way up all the way from associate. Charisse took a different route from Leena, and had taken the CILEX as an alternative. Both talks were very influential, as it showed that one doesn’t have to take the most common path into law - there are many alternatives which lead to amazing results!
In the afternoon we split into 2 groups and carried out a debate regarding e-scooters, and whether they should remain or be rid of. Both groups were extremely passionate, and unfortunately for my group, there was only one winner - and it wasn’t us! The debate enabled us to extract information from multiple resources in order to create multiple arguments that could be used to our advantage. The debate finished, and we then heard from Angela Jackman, who is a KC - a barrister or solicitor who has been recognised for their excellent advocacy. She spoke to us about her journey and some incredibly influential cases she had succeeded in in the past.Â
The main thing I learnt from this whole insight day, is that there isn't just one pathway into the world of law. The people that kindly came in to share their experience, all got there in different ways - apprenticeships, training contracts, you name it! Taking a less traditional pathway can get you the same opportunities that a more known pathway into law can. You can also take time to learn what area of law you want to work in. There is an incredibly wide range of areas to choose from.
Words by Christina, Year 13
On the 29th of October me and a group of girls made our way and participated in the Catalyst Collective: Irwin Mitchell Insight Day. Our day began with getting an overview of what we would be doing, which included hearing from staff about the different career journeys which led them to what they do today. After this, we began to get a detailed description of what Irwin Mitchell stands for. This included a tour of the office, which allowed us to ask different lawyers and staff within the firm what they specialise in, and how helping people within the law inspires them and enables them to think more intellectually about how other people’s situations can vary.
After this, we heard from Leena and Charisse about the area of law that they specialise in: Medical Negligence. After a short lunch break, we were nicely led into a debate on E-Scooters, which gave us a chance to think intellectually with each other, using research and statistics in order to make a powerful and successful case.
We then concluded the day with a compelling story from Angela Jackman KC (Hon) about her journey to the firm and the various achievements she gained along the way. This was fulfilling for all of us to hear, and most importantly it was encouraging to hear that one
day all of us could achieve the same things.
Going to the Irwin Insight Day made me aware of how many branches of law you are able
to go into, and these are all equally rewarding in terms of whether you are
personally helping a client, or helping businesses as a whole. Furthermore, as a woman of
colour, Irwin Mitchell assured us multiple times that this would not put us at a disadvantage -only make us stronger throughout the process of becoming the lawyer that we want to be.
Most importantly, it allowed me to learn just how important community is with your fellow lawyers, as well as your clients. Being truthful to them, and helping them in any way that we can is the way to know that you have gotten justice or clarity for the client.
Overall, it was a brilliant day and a perfect overview of what goes on within a top law firm!
Words by Claudia, Year 13
Thank you so much to the team at Irwin Mitchell for hosting us - the girls had a fabulous time and learnt so much!
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