DQ, where you can forge your own path

Are you thinking of a career in law but don’t fancy three years living ’uni life? Well then, we have good news for you!

We recently sat down with three extra brilliant members of the team at DQ Advocates who told us how they’ve gone about entering the legal profession their own way and why the company is a great place to work.

Now you may be forgiven for thinking the legal profession is all black robes and white wigs. It is partly that, but it is so much more.

DQ offers a wide range of legal, regulatory and compliance services to clients from all across the world and what makes it that extra bit special is that each of the team has got to where they are their own way.

Kathryn Sharman, Regulatory and Compliance Advisor, always thought she wanted to be a lawyer and after doing some work experience with Tynwald, went off to Uni to complete her law degree. However, having done that, the financial expense of doing her Legal Practice Course (postgraduate qualification previously needed to be an advocate) made that a difficult decision.

In her second year, Kathryn did work experience at DQ. She said: ‘I loved it, but kind of reaffirmed to me I don’t think I want to be a corporate lawyer.

‘But it’s the first time I kind of really came across Regulatory and Compliance services, so I came back and did a second placement with the R&C team and absolutely fell in love with the area. So much so, that I decided that was for me. I tried my best to get a job in it and it was very difficult, and I was very lucky that when I came home, that DQ took a chance on me and created a Trainee role for me to fill.’

David Cowin, a trainee paralegal, reached the end of his A-Levels and had thought about studying physics at Uni. Fortunately, he saw an ad for the DQ insight day and, in his words ‘absolutely loved it’ (plus, he didn’t have to study physics anymore, a double win in our books).

He said: ‘I’m currently studying two days a week online at The University of Essex, and I work three days part time here at DQ. I’m learning the theory through my law degree, which you need to become an advocate anyway, whilst also getting real world experience on how to apply that knowledge. Plus studying at a Manx firm means I can learn Manx law, because it is, whilst very similar, fundamentally different to English law.’

Chloe Convery, a trainee advocate, has known she wanted to be a lawyer since she was 11, though she did briefly consider a teaching career before seeing sense. Having completed Uni, she undertook her LPC (which is no longer a requirement) while working at DQ.

She passed the LPC after studying for it part-time for two years, and whilst doing that she paralegalled (hope that’s a word) four days a week at DQ.

She said: ‘Like, David, I’ve had the practical experience of being in a firm, learning the process of applying some of the law that I’d spent the previous three years studying, and then having that  transition from English to Manx law as well.

‘I think you’re spoon fed throughout Uni, and you have this naive perception that you’re going to come out and be this hotshot lawyer and get into work and know everything, then you have this blinding realisation where you sit down and you go, ‘I know nothing.’’

Chloe said this had set her up for her Articles. While Gef knows a thing or two about articles, it turns out this had nothing to do with posting pictures of politicians underneath poorly written headlines.

She explained: ‘Articles is what we call our two-year training contract. In order to be a trainee advocate, you have to be taken on by a firm for your period of articles, and you have a principal advocate who is responsible for overseeing your training, and making sure you’ve got a wide range of work experience in different departments.

While all three have taken different routes into law, they have found DQ to be the ideal place to allow them to grow as people within a firm that is committed to helping them with their studies while giving them real-world experience.

David said that DQ even lets him take a month’s unpaid leave each summer so he can still have the Uni student experience of a summer break, which this year he took to experience other cultures while travelling across Europe.

That philosophy underpins a lot of what DQ is all about, with the company wanting to ensure their staff can achieve all that they can and have the support professionally and personally that they need.

Kathryn said: ‘The culture a DQ is very much one that I thrive in. It’s a continuously supportive environment. We are supported to become the best versions of ourselves. For example, the firm has paid for me to undertake several different qualifications in my field, they paid for me to go to London for a week to do a Data Protection course and it’s that kind of actual tangible, professional support outside of just “are you alright, can I make you a cuppa tea?” that makes a real difference.’

Alongside that, the welfare of staff is also important, with the company keen to ensure everyone from the bottom up has a work-life balance.

Chloe said: ‘Although, it should also be noted that in the legal profession you will also have to meet client expectations and deadlines, sometimes urgent instructions do come through and sometimes you do need to be at court early or late.’

‘Saying that, however, at DQ work-life balance is important to management and staff and you would never be placed in a position where you don’t have anyone to rely on to assist you if needed.’

DQ also has a board of junior to senior fee earners who have input into decisions around the office and organises internships and insight days for students to gain work experience. As well as ensuring that it means all the voices across the firm can be heard, this gives junior to senior fee earners key insights into the roles of directors, which some will hope to be one day.

Find out more here.