Dundee law students host alternative careers event

James Shaw, legislation and Europe team leader, from the Office of the Solicitor to the Scottish Parliament spoke about how, like many students, he was intent on a life in corporate law – only to find that working at the coalface of legislation as a public lawyer was his calling.

He described public law in Scotland as “The biggest growth industry since 1999” and disabused attendees of that canard that human rights is something only practised by criminal lawyers – citing a number of acts with which he and his colleagues have been directly involved over the years.

Ida Barth-Heyerdahl, an integrated employment solutions trainee at Anderson Anderson Brown LLP talked about opportunities available to students who speak other languages and the myriad career paths available in the world of tax.

Scottish Legal News assistant editor, Kapil Summan, told students about the state of the newspaper industry and the need to look seriously at alternative options.

Kashif Rashid, company secretary at Aviva, went through various jobs including starting up his own BMX business before finding his niche as a company secretary – a job that involves variation and responsibility from the outset.

The DULS committee told SLN it was delighted to host such a useful and well-received event, adding: “We were lucky to have the opportunity to hear from not one but four inspiring professionals. It is evenings like this full of insights, advice and personal reflections that give you the edge when you’re trying to kick-start your career.

“The committee would like to thank all the speakers and everyone who came to the event.”