School of Law students participated in two exceptional employer engagement events this week, reflecting our commitment to supporting the diverse career paths our graduates pursue. While many Queen's law graduates progress into practice as solicitors or barristers, others build impactful careers as legal professionals or apply their legal expertise in sectors beyond the traditional legal profession. Through close partnerships with leading employers, our School continues to enrich the student experience and strengthen pathways into a wide range of professional futures.
A&L Goodbody: shaping the future of law
On Wednesday 12th November, 17 law students - all from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds - were welcomed to A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office, where Michael Neill (Head of Office, Belfast) and colleagues led an inspiring session on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
The event combined insightful presentations, a negotiation exercise and a roundtable discussion where students shared perspectives on building a more representative and equitable legal sector. Developed in collaboration with Dr Gift Sotonye-Frank and Deirdre Timoney, the initiative reflected A&L Goodbody’s ongoing commitment to embedding its Diversity & Inclusion strategy.
Baker McKenzie: insights from a global firm
A group of 32 students were welcomed yesterday by Baker McKenzie Belfast for an engaging Insight Afternoon, offering a fascinating look at how the global firm delivers integrated client solutions underpinned by legal expertise.
The session explored the interdisciplinary nature of modern practice, touching on innovation, data privacy, cybersecurity and governance. Participants from the LLM Law & Technology and LLM Masters in Law programmes, alongside undergraduate law students, found the real-world insights fascinating - particularly around the fast-changing role of Generative AI in legal practice.
Dr Tomás McInerney and Dr Zi Yang expressed gratitude to Jennifer Ferguson, Andrew Neill and the Baker McKenzie team for their warm hospitality and valuable insights.
Summarising the significance of the week’s events, Deirdre Timoney (School’s Employability and Placement Officer) said:
“We are proud of our extensive partnerships across the legal sector and the enthusiasm our employer colleagues bring to supporting Queen’s Law students. Opportunities like these help our students connect their academic learning with professional realities, and see themselves as the next generation of legal innovators.”
Are you passionate about children’s rights and looking to launch your legal career with purpose?
The Children’s Law Centre (CLC) is delighted to offer a fully funded Trainee Solicitor opportunity, supported by the Legal Education Foundation Justice Fellowship Scheme. This unique role will give you the chance to train, learn and make an impact alongside CLC’s experienced legal advice, strategic litigation, and policy teams—working on real issues that shape the lives of children and young people. The scheme details are: