After being diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression, experiencing imposter syndrome and burnout all whilst I was still a trainee solicitor, I went on a mission to do law differently.
It wasn’t until I received diagnoses of ADHD and autism after qualifying as a Solicitor Advocate that I learnt why I had such a passion to do things differently.
I chose to study law impulsively one evening in Year 13, I call it my ‘Eureka moment’ as I made the decision in the shower. After being told by teachers I wouldn’t get the grade or get into the universities I wanted to (I was smart but perceived by some teachers as lazy, not achieving my potential and in my own world), I got into three universities to study law.
I graduated from Queen Mary, University of London with a high 2:1 in Law and then went on to complete a Master’s in Medical Law, achieving a merit straight after graduating.
It was then I veered off the traditional path to becoming a lawyer. Instead of getting my foot straight in the door of a law firm, I worked in a number of industries, retail, sales, marketing, recruitment and customer care for a house developer. Until one day, almost 7 years after graduating with my law degree, I got my first job in a law firm as a Litigation and Personal Injury Paralegal. In the space of just over three years, I progressed from being a Paralegal to Trainee Solicitor to a Solicitor Advocate.
Being autistic and having ADHD has provided its fair share of difficulties in my career, but it also allows me to see the world differently, come up with new ideas, and work really hard to get the result I want.
Less than two years after qualifying as a Solicitor Advocate, I decided to leave the safety net of an employed role at a Central London law firm and become self-employed (something that lawyers tend to do at least 5 years after qualifying, if not later). I have experience and have practise in a variety of areas within litigation and personal injury, my specialist areas are defamation and reputation management. To find out more about my legal practice, click on the Legal Services link above.
Whilst still building my legal business, having experienced the benefits of ADHD coaching first-hand, I enrolled on an ADHD coaching course and successfully obtained my Level 1 Certification in ADHD coaching. I am now a coach for autistic and ADHD individuals with a primary focus on those in the legal profession or similar professions, the late diagnosed, women and ethnic minorities. If you work in the legal profession and would like to find out more about my coaching, click on the Coaching link above. If you are not in the legal profession, do not worry, I have separate website all for you, click on the Non-Legal link above.
I am also a professional speaker, having spoken at events for over 10 years. I speak about the legal profession, autism, ADHD, mental health and wellbeing, imposter syndrome, and burnout. My speaking career highlight came in 2023 when I delivered a TedX talk at the inaugural TedX Beckenham. You can check out some of my work under the Speaking link at the top of the page.
I actively carry out voluntary work. I started out with Surrey Junior Lawyers Division in 2020 and was Wellbeing Representative, spreading mental health awareness and providing support, for 2 years. I then joined LawCare, the mental health charity in the legal profession, first as a peer supporter in 2022 and then also became a Champion in 2023. I was also a volunteer with Neurodiversity in Business between 2022 and 2023.
My main priority in life is to live a happy and fulfilling one, helping as many people as I can and making an impact on the world. If you’d like to hear more about my story or how we can collaborate, get in touch.