The committed advocate
Updated: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:49:39 +0000 by alsters456
This article originally appeared in Any Other Business, the quarterly newsletter from the University of Huddersfield Business School.
Law graduate Jaz Thapar liked the University of Huddersfield so much she now has four qualifications from the institution. “I’ve run out of courses for the present, but I could well go back to do a PhD!”
Jaz is now a solicitor with Coventry-based law firm Alsters Kelley, specialising in all aspects of family law. “Being a solicitor was something I wanted to do ever since I was a teenager. I was dead set on it. I come from a family of medics – no one had done law before. My career plan was always to do my A levels, do a law degree, become a solicitor. And I’ve achieved it.”
Originally from Leeds, Jaz decided that she needed to avoid the temptations of the big city when choosing a university so she could concentrate on her degree work. “I hadn’t been to Huddersfield before but took to it straight away and ended up spending ten years there, as a student and then working at specialist family law firm Parker Bird Gardner. I only left last July and still go back to see friends – and visit the Pink Cadillac clothes store.
“One of the things that really stands out for me about the Law School is the approachability of the staff; they give you lots of support and assistance. But they are also good at making sure you get your head down and complete the work. Dr Richards, the Head of the School, was certainly influential in making me more determined to achieve my goals. And Dr Lynne Foxcroft was a constant source of support, not only during my time at University but also during the development of my career. I will be eternally grateful for everything she did.”
Once she had completed her undergraduate degree in 2001, Jaz stayed on to do an MA in Health Care Law. She explains, “I had really enjoyed one of the undergraduate modules on the subject and wanted to study it further. I then stayed on to do the Legal Practice Course and started work as a solicitor in the town – just round the corner from the University. I went on to complete a Master of Laws.”
Through her work at Parker Bird Gardner, Jaz developed her interests in family law, making connections with local organisations working in women’s aid, domestic violence, and asylum and immigration.
“One of our projects was to set up drop-in sessions at KRAFT (Kirklees Refugees And Friends Together) and I’m keen to develop this type of service in Coventry, taking a proactive role in raising awareness in the local community. And looking to the future, I don’t think the University has seen the last of me!”
Law graduate Jaz Thapar liked the University of Huddersfield so much she now has four qualifications from the institution. “I’ve run out of courses for the present, but I could well go back to do a PhD!”
Jaz is now a solicitor with Coventry-based law firm Alsters Kelley, specialising in all aspects of family law. “Being a solicitor was something I wanted to do ever since I was a teenager. I was dead set on it. I come from a family of medics – no one had done law before. My career plan was always to do my A levels, do a law degree, become a solicitor. And I’ve achieved it.”
Originally from Leeds, Jaz decided that she needed to avoid the temptations of the big city when choosing a university so she could concentrate on her degree work. “I hadn’t been to Huddersfield before but took to it straight away and ended up spending ten years there, as a student and then working at specialist family law firm Parker Bird Gardner. I only left last July and still go back to see friends – and visit the Pink Cadillac clothes store.
“One of the things that really stands out for me about the Law School is the approachability of the staff; they give you lots of support and assistance. But they are also good at making sure you get your head down and complete the work. Dr Richards, the Head of the School, was certainly influential in making me more determined to achieve my goals. And Dr Lynne Foxcroft was a constant source of support, not only during my time at University but also during the development of my career. I will be eternally grateful for everything she did.”
Once she had completed her undergraduate degree in 2001, Jaz stayed on to do an MA in Health Care Law. She explains, “I had really enjoyed one of the undergraduate modules on the subject and wanted to study it further. I then stayed on to do the Legal Practice Course and started work as a solicitor in the town – just round the corner from the University. I went on to complete a Master of Laws.”
Through her work at Parker Bird Gardner, Jaz developed her interests in family law, making connections with local organisations working in women’s aid, domestic violence, and asylum and immigration.
“One of our projects was to set up drop-in sessions at KRAFT (Kirklees Refugees And Friends Together) and I’m keen to develop this type of service in Coventry, taking a proactive role in raising awareness in the local community. And looking to the future, I don’t think the University has seen the last of me!”