Lauren Martin of the Personal Injury and Litigation department at Thatcher + Hallam solicitors starts 2022 by qualifying as a FCILEx Lawyer. Here's Lauren's story of how she went from Legal Assistant to Lawyer, in her own words. 

My Journey from Legal Assistant to Lawyer 

Yes, that would be me and what a way to start off 2022 after a very long period of global bleakness, exams and professional and personal challenges!

I started at Thatcher + Hallam back in November 2017 after I had gotten a Law Degree (LLB (Hons) for those who are in the legal setting). I started as an assistant in the Personal Injury and Litigation department and assisted William Weller and other senior colleagues on personal injury claims such as road traffic accidents, slips and trips and dog bite accidents, small debt disputes, employment settlement agreement contracts and so on. 

I had been to open days at universities to explore my options for routes to qualify and, having considered the cost of the Legal Practice Course and the amount of travel and time it would take up at the weekends, I stumbled across the Graduate Diploma route via the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (otherwise known as "CILEx"). 

Four more years of study, one Civil Litigation Practice exam, one Employment Practice exam, one Client Care Exam and a Work Based Learning Portfolio later and I am beyond thrilled to be a qualified Lawyer. 

The route I have taken, and the support from the Partners and my colleagues at Thatcher + Hallam, has had a significant and positive impact in helping me achieve this goal. 

Through the four years I have been with Thatcher + Hallam I have had unending support within Personal Injury and Civil Litigation areas and it has given me the rare opportunity to gain a high quality of experience and expertise, on a broad variety of claims and cases, under my senior colleagues who hold a wealth of experience. 

I was fortunate enough that Thatcher + Hallam sponsored me to complete my post-Degree qualifications and offered support and time off to revise before taking exams and taking the exams themselves. 

I am grateful for the opportunities that were offered to me through Thatcher + Hallam and that that I got to work with senior experts in their field. 

I work predominantly on a wide range of personal injury matters and Consumer Rights Act issues as a qualified FCILEx Lawyer and on the side I also assist with senior marketing strategies for the firm. 

I really love what I do. No two days are the same and my work is often very emotionally rewarding and I get to work with great colleagues and wonderful clients. 

You can find out more about Lauren and her work by clicking here - the Thatcher + Hallam site

Contact Thatcher + Hallam about potential personal injury claims by calling 01761 414646 or using their free virtual legal surgery contact form - https://th-law.co.uk/legal-surgery-form/