ZERO GCSE ’ S TO LAW FIRM OWNER
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ZERO GCSE ’ S TO LAW FIRM OWNER
Local Law Firm owner Alisha Butler of Phoenix Legal Limited , shares how she went from zero GCSE ’ s to owning a Law Firm with 12 staff . Alisha was brought up in Tranmere and went to Plessington Catholic High School . She was a first-generation university educated member of her family . Alisha shares her story below .
Education I wanted to be a Solicitor since I was about 8 . I hated every minute of school , I struggled to fit in , struggled to concentrate , struggled with revising , and struggled with exams ( I still do ). The result , I left school with zero GCSE ’ s but a lot of determination to still do what I dreamed of doing .
After school , I went to college and re-sat my GCSE ’ s . College was different , the people where different , the students were different . I felt like I could fit in and made new friends . The exams were still there , but my Mum believed in me so much , that I started to believe in myself . I passed , only two C ’ s and two B ’ s , but wow I passed ! I stayed on at college to sit A-levels , guess what , I failed . I tried again , I failed . Damn exam anxiety again . I took some time out and then did an Adult Course , which was the equivalent of A-levels , but was more course work related , with very few exams . I passed !
I applied to university and got in . I struggled again in university , with my mental health and at times I was in a really dark place , with several suicide attempts . When I could , I worked full time , whilst trying to get through my Law Degree and Legal Practice Course ( LPC ). Luckily , the courses were a mix of course work and exams and so I got through it , only just , but a pass is a pass .
Legal Work During University , I had realised that I had not been applying for training contracts , which you usually apply for one or two years in advance . I decided to get a temporary Legal Secretary job to get a foot in the door and work a 2nd job in the evenings and weekends to make up my wages . An apprenticeship in a Law firm was £ 1 an hour , but I had been getting a lot more working alongside university , and then two jobs , so I had to think of another way in .
I applied for really junior positions in Law Firms , that you didn ’ t need a Law degree or LPC for . I took a pay cut and was on £ 10k a year , but my mortgage was £ 10k a year ( I bought my first house at 21 ). So , I had to keep working weekends in hospitality .
I made the conscious decision to stay late each evening . I volunteered for everything I could in the Law Firm to try to stand out , and I read as many legal cases and updates as possible to keep ahead of my colleagues .
I moved jobs and moved up the ranks . I continued to work late , weekends , whatever I could to be dedicated to getting where I wanted to be , a Law Firm owner . I eventually secured a training contract and decided to do my Higher Rights exam , which , if I passed meant that I had the right to appear for clients in all courts in England and Wales , same as a barrister . I failed . I tried again . I passed ! I moved to a new firm and after six months , I was offered the role of a director in the firm . I couldn ’ t believe it ; my goal was in sight . But there was always this little niggling feeling in the back of my mind , that I was dreaming . I now know that it was what we now recognise as “ imposter syndrome ”. I remained in this job for nearly 3 years , but I knew that I still had more I wanted to do . I wanted my own firm .
Owning a Law Firm When I started my Law firm , I knew that I still had to earn money and so I worked as a self-employed consultant for other law firms . My firm started in my spare bedroom .
The cases started to come in and so I outgrew my spare room . Luckily for me a little high street shop in West Kirby came on to the market for a reasonable rent and so I went to see it and knew immediately that this would be my first office . Within six months we made our first hire , followed a couple of months later by another . Within two years we had outgrown our little office and so we moved to a bigger office in Birkenhead , we are now a firm of 12 and growing each year .
Advice to those getting exam results this summer . My advice would be , try not to worry too much , failing is not the end of the world . You can always re-sit and if you fail again , it ' s ok , there will be another route to get to where you want to be . If life was easy and went to plan , you wouldn ’ t get the life lessons you need to be an amazing person . If it ’ s hard , take it , adapt and learn , it will make you a better person . Above all , do not lose sight of your goals and dreams . There is an answer to every problem , and it is just about finding the solution .
The world is more socially mobile than it has ever been . Yes , you may be the first generation in your family to go to university , you may be rubbish at exams , you may not fit in , but all of that really doesn ’ t matter . What matters is where you want to be in life and that you never lose sight of it , and make sure that you remember , you can be whatever you want to be , and with dedication you will get there . You may not get there as quickly as you would like or on the path that you thought you would take , but you will get there .
22 wirrallife . com