Aspiring solicitor Ciara-Marie Griffin pursued as many areas of law as possible before identifying the area she wants to focus on
LSBU’s legal technology module made Ciara-Marie an enthusiast and led to an internship as a legal designer with a local legal tech company while she completes her LLM (including LPC).
The LSBU law department has a strong and growing reputation. I wanted to be part of that.
Before coming here I completed a diploma in law and taxation in Ireland, which gave me a foundation-level understanding of business and ultimately, as an aspiring lawyer, prepared me for my degree.
LSBU’s law course was the main draw for me, but another one was the fact I am from London and was able to live at home while studying. I also like the inclusivity of the student population, and the mix of local London and international students.
I enjoyed so much about the course!
I like the way we were taught not just the ABC of law but the way that law operates in practice. In the first year our head of department talked to us about legal technology and I was immediately curious; I couldn’t wait to do that module in Year 3.
I studied comparative law as an elective. LSBU organised a trip to Hong Kong where we studied Chinese law, comparing it to the legal system of England and Wales. It was an incredible experience. Law isn’t a straight line. Each culture does things differently, and it’s important to understand and respect that.
I loved working in the Legal Advice Clinic.
This is where we have the opportunity to advise local people from the Southwark and Lambeth community. Many of them might not have been able to access legal advice, for any number of reasons such as affordability, or not knowing how to access or solicitor, or not realising their issue could be solved by legal means. Volunteering here was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
There’s a passion for learning at LSBU.
All the lecturers are approachable, for both subject-specific and general matters. They will always direct you to the right place and check up on you afterwards. I wrote my dissertation during the COVID pandemic, and my lecturers were super supportive and extremely quick to respond to any query.
This is a very inclusive environment. There are lots of events, whether you live on campus or at home, with karaoke, quiz nights and the chance to meet students of all subjects, not just law. The friendships and connections I’ve made will last my whole life.