Most-followed law student in UK could soon be earning more than magic circle lawyers
If Lancaster University law student Saffron Sheriff decides against pursuing a training contract she has an alternative career as an Instagrammer waiting for her — and she could soon be earning more than a solicitor at a magic circle firm.
The third year LLBer has already amassed a whopping 24,000 followers on the mobile-only social network thanks to her hugely popular fitness posts.
Sheriff only debuted on the site 18 months ago, but has already generated a fan base more than double that of Kingsley Napley’s Dave Rowntree (aka the career-changer drummer from Blur), who is the most-followed solicitor on Instagram.
The 23 year-old also puts the most-followed barrister on Instagram, Doughty Street’s Tunde Okewale (latest follower count: 6,948), firmly in his place.
With Instagrammers with over 20,000 followers able to charge around £300 per sponsored post — and the fitness industry a lucrative one that is keen on social media marketing — Sheriff could turn her online presence into a business.
According to new app Takumi, which connects influential Instagrammers with brands looking to partner with them, Sheriff would be able to earn £31,200 by posting two sponsored images a week. Once she reaches 50,000 followers she will apparently be able to charge £750 per post, equating to £78,000 a year. That’s more than a newly qualified (NQ) solicitor at magic circle giant Slaughter and May, where NQs earn £70,000.
And when Sheriff hits 100,000 followers her post charge-out rate will, according to the app, jump to £1,500 — or £156,000 a year. That’s junior partner earnings territory.
But for now there is no evidence of the law student going down this route with hardly a brand name in sight on her feed. To date, Sheriff’s posts have largely focused on displaying her rigorous training regime, which she somehow manages to squeeze in between lectures.
One of the reasons Sheriff is so popular is that she is more than just a fitness blogger, also using Instagram to showcase her other passion, cosplay.
I had so much fun at comic con – I love it!!! This is officially my favourite photo
A photo posted by Saffron Sheriff (@saffronsheriff) on
Sheriff also shares some general lifestyle photos with her army of fans. She is, typically for a law student, addicted to coffee.
A photo posted by Saffron Sheriff (@saffronsheriff) on
But it’s not just images of Sheriff on display. Like all good Instagrammers, her feed contains plenty of food pics as well. As you would expect, it tends to be pretty healthy stuff.
A photo posted by Saffron Sheriff (@saffronsheriff) on