Getting into law is costly. Whether that is financing the LPC, paying for the SQE exams, or even the money that goes into relocating for a job. As such, this can preclude individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds from accessing a career in the legal sector. But privilege is not just a financial issue either.

In this episode, Jay Johnson talks to Florence Paul about the reasons why individuals who come from underprivileged backgrounds face extra challenges when pursuing a career in law. This year, Jay set up and delivered the SMILE programme, an initiative which provides insight and an experience to a career that young people in Suffolk and Essex may not have access to. Jay talked to Florence about how programmes like this can help bridge gaps and what more can be done to allow social mobility in the sector.

This Weeks Guest: Jay Johnson

Jay Johnson is a Solicitor who works in Commercial Litigation. He has experience assisting in a wide variety of disputes relating to breach of contract, international transactions, insolvency proceedings, commercial debt recovery and contentious trusts and probate. He is a strong advocate of Alternative Dispute Resolution and strives to deliver commercially orientated advice to his clients.

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing.

We're back with another episode!

The history of charitable giving in the UK is one that is chequered. Philanthropy is a practice that became inextricably linked with colonialism and an oppressive British Empire. But after the prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, conversations around modern philanthropy are now beginning to address wider issues in charitable giving.

In this special episode of Levelling With, Liz Brownsell talks to Shereen Daniels about the position of the modern philanthropist and what actions can be taken to talk towards racial parity in the sector. Shereen Daniels, director of HR Rewired and founder of ADIEF, is an influential advocate. Her book ‘The Anti-Racist Organisation’ is a practical exploration of the social, economic and political contexts that need to be considered when addressing systemic racism. It is this insight and experience as a philanthropist herself which provides the foundation for a fruitful and direct conversation with Liz Brownsell around the state of modern philanthropy.

This Weeks Guest: Shereen Daniels

Currently a Doctoral candidate focused anti-racism and racial equity through the lens of corporate sustainability, Shereen is an influential advisor, helping executive leadership teams of global brands and non-profits, covert their commitments into actions that make a genuine difference for employees, consumers and community members who are most impacted by racism, bias and discrimination.

As the bestselling author of The Anti-Racist Organization: Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace (Wiley, 2022), her direct yet compassionate approach has seen her thrice recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice (with nearly 100,000 followers) and former winner of HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinker.

Shereen is also Chair of her charitable foundation The African Diaspora Economic Inclusion Foundation and Senior Advisor to PR and reputation management firm Lansons.

Your Host: Liz Brownsell

Liz is the Head of our Charities Team. Her expertise covers a wide range of matters affecting charities, including setting up and incorporation, mergers, corporate structuring and restructuring, and governance. In November 2023 Liz featured as a charity law expert in a Channel 5 documentary, entitled “Captain Tom: Where Did the Money Go?”, with a subsequent documentary titled “Captain Tom: What Happened Next?” aired on Sunday 4 February. To find out more about Liz’s contribution to the documentary, see her article on our website here. If you missed the first documentary, you can watch it on My5 here. You can also now watch the second documentary on My5 here.

In this episode, Katie Gibson-Green discusses when people should get a will drafted and why it's important to do so early in life, even if you don't have substantial assets. Katie and Florence look at what happens if you die without a will (intestacy) and how assets pass to loved ones in that process. They talk about how major life events like marriage, divorce, and having children can affect your will or the process, and examine the role of executors in implementing your wishes. Tune in to hear how professionally-drafted wills compare to homemade or online templates, and what are the common pitfalls when drafting a will.

This Weeks Guest: Katie Gibson-Green

Katie is a Senior Associate in Birketts' Private Client Advisory Team. She has gained a wealth of experience in dealing with UK succession and tax planning, Will drafting, Administration of Estates, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Trust work. Katie is recommended and named as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 [UK 2024].

Katie is also a Trustee of the Dacon Trust, a local charity offering work skills to adults with learning difficulties, as well as being on the committee for the Essex Ladies in Business.

Your Host: Florence Paul

Florence Paul is a Solicitor who works in Regulatory and Corporate Defence. She works on a range of private criminal defence matters, health and safety regulatory cases, and white-collar investigations, assisting also with transport and logistics matters including road transport regulation and operator licensing.