In 2016, at the age of 15, I walked on the Law Society of Ireland's grounds for the first time in my life. I wasn't sure what to expect of the ‘Solicitors of the Future’ programme I was about to be a part of, but I could have never imagined the impact it would have on my future career. Almost ten years later, I once again walked on the grounds of the Law Society, not as a Transition Year student this time, but as a Trainee Solicitor. 

The programme, which features Street Law activities, was incredibly beneficial to me. As a student from a DEIS school, the programme would have provided me with my first meaningful interaction with the legal profession. It has played a massive part in me deciding that I want to become a solicitor. Programmes such as Street Law are vital in ensuring that the legal profession becomes more accessible and that barriers to entering the legal sphere are broken down.  I am incredibly grateful to have taken part in such a programme, and I can never overstate the importance of such projects in shaping the future of the profession.  

As such, I volunteered to be a Street Law instructor during my time on the PPC, to have a chance to give back to the community all that I have received in my time. The experience has been incredibly rewarding. The comprehensive training has taught me invaluable skills and has given me the confidence to then go and teach in a classroom. The students have been incredibly engaged and eager to learn. The highlight of the experience for me has been seeing the sparks of interest in the law from the students when discussing certain topics, and their keenness in participating in discussions. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences during my PPC training.

I took part in the Solicitors of the Future Programme in 2017 and found it to be an incredibly valuable experience, I could not recommend it highly enough. It came at a time when I was unsure about my CAO options and I had no exposure to the legal profession. Coming from a family with no legal background, with both my parents being nurses, the programme provided an insightful introduction to what a career as a solicitor can involve. Importantly, it helped me realise that pursuing law was a realistic and accessible path, even without any existing network within the profession. 

The experience gave me the confidence to pursue that path, leading me to study law at UCC, and ultimately my decision to work toward a career as a solicitor. Years later, the experience I had as a teenager encouraged me to put myself forward and get involved in public legal education as a Street Law instructor, giving me the opportunity to engage with students from the other side of the desk and support others in gaining the same insight that I once benefitted from.