Sometimes you have to get up, go get your life and get some safe and sound advice.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
Well at the moment I'm a postgraduate student
– it’s not as fun as being an undergraduate by the way but yes I am back in
school and currently doing the Legal Practice Course and a Masters in Legal Practice.
I also run AskMe: Legal! AML is a social enterprise that offers legal support
to people, especially those that have been affected by the legal aid cuts -
people that find themselves in legal difficulty but can’t afford solicitors and aren't eligible for legal aid. Another branch of our work involves running
workshops and holding networking events for young aspiring lawyers, in
particular those from low socio economic backgrounds.
At a time when many young
people are deterred from pursuing higher education because of the price tag
attached, we want to encourage those who truly have a desire for a legal career
but may be apprehensive about chasing their dream. I also work full time but I'm not presently in a legal role. I had to work full time in order to fund my
studies but I didn't want a job that would be too demanding and have an adverse
effect on my grades
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| Source https://twitter.com/askmelegal |
What
inspired you to get involved in Law?
When I was younger my mother would buy my
brothers and I several gifts for Christmas. We would each receive our main
present – something we undoubtedly would have been hinting we wanted for the
last 6 months, but we would also get other little presents like DVDs, PlayStation
games, fluffy slippers, that kind of thing.
Well this particular Christmas, I
must have been about 12 or 13 and mum bought me a DVD: Legally Blonde. I watched
the movie in awe of Reese Witherspoon, all her pink accessories and her ugly
Chihuahua.I remember thinking to myself woooow I want to do this! Scratch
that, I'm going to do this! Up to that point I had wanted to be a singer and every
time I would tell my mum my dreams of Hollywood she would smile and nod, very
supportive my mother. I would come to discover years later that the look of
admiration in her eyes each time I would sing to her was actually a look of
desperation that my Beyoncé phase would pass sharpish because I now know that I wasn't as great a singer as I thought I was back then. She was very relieved
when I announced that I had changed my mind. That’s how it all started, but I will say that it was
only after I secured several work experience placements and started studying
law that I truly fell in love with the profession.
When
did you start Ask Me Legal?
I started AskMe: Legal towards the end of
2012. I had graduated July that year and decided to take a year out to work and
save up for my tuition fees before commencing postgraduate studies. At that point
I was having a really hard time finding a legal job because most firms wanted
me to have at least commenced the LPC.
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| source (https://twitter.com/askmelegal) |
Have
you experienced any minor/major injustice that inspired your company?
Definitely! The
rule of law is the legal principle that no one is above law. In the eyes of the
law we are all equal irrespective of class, race or social status. However the
cuts to legal aid have had a devastating effect on a number of vulnerable groups
within our society and I would even go as far as to say that the cuts are
undermining the rule of law.
"How can we class ourselves as equals before the law when there are a group of individuals unable to take legal action against individuals and organisations that have wronged them?"
People that can’t afford
to pay for a lawyer privately are forced to go unrepresented or alternatively
go up against experienced legal counsel and represent themselves. The sad
reality is that justice comes at a price and not everybody can afford it.
I
appreciate that it will take a lot more than AskMe: Legal to eradicate what I
deem to be a flagrant violation of Human rights but I would rather try and help
than join the choir of complaints. By providing people with free legal education
we aim to put them in a position where they are able to make will informed
decisions as to how to progress their legal issue.
If they do decide to go to
court or represent themselves we are able to put them in contact with
organisations within their community that can offer additional help and support
for free.
What
is the vision of Ask Me Legal?
Presently, the vision is to bridge the gap
between the average citizen and the English and Welsh legal system using legal
education as well as equip aspiring lawyers with all the information, advice and support
they need to succeed.
Is
this a free service?
Our online legal support service is free and
all the workshops and events we run for young aspiring lawyers are also free to
attend. However there is a charge for schools and further education
institutions that invite us to deliver a session for their students.
What
type of queries do you expect to receive from people?
My goodness we get all sorts! *Laughs*
Landlord & tenant issues, family law
queries, immigration law, criminal law … you name it we've probably had to deal
with at least once.
Where
do you see Ask Me Legal in the next 5 years?
Hmm that’s a
difficult one. The AskMe: Legal that exists today is a little different to the
AskMe: Legal I founded back in 2012.
Initially online legal support was the
only service that we offered but whilst we were working at that, we stumbled
across another issue – young aspiring lawyers in need of support and mentoring;
in response to which we launched the workshops. The chances are we will most
likely stumble across more issues over the next few years and create ways to
address them. Five years from now we would like to have made a substantial
positive social impact in the UK, so that as many people as possible are aware
of us and all that we offer.
I’ve
read that you target schools, colleges and communities. What do you hope to
achieve through doing this?
The aim is to
educate and inspire. We want to educate the younger generation on the steps
that they need to take in order to increase their chances of success. I'm hoping
younger people will be more receptive to what we have to say as it wasn't too
long ago that we went through it all ourselves.
There are a number of lessons
that I had to learn the hard way and it would be great if I could just hand
them my metaphorical notes as opposed to allow them to sit through the exact
same lessons. It would probably allow them to stay a few steps ahead of their peers
too which is always a bonus considering how competitive the profession is.
Another thing to consider is that there will inevitably be a group of young
people that were born into lower socio economic households and may not have grown
up surrounded by high flying professionals or ambitious achievers. This could cause
them to question whether their goals are attainable. Allowing them to hear the
stories of legal professionals that have overcome similar challenges may
provide them with the boost of confidence they need to follow their dreams.
Where
can readers find more information about Ask Me Legal?
Readers can visit our website: www.AskMeLegal.co.uk
They can also follow us on social media:
Twitter
- @AskMeLegal
Facebook- www.Facebook.com/AskMeLegal
Instagram- AskMeLegal
Much love to Lanre for sharing her story, If you need any legal advice and don't know where to start. AskMeLegal will light the way.
Be you and Be true to who you are.
Be you and Be true to who you are.
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