Charley-Anne Gordon, winner of our Future Legal Mind Award 2019, got the chance to kickstart her career with a day of mentoring which included visiting the Ministry of Justice.
Charley-Anne, from Hitchin in Hertfordshire, headed to London to meet with Paul Maynard MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, whose responsibilities include court services and reform, legal aid and criminal justice.
After visiting the MoJ, Charley-Anne spent time with Jonathan White and Adam Nabozny, both experienced lawyers from our team, to talk about the law.
The mentoring day was part of Charley-Anne's prize package, and she will also receive a prize fund of £2,000.
See more of Charley-Anne's prize day:
Charley-Anne said:
Meeting Paul, Jonathan and Adam was an eye-opener and has given me a real insight into their respective areas of law.
I entered Future Legal Mind to show my determination to succeed in this industry. Visiting the Ministry of Justice and taking part in the mentoring session were great experiences which have given me confidence and advice to help me launch my own legal career.
Charley-Anne is in the final year of her law degree at the University of Buckingham and aspires to become a leading legal academic.
She recently began volunteering with Citizens Advice to help people and her career ambition is to write legal textbooks tailored to the different ways that students learn.
As a wheelchair user, Charley-Anne wants to break down barriers for disabled people in the workplace with her academic research, and to show people that careers in law are open to everyone.
Minister Paul Maynard, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice, said:
It is important that we continue to encourage this next generation of legal thinkers and practitioners, including individuals like Charley-Anne whose dedication and vivacity will help contribute to the education of future generations.
Jonathan White, our Legal Director, said:
Charley-Anne's competition entry really impressed us and it was interesting to chat to her about her career aspirations.