Many graduates aspire to become a partner in a law firm, playing a lead role in the direction and growth of the business. Depending on its size, this usually involves heading up a department and a wide range of other duties such as business development and marketing. Like others in the profession, my progression to senior partner required plenty of hard work and determination – but reaching your goal brings endless rewards.

Paul Cobb – Head of Family Law and Senior Partner at Rothera Sharp

My background

I wanted to be a lawyer from the age of 16 and following completion of my law degree at Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1988 (now Staffordshire University), I undertook the final exams at the Law School Chester.
Despite falling into family law almost by accident, I found it so interesting that I have built my entire career on the subject. After finishing my training contract in Merseyside, I returned to the Midlands, which is where I am from originally, to take up a legal post.
With few opportunities to progress at that firm, I left and eventually secured a position in the family law department at Nottingham-based Rothera Dowson (now Rothera Sharp). Becoming a partner was my next ambition and I achieved this in 1997. Today, I am a Partner and Head of Family Law at Rothera Sharp.

Route to partner

As you might expect, it usually takes years to become a partner, not least because you need a high level of experience and expertise. I always tell students and graduates to be open about their aim, especially as many law firms want you to stay and forge your career with them rather than moving on after a year or two. In interviews, candidates sometimes shy away from talking about their ambitions, but showing determination will set you apart.
Once you have a foot in the door, your path usually depends on the size of the firm and age of the current partners. Smaller practices, with just two or three solicitors, may need you to take on extra duties, so you could be promoted sooner than with a larger firm where there are more layers.
Being a partner means you will have to make an investment in the business and few people are in a position to do this until later in their career. Since it demands a great deal of commitment, both in terms of money and time, be absolutely sure you have found the right firm before investing.

General tips

Law may be a highly specialist profession, but that doesn’t mean the same careers advice doesn’t apply. For many firms, particularly the smaller ones, personality and the right attitude are vital so think about how you present yourself to employers. Thoroughly research the firm and get a sense of its ethos, before using the interview to showcase the skills you have learned, whether on a university project or from working in a bar or supermarket. Finally, prove to your interviewers that there is more to you than exam results alone.

Good luck.

Paul Cobb
Head of Family Law and Partner at Rothera Sharp

Victrina Cuffie and Jean Waldron were all called to the Bar this month.

Victrina writes:

“I just want to say a special thank you to Staff

Victrina Cuffie

ordshire University for all the love, care and knowledge that was imparted unto us. We got called to the Bar on Thursday 18th May last week at the Hall of Justice. The next morning, I happened to be blessed enough to make the front page of the two largest newspaper houses of our country (Newsday and Express). I got an opportunity to mention Staffordshire University in the brief inpromptu interview outside the Hall of Justice”

Jean Waldron

‘LPC graduate Jean Waldron is shown here being admitted to the Trinidad and Tobago Bar.  Like many of our Trinidad students Jean chose to study full time through the blended learning route in 2015/16.  This is a demanding and rigorous course that requires a high degree of tenacity and commitment.  We congratulate Jean on achieving her ambition of qualifying as a lawyer in Trinidad and wish her all the very best for her future.’ Paul Allen.

Dave Tapp (Law School), Solicitor.

On Monday 22 people were killed and 59 others injured at the Manchester Arena as direct result of another mindless terrorist attack. The Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that as a direct result of this attack the terror threat level in the United Kingdom has been increased from severe to “critical”. That means that it is believed that an attack is expected “imminently”.

The UK’s international terrorism threat level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), based in MI5 headquarters in London. This level has only been implemented twice previously in the United Kingdom and not at all for the last 10 years. The first occasion was in 2006 during a major operation to stop a plot to blow up transatlantic airliners with liquid bombs and also the following year, after a plot to bomb a London nightclub, before going on to attack Glasgow Airport.

As a result of this decision today, Police officials asked for authorisation from the Secretary of State for Defence to arrange a number of armed military personnel to support their own armed officers. This has now been granted and forms part of Operation Temperer.

Operation Temperer has been specifically created so that armed police officers and the armed forces can work in collaboration in an environment of this nature. The impact of this operation means that Key sites normally protected by armed police officers will now be replaced by hundreds of armed forces personnel instead, allowing the armed police officers to increase their local presence and patrol key locations on our streets. Military personnel may also be deployed in events like sports meetings and concerts in the future.

Members of the public are not specifically required to take any particular actions; these security threat levels are set for the police and other security specialists across various sectors of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) to decide on what security protection level response to be implemented. However it is important to be aware of the 5 different threat levels, which are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack:

LOW                    means an attack is unlikely.

MODERATE        means an attack is possible, but not likely

SUBSTANTIAL    means an attack is a strong possibility

SEVERE                means an attack is highly likely

CRITICAL             means an attack is expected imminently

Terrorists use countless methods of attack, not only explosive devices suspected to have been used at the Manchester arena, but shootings and close quarter attacks, kidnappings, chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) devices and other innovative ways to create fear amongst our society.  However, Nonviolent methods are also regularly used, such as gaining access to specific information that may be useful, or through trying to radicalise an individual in an organisation to provide such information that could assist them with an attack.

You can play your part to help prevent terrorism by being alert to possible suspicious activities such as unusual internet activity, financial transactions, purchasing of certain items that could be used as weapons, or materials that could be used to make explosives, unusual behavior at strange times of the day or night, openly radical comments and views being vocalised, or the people you have known for a while who may start behaving differently from how they have always acted previously.

If you genuinely believe that something is suspicious, use your instinct and inform the police, they will investigate your hunch and you never know you may be providing that vital link to an operation or an arrest that prevents another atrocity.

Remember, you should always remain alert to the danger of terrorism and report any suspicious activity, as with any other serious crime.

If you have information about possible terrorist activity, please call the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. The Anti-Terrorist Hotline is for tip-offs and confidential information. For warnings about possible bombs or other urgent threats please call 999.