A keen teenage athlete, my interest in law was first sparked during the 2014 trial of Oscar Pistorius. Having watched the celebrated Paralympian / 2012 Olympian run in person, and closely followed his career, I was shocked at the turn of events and watched with interest as his trial unfolded. Reading reports on the case and its intricacies was my first exposure to law and prompted me to apply to study it at university. Being surprised that my predicted grades would make an application to the University of Cambridge to study law possible (never previously having considered Cambridge would be an option for me), I was even more shocked a few months later to receive an interview at Cambridge, and then an offer… and then the required grades! Before I knew it, I started at Jesus College in October 2018.

Initially finding the transition to university (and the completely new subject of law) very tough, it took me a while to adapt to life away from Cheltenham and the familiarities of having been a school pupil. However, as happens to all new university students, it only took a short time for me to find both friends for life and an understanding of how to study law at university. Cambridge is a beautiful, small city- and I quickly found my way around. I enjoyed my cycle to lectures along cobbled streets, next to bookshops that had been there since 1876 and past stunning colleges that had existed for even longer. Jesus College sits next to Jesus Green- one of the many lovely green spaces in Cambridge where in summer students go to socialise next to the River Cam. I quickly fell in love with the city and college life; often attending ‘formals’ with college friends where we would put on our undergraduate gowns and enjoy a three-course meal (for £7!) with a bottle of wine, watched by that week’s attending fellows that were on high table. The convenience of college life appealed to me; accommodation, food, laundry, study spaces and anything else I needed was on site- which made life as easy as possible when managing what was admittedly a large workload.

Law at Cambridge was, of course, challenging - but also fascinating. Being lectured and supervised by law fellows who have written the textbooks and know and love everything about their sectors of law was an experience like nothing else. Supervisions offered a chance to critically engage in very small groups with why the law is as it is and how we felt it should change. Having to practice every week concisely and clearly voicing my opinion, and reading extensive written material, I have vastly improved both my confidence and developed the valuable skill to work both incredibly fast and smartly. I enjoyed the opportunity in ‘problem questions’ to apply the law I had learnt to mock factual scenarios- a prospect I had found exciting as a sixth former.

Despite a tough start to the intensive course, I was delighted, and surprised, to graduate this summer with a first-class law degree. Outside of my studies, I quickly became involved in sport at Cambridge. I started Ice Hockey for the first time and ended up going on a training camp in Finland, as well as representing the University as one of the teams in the Varsity Match against Oxford at the end of the year. In my second year, I returned to my original sport, athletics, and represented the University at Pole Vault. The quality of coaching and sporting facilities at Cambridge is impressive, with training sessions such as ‘Olympic-style weightlifting’ available to me each week.

Having bumped into a sport-focused law firm at the law careers fair in my second year, sports law was placed on my radar. Never knowing it was an independent sector, I immediately realised it was an area I wanted to explore further. My third-year dissertation offered me the opportunity to do exactly this, and I really enjoyed spending a year reading and writing about regulatory matters in athletics, particularly surrounding gender classification in sport. I thoroughly enjoyed the project, and it cemented my goal to pursue a career in the sports law field. As a result, and partly to differentiate myself in what is a very competitive sector, I applied for a postgraduate course in International Sports Law. The course, based in Madrid, will enable me to explore specific sports law issues in more detail, and develop my expertise in the field. Also incorporating a valuable 6-month internship at a leading sporting organisation (such as FIFA/ Nike Amsterdam/ FC Barcelona), the course seems perfect. The only challenge to my attendance (after I had received a place) being the extortionate course fees, I applied and was lucky enough to receive the HM Hubbard Law Scholarship to support me through my time in Spain. As a result, in January 2023 I will move to Madrid to start my postgraduate studies.

In February of my final year, I was contacted via LinkedIn by an individual who was the founder of an exciting new sports, media, tech and entertainment law firm in London. Explaining his firm was expanding and taking on trainees for the first time, he asked me to help assist them in deciding which training route to go down (as the training options for solicitors in England and Wales have recently changed). Expressing my opinion on the matter, and my excitement that the firm in question was expanding, I was keen to apply when applications opened. I did just that, and in July was offered a Training Contract at the firm. This means that when I return from Madrid, I will move to London and start training to become a solicitor at Level Law (the firm in question). I am delighted and really excited for the years I have to come, as I take further steps to forge my career in the legal industry.