Supporting our young people into careers in the legal sector is becoming a bit of a habit thanks to our law mentoring scheme with our corporate partner Payne Hicks Beach. This time, it’s the turn of Alessia who joined the scheme back in 2020 and in June 2022 successfully applied to become a paralegal in the firm’s Citizenship and Immigration Department.
Alessia was originally born in Italy to Romanian Parents. They left Romania in search of better work opportunities and, as a result, Alessia has lived in Italy, Paris, and finally, London. Here, she became the first out of her family to go to university and more specifically to consider law as a career.
“My journey at Payne Hicks Beach started through the Coram Field’s Law mentorship programme and working with Dershe, the Employability Lead. This programme provided a mentor from Payne Hick
s Beach, in my case a solicitor in the corporate department of the firm, to support and guide me through my legal career. Towards the end of the programme, I was able to spend a day at the firm to understand how it is run, and complete various tasks in the corporate department. This has been a fulfilling opportunity for me, as I was able to learn about the responsibilities of a solicitor, as well as network with partners at the firm. Despite, the end of the programme I kept in touch with my mentor, Isobel, who has been of great help during university. I believe this programme has opened a lot of doors for me, because of the opportunity to gain legal experience, but also network with professional lawyers which I just wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. It has further given me the right tools to start university, and most importantly gain a position as an immigration paralegal, at Payne Hicks Beach itself, upon graduation! This programme has been absolutely priceless.“– Alessia
Payne Hicks Beach is part of our corporate partnership programme, Connecting Futures, which brings together organisations wanting to contribute to the futures of children and young people, and the young people who can benefit from their mentorship and expertise.
Alessia’s mentor, Isobel Symonds from Payne Hicks Beach shares:
“ I have been involved in Payne Hicks Beach’s Mentoring Scheme with Coram’s Fields since joining the firm in 2015.
I first met Alessia at one of our events in 2018 when she was studying for her A Levels. She told me about her studies, her offer of a place to study Law at Queen Mary’s University in London and her long-held ambition of becoming a solicitor.
I was struck by how much Alessia had already achieved at school and by her determination and focus. We started working together soon after that, meeting up every few months over a coffee to discuss how she was getting on. I would offer her advice about things she could be doing to get more real-life experience of law around her studies and reviewing her applications, drafts of her CV and so forth. Alessia completed a one-day work experience placement here at PHB in the Corporate Department in the summer of 2019. We stayed in touch after she started her degree in autumn 2019, and throughout the pandemic. Alessia has just graduated with fantastic results and has been offered a job as a paralegal in the Immigration Department at Payne Hicks Beach.
I feel so proud of everything she has achieved. She has been a brilliant mentee, taking on board the advice and tips offered at every opportunity. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with her, and I am thrilled she will be joining the firm in September. Well done, Alessia! “
