Graduate Story

Harrison French, LLB (Hons) Law Graduate

"This university offers chances to people with non-traditional academic backgrounds and I was lucky to be afforded one, and from there I like to think I have really flourished.

In my experience, on the law course, it has been a group of academics who are deeply passionate, not just about their specific field, but about the way in which they deliver teaching and create relationships with their cohorts.

The curriculum is designed with employability at centre stage, this translates into assessments and seminars that are created to help build skills that employers are looking for, a great example being the mock court room, used numerous times through the 3 years for ‘Advocacy Assessments’ that test your ability to put forward legal arguments concisely and coherently.

It would be remis of me not to mention extra-curricular opportunities, the Clinical Legal Placement module provided me with critical professional experience in my second year. Important both in developing my confidence and professional attributes and offered a source of inspiration for my final year research project. It has too bolstered my CV which will be critical in my transition from education into the workplace.

That transition being aided by a fantastic careers team who have already provided me with support in applying for post-graduate roles. They are sincerely committed to helping students and offer that support after graduating too."

Alicia Webster, LLB (Hons) Law Graduate

"My professional career has been very Suffolk based. When I left university, I worked at Suffolk County Council going from intern to paralegal to caseworker to lawyer. I have very recently started working at a local law firm called Birketts. My degree not only supported the academic side of my career, but also my skills, professional relationships and network. I was able to get involved with things at the university that have helped shape my career post graduation, for example networking and events. I have made connections with people that have also influenced my career and this would not have been possible without the university. I learned a lot of valuable skills through the extra curricular work and volunteering that helped shape my future career and learned that a career in law is more than just knowing the academic side.  

I mainly chose University of Suffolk due to my Suffolk ties and also the fact that my mother was studying there at the time. I have always wanted to stay in Suffolk and give to the community here which definitely influenced my decision. Definitely how personal my experience was. From speaking to friends at arguably larger universities their experience was nowhere near as personal as mine was. I felt able to approach my lecturers and create a professional relationship with them and I felt very supported by them whereas I understand in other universities, students rarely speak to their lecturers. That is definitely the selling point of the University of Suffolk and I have noted that too many people. The support I received from my lecturers was unmatched. Also the opportunities I was afforded and how integrated the university is in the local community is a very strong point.   

The university helped shape me into the professional I am today. If it wasn’t for the unique and personal experience that I had at the University of Suffolk I don’t think I would have flourished nearly as much as I have. I was very well supported and my lecturers believed in me, encouraged me and gave me the confidence to develop my skills and knowledge and be the best version of myself. I often say this but going into the University of Suffolk was one of the best decisions I have made. "