Alumni working outside the legal profession

Norman Lamb MP (Law LLB, 1977-1980)

I took the LLB course at the University of Leicester. I actually arrived at Leicester through the Clearing system! I came to do a social sciences degree in 1976. During the first year I made enquiries about transferring to law after doing some work experience with a local solicitor in Norwich, and was told that I could do so if I secured a 2:1 grade in my first year exams. I duly met this standard and transferred to law. 

This meant starting again, so my law degree course was from 1977 through to 1980. I secured a 2:1 degree at the end of the course. I really enjoyed my time at the University of Leicester. In my final year I became President of the University Law Society.

I stood for Parliament in 1992 and 1997 before being elected in 2001 for North Norfolk. My first job in Parliament was as a Junior International Development Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats. I then went on to the Treasury Select Committee, in my first term in Parliament and joined the Treasury team under Vince Cable.

When I was re-elected in 2005, I became the Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Subsequently I became Chief of Staff to Sir Ming Campbell when he was leader. I then was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health - a position I held until the 2010 General Election. Following this election, I was appointed as Parliamentary and Political Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and became an Assistant Government Whip.

Karthik Ravi, Consultant in Enterprise Risk Services at Deloitte LLP

I wanted to pursue an intellectually challenging degree which would give me strong analytical skills and an ability to simplify complex information into a digestible form. Since I have a keen interest in politics at a legislative level, law seemed to be the perfect degree. Law is fast-paced, ever-changing to the needs of society and inherently interdisciplinary, making the subject interesting and highly relevant.

Leicester Law School is truly unique in terms of its course offerings and approach to teaching law. For example, studying elements of critical legal theory in 'Law and Political Theory' during my third year was highly enjoyable, combining politics, philosophy and law into a truly fascinating course which involved many debates in tutorials.

In addition to this, I competed in the Client Interviewing and Negotiation competitions, which gave me practical business skills that prospective employers valued highly. During my time at Leicester, I approached some of the best law firms in the world at the Leicester Law Fair and was able to secure four vacation schemes at top 20 law firms. However, once I delved into the world of professional services, I realised that there were many alternative careers to commercial law, which I found to be more interesting and suitable for me.

I spent a year in industry in a London digital marketing agency, where I began to develop my interest in IT. However, whilst researching careers, I was fascinated by enterprise risk management, especially within the context of IT, and hence chose to apply to the Enterprise Risk Services division at Deloitte. 

The analytical and communication skills which my law degree gave me were directly applicable and have been imperative to my current role. The variety of work and clients at Deloitte has been truly outstanding. I hit the ground running from day one, having direct contact with top clients. I work in teams conducting SAP implementations, compliance reviews and IT controls testing - my work is extremely diverse, global and is highly valued by our clients.

Carole Wigley, Freeth Cartwright HR Manager (Law LLB, 1976-1979)

I came to the University of Leicester in October 1976 to study Law. I was the first in my family to attend university and I had no idea what to expect! I moved into Digby Hall and quickly realised that life at University was going to suit me. I was part of a number of societies and got involved in the University theatre as a stage-hand. 

I didn't choose to study law with a view to qualifying into the profession, rather I wanted to study a degree that would enable me to work in a business environment on graduation. However, in my second year everyone seemed to be applying for law school - so I did that as well, and my decision to become a solicitor was made. I graduated in 1979 with an LLB and went from Leicester to Guildford College of Law to do my professional exams. 

I was fortunate to obtain articles in a small Birmingham firm, and on qualification joined Wells & Hind, solicitors in Nottingham. I became a partner in 1986. In 1989 Wells & Hind became the Nottingham office of Evershed & Tomkinson and later Eversheds. In 1997, I decided to take a short career break to settle my two children into school, and in 2000 joined Freeth Cartwright Solicitors as their HR Manager. I am now in charge of a team of HR specialists, and we have 500 staff over 9 locations.

Amongst other things, I spend quite a bit of my time interviewing graduates for training contracts. In my spare time I am a governor of an FE college, and I chair an Academy Trust. I also sit on the Law Society Education and Training Committee.