Lauren Hickey, Trainee Solicitor
“After university, I worked in PR for several years before embarking on a career change. I completed both the GDL and LPC part-time while working full-time; during this period, I joined Foot Anstey as part of the Business Services team. After 6 months, a paralegal role opened up within the Corporate team, which I successfully applied for. My focus was assisting on Private Equity-backed transactions; I was given high quality work and direct exposure to key firm clients, which created a fantastic foundation to build upon as a Trainee Solicitor. I once read that your career needn’t be a ‘relentlessly upward trajectory’; perhaps for obvious reasons, this has always stuck with me. Having followed a non-linear path has benefited me as a Trainee; many of the most valuable skills for a solicitor can be developed in non-legal roles.”