Summer One, Summer Two and everything in between: What I’ve learnt from my time as a Laidlaw Scholar

This my personal impact report providing a snapshot of my time as a Laidlaw scholar as well as how I intend to use these learnings going forward. Enjoy!
Summer One, Summer Two and everything in between: What I’ve learnt from my time as a Laidlaw Scholar
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Summer One – Research and questioning was I really a ‘leader’

On 5th July 2021, I typed out my pre-research thoughts. I detailed various skills I expected to learn like prioritisation, project management and critical thinking. My pre-research thoughts also captured what I was most looking forward to, mainly the ‘large amount of freedom and independence’ which the project presented as well as the downsides of the project *cough cough* the reams and reams of reading. Yet, what lingered behind these pre-research thoughts was a deeper feeling: my reason why. I saw my project as an ‘opportunity to contribute’ to the barrister profession which put a weight of expectation upon my time as a Laidlaw Scholar. It set a tone that this scholarship for me has never just been about two summers worth of work. Instead, it is part of something bigger. That expectation is therefore what led me to question whether I was really enough of a ‘leader’ for the scholarship.

As such, in summer 2021 I reflected upon that thought and concluded I was not. I thought that as Laidlaw was investing in me as a future leader, I needed something outside of the scholarship to really prove it. A tangible mark which said ‘Zoe, you are a leader.’ In my infinite wisdom to obtain that, I signed up to direct my college’s fashion show, gaining my tangible mark of being a leader.

17th February 2022 - Showing the aftermath of TCFS22 as I had just finished all the various thank yous which needed to be said 

Yet, ultimately, by gaining the tangible mark, I missed the fact that my research indicated my leadership abilities. Whilst it was not a traditional stamp of authority, the qualities embodied within my research – interdisciplinary research, a unique research perspective and starting a conversation on a topic rarely discussed – were evidence of leading. Thus, whilst it was a positive, I put pressure on myself to go beyond the structure of the scholarship to embody being a leader (something I advocate all scholars to do), in hindsight, my research had engaged my leadership abilities. This became evident to me as I read through my post-research reflections which noted I thought this was a successful project because I felt proud of the work I had put in. Having that boldness to be proud of yourself and doing something different are hallmarks of leadership. (Here’s a link to what my research actually said – give it a read! https://laidlawscholars.network/documents/does-the-bar-training-course-sufficiently-prepare-prospective-barristers-for-online-advocacy-and-an-increasingly-digitalised-workplace)

Summer One to Summer Two – What on earth was my Leadership in Action project going to be?

Whilst I did ride a wave of pride for a few days after finishing my research, I came crashing back down to earth when I realised my second year, a whole fashion show and a part-time job awaited me. On top, of continuing to wave the Laidlaw scholarship banner. The waving of that banner was made easier by the easing of COVID restrictions, meaning I was able to meet my cohort in person. Experiencing the community aspect of Laidlaw has been lovely and through our various leadership training sessions, networking events and our residential in June 2022, it has been a real privilege to get to know the various Durham Laidlaw cohorts better and the staff who support the scholarship at Durham. Equally, my role as director of my college’s fashion show enriched my experience of the leadership training sessions we had during this time. Not only did it provide me with examples for those sessions, but it also encouraged me to reflect on how I was performing as a director. As such, that is why I advocate for all Laidlaw scholars to take on a leadership role during their scholarship because having that practical experience helps you make the most out of the theory you learn.

June 2022 - A picture of Ruby (on the left) and me after we had embarked on our caving challenge at our residential. We do look like some long-lost relatives of the Super Mario Bros. 

However, in amongst the positives, in January, it was time to start thinking about the Leadership in Action project. Little did I realise at the time, but it was in the planning of my Leadership in Action that I would face one of my biggest challenges as a Laidlaw scholar.

It was one of my biggest challenges because it took around six months to organise and over that time, I experienced numerous false starts, rejection emails and delays. However, the beauty of hindsight has meant I can look back at the situation more forgivingly. I see now that each one of those project rejections eventually led me to the project I ended up with as I was presented with the opportunity to pause and reflect. In late April, after nearly securing a project, I hit another setback as the project fell through due to staffing issues. This setback forced me to hit pause. I asked myself what I actually wanted out of the six weeks. Yes, I had to do a Leadership in Action project for my scholarship, but I also wanted it to reflect me and fit within my broader career goals. It was from this reflection that I cast my mind back to a documentary I had watched on ITV a couple of years ago - ‘Believe me: The Cyprus Rape Case.’ In the documentary the British lawyer involved in the case, Michael Polak Director of Justice Abroad, had been interviewed. I remember vividly my mum saying how cool it would be to be involved with Justice Abroad to which I agreed. At that moment in April, Justice Abroad re-entered my mind – they would be the perfect organisation to work with on a Leadership in Action project. I fired off an email and took a chance because I had nothing to lose. The worst which Justice Abroad could say was no and the best that they could speak with me about a potential project. To my delight, Justice Abroad agreed to meet. From that conversation and others, my Leadership in Action project was formed. The relief which filled me was immense. I had finally gotten it sorted. In that moment, there was a sense that rejection had been redirection and after six months, I had finally found my direction.

Summer Two – my Leadership in Action project

Now, our story turns to summer 2022. After the whirlwind which is the end of term at Durham (picture the manic move in move out), I was ready to start my Leadership in Action project at the beginning of July. I was excited to begin, particularly given how long it had taken to organise it. In that first week, I diligently set up my reflections diary (a crucial part of any Laidlaw scholar’s project to track your progress) and laid out my goals for the project:

  • To develop a stronger social media presence for Justice Abroad
  • To organise a documentary to be made
  • To improve the website of Justice Abroad

However, no sooner than I had set these goals, did they have to change. This gave me my first insight into the changeable world of international law and also an important lesson to be learnt - it is okay for things to change. In the beginning, when the tasks were changing, I felt a bit lost by it as the goalposts had moved. However, I soon learnt that it was okay for these things to change, because the responsive nature of international legal work requires the ability to cope with change. Soon, I became accustomed to Michael setting me tasks on a weekly basis, responding to what needed to be done rather than simply having overarching aims.

The changeability of the tasks did come with one large benefit though – I was able to undertake a variety of tasks. I audited the social media accounts of Justice Abroad, wrote a press release and wrote copy for the website which summarised the key information about the case. When I saw the completed website published, knowing I had contributed to it, I felt real pride in thinking that I had contributed to such an important legal case.

The view from the desk where I brainstormed, planned and had meetings for my Leadership in Action project throughout the six months 

Though, one particular task highlight was summarising an expert witness statement into a clear PowerPoint. Expert witness testimonies are known for being detailed and complex, so I needed to get the key information across but in a more digestible way. Not only was it a privilege to be able to read the harrowing details of what is happening to the Uyghur people, but it was also a privilege to be able to get my hands on a document which forms an integral part of the case. By performing this task, I tested my comprehension skills as I had to analyse and understand the detailed information as well as my communication skills because I had to condense down a long, detailed testimony into a digestible PowerPoint presentation. One of the key ways I did this was to create a timeline of key dates which Michael complimented me on because it summarised the information in a digestible way. This task importantly reinforced to me that a comprehensive understanding of something complex comes from thorough reading and taking your time to understand it, in order to then create something digestible.

Equally, on reflection of this project, I am reminded why it will serve to be useful for my future career goals. There is a lot of discussion within the legal community about the need for prospective lawyers to understand the ethics of practice. Thus, I feel particular from this project that I have gained an insight into the ethics of professional legal practice. When I met Michael at the end of July, I was given the task to summarise the witness statement, I was forced to confront how I was going to handle that confidential document, making me stop to consider how lawyers in practice do the same. Further, throughout the project we have discussed safety implications of the work Michael is doing – are the websites protected from hacking? How does he keep himself safe as a self-employed practitioner? How much of the information, if any, can he discuss with others? Those ethical considerations are not something you become aware of until you begin to work in legal practice. Therefore, having that insight at an earlier stage of my career is invaluable because I have begun to think about the ethical considerations which go along with working in the legal profession.

On a final note, about my Leadership in Action project, I would just like to draw attention to the work of Justice Abroad which helps people with legal representation abroad. As such, I have copied their social media handles below and their website:

Instagram = @justice_abroad

Facebook = @justiceabroadltd

Twitter = @expertsabroad

LinkedIn = Justice Abroad Ltd

Website = https://www.justiceabroad.co.uk/

If you are able to, I would be extremely grateful if you could donate to the Crowd Justice Funding page that Justice Abroad has set up. This case is what I have helped with during my Leadership in Action project and thus it would be the cherry on top of the cake if you could donate - https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/uyghur-case-argentina/

Post summer two – now what? 

Whilst it has been enjoyable and important to reflect on my research and my Leadership in Action project, it is equally important to consider going forwards how I am going to implement these reflections.

Regarding going beyond my scholarship and developing my ‘leadership’ abilities, I am continuing in the vein I started. At the end of September, I am speaking at the International Conference of Undergraduate Research on my summer one research. This conference provides the perfect opportunity for me to put my research out into the wider world, an opportunity I have been craving since when I started the project. I am excited about sharing my research with others as well as having the opportunity to meet others who are doing great research. Taking this opportunity has also reminded me of why I started this research in the first place and I am excited to see how I could use it as a springboard for further work around my research.

I also plan to implement my reflection of thinking beyond traditional leadership roles. I enter my third year without having taken on a traditional leadership role. Whilst I was tempted to apply for roles in university societies, I did not, instead sticking with challenging myself to think beyond the traditional. I’m using my third year to carve out my own path and hope to develop my leadership abilities in different ways beyond the conventional. Right now, I’m not sure how I’ll embody being a leader this year but I’m excited to find out where that mentality will take me and how I lean into the challenge, particularly post-graduation.

Equally, as the classic ‘What are you going to do after uni?’ is hanging over me, I am planning to rely on that resilient and reflective spirit which got me through the planning of my Leadership in Action project. This period of time is often uncertain, and I hope that I can rely on that spirit to carry me through it all as whilst I cannot confirm what the outcome of my third year will be, I do know that this spirit will be a comforting confidant to have throughout it.

A nice message to end with which I found on a lamp-post in Durham in March 2022

Conclusion

All that is left for me to say is thank you. I feel extremely lucky to have learnt what I have as part of the Scholarship and to meet all the wonderful fellow scholars I have done so far. I feel grateful to the supervisors I’ve worked with and for all the attributes I have developed over this time. I am also excited in the future to meet more scholars and to see where the final part of my Laidlaw journey takes me. Laidlaw has been a whole lot more than two summers worth of work and university would not have been the same if I hadn’t have done Laidlaw. So, thank you to that first-year girl who took a chance on applying to Laidlaw and kept at finding a supervisor because I know how proud this girl is of what she did.

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