Lucy’s Story

In this article, we share the story of Lucy, a family solicitor who began her legal journey as a
Support Through Court volunteer while studying at the University of Leicester. Her experience demonstrates how volunteering can shape a legal career and provides insights for aspiring legal professionals.

Lucy’s journey in law began with her degree at Leicester University, followed by her Legal Practice Course (LPC) at York. It was during her time at university that she first encountered Support Through Court (formerly the Personal Support Unit) through a presentation at York University about volunteering opportunities. After completing her LPC, Lucy worked as a paralegal in York before moving to London to continue her career where she specialises in
family law.

Lucy was drawn to volunteering with Support Through Court because it offered valuable practical experience that complemented her studies. She valued the chance to experience being at court and around those going through court proceedings, which was incredibly useful as a law student. The experience allowed her to see first hand how many vulnerable people needed assistance and provided valuable insight into the court process from the inside.

“It gave me the kind of exposure to the court system that you don’t get at university,” Lucy says. “Being there in person – seeing how hearings run, understanding the paperwork, and supporting people through it – was invaluable.”

This early exposure to courtroom environments helped Lucy develop skills that would later prove essential in her career. As a volunteer at Leeds Combined Court Centre, Lucy assisted with a wide variety of cases including divorce proceedings, civil litigation matters, housing possession cases, and traffic cases. Many of the people she supported had experienced abuse or had alcohol problems, others were disabled or simply couldn’t afford legal help for their proceedings.

One case that stands out vividly in Lucy’s memory was of a woman who arrived at court on the very day her house was to be repossessed. She was there to submit an emergency court request and was extremely stressed, having avoided proceedings until that point. Lucy and the Support Through Court team were able to help her on the day and connect her with a duty lawyer who could provide proper legal advice.

Supporting people through potentially traumatic situations requires emotional resilience as well as legal knowledge. Lucy emphasises that the training provided by Support Through Court was valuable in preparing volunteers for these challenges. The key was always trying to listen to people and treat them with kindness. In difficult situations, volunteers need to be the person staying calm.

Lucy credits her time at Support Through Court with providing practical insights that were difficult to gain elsewhere. She learned how things worked in court and had the opportunity to observe court hearings happen – experience that’s hard to get otherwise. After graduation, when everyone was looking for practical experience, being able to demonstrate these practical skills was incredibly helpful in her job applications. The administrative side of court proceedings was also something she wouldn’t have understood without this experience.

When discussing her specialisation in family law, Lucy says she fell into family law after finding that civil and commercial law wasn’t the right fit. She started as a childcare paralegal, then moved through a broad training contract focusing on family law. When she qualified, she specialised in divorce, finances, private children matters and domestic abuse.

Rather than pointing to specific milestones, Lucy describes her professional development as a continuous process – a gradual evolution where she grew every day, especially during her junior years.