Last year, we awarded Fatema* with £5,000 from our Manchester's Rising Stars Fund to go towards the expensive cost of her Bar Practice Course, a qualification necessary for her to join the Bar and qualify as a barrister in England and Wales.
Fatema, a care-leaver herself, aims to mentor care-experienced youth, drawing from her 11-year experience in the care system since the age of seven, where she was separated from her siblings due to family problems.
She is determined to succeed and increase representation of underrepresented groups in the legal system through her advocacy work. Read more about Fatema's award in our blog post from last year.
Fatema started her BPC course at the beginning of 2023, and we secured her a mini-pupillage in March at Kenworthy's - a leading Barristers’ Chambers. This allowed her to gain invaluable experience alongside a Family Law Barrister.
Fatema told us the following about her experience in this pupillage:
“During my mini-pupillage at Kenworthy’s Chambers, I observed a variety of family law and immigration law cases. Firstly, I attended a First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre. On the following day, I witnessed an EEA Dependency Hearing at the First-Tier Tribunal and my final day consisted of a Final Hearing, including pre-court negotiations led by Paul Im Thurn.
One key take away from observing private family law cases is that the child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration. I also learned that negotiations that take place before entering the court room can be crucial in order to achieve the best outcome for the child. Furthermore, my insight into immigration law has enlightened me on how the appeal process operates and how language is significant in these cases because typically most clients require interpreters.
I am most grateful to We Love MCR Charity for securing this mini-pupillage with Kenworthy’s Chambers, and to Paul Im Thurn for being a fantastic and friendly mini-pupil supervisor. This experience has given me valuable insights into family and immigration law at the Northern Bar, and I hope to stay well-connected with the barristers I shadowed on the placement.”
Paul Im Thurn said of Fatema:
"Fatema was full of pertinent questions and very interested to understand what was going on. She seemed charming and self-assured."
Fatema has returned to her studies with the ambition of completing the BPC successfully this year. From there, she aims to join a Chambers to start a career in Family Law.
We're incredibly proud of this Rising Star's achievements so far and will be alongside to watch her journey continue!
*name changed at Young Person's request