Francesca Filippini

What motivated you to pursue the LLB Law?

I was motivated by the desire to gain an understanding and in-depth knowledge of areas of law, explore how those evolved alongside changes in society and seen from different perspectives. My driver was to prepare for a career as a lawyer.

As I progressed through the course, I realised that a law degree is much more than that. In fact, little did I know that it would take me further years of study and practical experience to feel finally prepared, if you can ever truly be, for a career in the law.

What a Law degree to me is essentially an intellectual challenge and I realised that this is precisely what attracted me the most, and ultimately drove me to pursue a law degree abroad:

I longed to challenge myself, exercise and perfect essential skills such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and writing. It is a course of studies like no other in that sense. It offers a wealth of transferrable and versatile skills which was attractive to me.

Why did you choose The City Law School to study the LLB Law?

I choose to study at City for its reputation, both domestic and international and also for the high rate of international students there. As an international student myself, it was important to me to have access to a community of people with a similar background to mine.

In addition, I liked the way the modules and coursework was structured and the inclusion of more theoretical modules which would enable me to explore the context and background leading to the development of key legal issues.

City's rich extra-curricular offering with many opportunities to become involved with the Societies was particularly attractive and in particular the free language courses. With hindsight, I wish I had committed to those more fully.

How did you fund your studies – did you secure any financial support?

I did secure financial support; I funded my undergraduate fees through Student Finance which was then available to EU Students as UK Students. I obtained one Scholarship in first year only from The City Law School, I believe it was the Global Leaders Scholarship.

I did not apply for any further Scholarships or any further means of funding, including Maintenance Loans which, to be fair, were not available to EU Students.

How would you describe The City Law School community of students and staff? Were you part of a society, or took part in extra-curricular activities while you were studying on the LLB Law?

The community at The City Law School was diverse, vibrant and dynamic. There was much going on and the offering of extra-curricular activities and societies was rich.

There was also the opportunity to start a society, even as a first-year student, which I remember someone in my course took. I was part of their society in first year.

Other than that, I enrolled in a language course but did not pursue it further. I think at the time I was afraid of over-committing myself, conscious that a law degree requires utmost concentration, focus and energy.

But with the benefit of hindsight, I would have participated more in the activities on offer at City.

How would you describe the academic and pastoral support you received during your studies with us?

City's support during my studies was excellent across the board. I received great assistance by the lecturers and tutors, who were always available to speak before or after a lecture or tutorial and answer my emails.

Everyone was very approachable and personable, their passion for the subjects was infectious and inspiring. They really made time for me. Their support was constant and consistent.

City's career services were brilliant as well, truly helpful from start to finish - offering CV building advice which was so necessary and essential at that time.

The librarians at The City Law School Library were delightful and were of truly invaluable assistance when working on my dissertation in 3rd year, running around with my hair on fire trying to locate material.

Were you involved in activities such as mooting, pro bono work or took part in a vacation scheme? If so, can you tell us about your experience and their benefits to you?

I took part in volunteering at my local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), which was advertised through the City Careers website. It was a particularly enriching experience, one that I will treasure forever. I was doing it one day a week.

The people working there were passionate and committed, very friendly and always available to help a newbie. It enabled me to put to practice what I was learning in the lecture and tutorial rooms.

I gained invaluable first-hand experience with assisting and advising vulnerable clients, mainly in the realm of welfare benefits and social security, I was trained in giving telephone advice and was also allocated to the nearby JobCentre+ to assist clients with their benefits applications, at the time Universal Credit was being rolled out and there was much confusion particularly amongst elderly or disabled clients and people with language difficulties who would at times become upset.

I also got to build a client case and accompany her as a representative to a Social Security Tribunal. To say that the CAB was a training ground is not to do it justice, it was much more than that.

My experience at the CAB also paved the way for the next steps in my career, as I was working there in 2017, the year when the Grenfell Tower fire happened, was assisting some survivors on benefits matter.

I would then go on to secure a job as a paralegal, assisting bereaved, survivors, residents of the fire in their civil claims for compensation and then go on to qualify as a Solicitor.