I always thought English was my subject. I also thought it was the only one I could be good at. As an undergraduate, I watched my friends reading Law, working hard to learn cases. It seemed arduous and not much fun. It wasn’t until much later, when I reached a crossroads and needed to rethink my career, that I thought about becoming a solicitor.
I spent two years at Anglia Ruskin University as a single mum postgraduate student. There was no time for anything except looking after my son and studying. I didn’t mind, though, because I’d had a huge surprise: I loved it! I found the law fascinating. It’s all about people, history and ideas. And there are lots of wonderful patterns. Statutes, regulations and case law all fit together to make a full picture, and then, because new cases are being heard all the time, the law is constantly changing. It’s like a living thing.
Of course, it is very hard work. There is a lot to read and an awful lot to learn. I found that, as a more mature student, I struggled to learn things as quickly as my younger classmates. However, I had the advantage of having encountered the law in my own life. I had been married and divorced; I had bought houses; I had run a business. This meant that a significant amount of what I learnt at university was real to me, because of my own life experience.
I loved those two years so much that I didn’t want to leave. I did enjoy practice, especially because criminal defence is all about individual people and human rights, but I missed studying Law. So it’s probably not surprising that I went back to university yet again, to complete a master’s degree. My dissertation was about the human rights of children (10-18) in police stations, an issue I had become passionate about through my own practice. This photo of me was taken on the day I graduated.
I have told myself, no more university. That’s not to say I would turn down the opportunity to do a PhD, even now, if I was given the chance. I have ended up with two subjects: English and Law. They are both fascinating, challenging and endless. My experience in each of them has enriched my understanding of the other. While my current job focus is on English, there is so much from my days studying and practising law that helps me to be a better English tutor.
