Careers in Legal Aid and Public Interest Law

Are you passionate about issues of social justice? Want to use your skills to help ordinary people, rather than big businesses? Does “commercial awareness” confuse, scare, or just bore the hell out of you? Well, us too!

Come and hear 3 former UCL Law classmates talk about what they’ve been up to since graduating, how and why they got into non-commercial law, and what lessons they’ve learned along the way.

This talk is open to both non-law students and law students alike. It will cover career options both down the traditional (qualified) route as well as non-qualified law-related careers (no GDL/LPC required!).

Mike Roberts is a solicitor at Leigh Day, having trained and qualified at Hodge Jones & Allen, two leading human rights law firms. Now specialising in clinical negligence, he will be talking about working as a solicitor in the non-commercial sphere, both within his own field and the wider world of human rights(y) legal practice.

Rose Arnall works as a solicitor at Shelter Legal Services, specialising in homelessness, unlawful evictions and disrepair. She uses all manner of national legislation and case law to obtain and maintain safe and suitable housing for her clients, challenging landlords and councils, as well as bringing test cases to develop domestic law and government policy in relation to social housing.

Tom Davies is Director of Campaigns and Communications for Dignity in Dying and will be talking about how his UCL degree has helped his career in politics and public affairs. Working at a high-profile campaigning organisation, he has been involved in drafting legislation and supporting a human rights case, both of which drawing from the key skills learned while studying law.