I remember feeling very nervous yet very excited, as I knew this would be a first step towards building my career. I would attend the office for two hours, four days a week to do some filing, photocopying and other duties. Some 10 months into my role as a filing clerk, I was offered some work experience as a paralegal which I accepted immediately.

During that week I gained experience in drafting Court documents, how to discuss matters with the Court by telephone and how to use case management software. A few months later I was offered another work experience opportunity to help out in the absence of the team’s paralegal.

I completed my Law degree in June 2015 and started to work as a full time paralegal, in the Commercial Recoveries team. I was immediately given ‘proper’ legal work to do. I felt extremely lucky to have made such a good connection with the Firm and to be able to do these tasks and gain experience whilst my university friends were either struggling to find any legal jobs or were having to start at a similar level as filing clerks.

During my first year of being a full time paralegal my head of department encouraged me to complete the CILEX course. It was probably one of the best decisions I had made. I knew at that point I wanted to qualify and work within the Commercial Recoveries team and the CILEX route to qualify was the best for me. Blaser Mills contributed towards the cost of this. I completed the CILEX Fast Track Diploma course and became an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

I was given so much trust from my head of department. I took on a new client’s account which kept me extremely busy and, in time, became one of the Firm’s top clients. I was still working on various other matters as well as looking after and advising my new and existing clients. I learnt so much in a very short period.

Part of the CILEX requirements is to produce a portfolio, which I had to submit after two years of qualifying employment. I qualified as a Legal Executive in March 2020.