Fletchers legal executive, Libby Ansbro, shares insights on her non-traditional path into law, exploring university alternatives and the invaluable skills she’s honed at the firm
“Fletchers Academy is such a good way to start your career,” says Libby Ansbro, legal executive at UK personal injury giant Fletchers. “It gives you great exposure to the kind of work that goes on at the firm. From there, you can decide which pathway into law you want to follow or whether you’d like to work as a paralegal,” she explains.
Ansbro was part of Fletchers Academy’s first cohort, which joined the firm in September 2022. The Academy is a 12-month scheme which offers school leavers or graduates an introduction to legal work and training in core legal business skills. “I really enjoyed studying A Level law at college, but I already knew that continuing with full-time education just wasn’t for me,” Ansbro explains. “Luckily, my college worked closely with Fletchers so they sent me the opportunity to apply for Fletchers Academy. I had been researching different types of law firms and the different areas of law you can go into. When I read about Fletchers, I really liked the sound of the work they do.”
The culture at Fletchers further motivated Ansbro to send off her application, “It seemed like a firm which would be nice to work for. I also got a good feeling when I did my interview because everyone was really nice.” I ask Ansbro if she can share any interview advice for those who might apply to the Academy this year. “Be yourself. Be honest. Don’t be too nervous,” she replies. “Your interviewers aren’t there to frighten you; they just want to hear about why you want the job and how you fit into Fletchers’ values.”
Having completed the Academy, Ansbro is now undertaking a CILEX legal apprenticeship, with the goal of qualifying as a CILEX lawyer. As part of this pathway, she worked as a paralegal for a year before taking on a legal executive role last month. Throughout her time at Fletchers, Ansbro has worked in medical negligence, an area she has found interesting and fulfilling. “I love working in medical negligence,” she says. “It’s nice to speak to our clients and see how our work can affect their lives. You realise how important it is that they have access to legal advice.”
Ansbro’s career journey has provided her with diverse experience across two distinct teams, each handling different types of cases. “I started off in the platinum team,” she shares. “They handle cases valued at £250,000 and above. I then transitioned to my current team, which is at the other end of the spectrum. We work on a high volume of lower-value cases, typically ranging from £1,000 to around £30,000.” For Ansbro, working on these lower-value claims, which require less solicitor involvement, has been the highlight of her career so far.
“Working on these cases has been so good for my personal progression,” she tells me. “I’ve been able to take cases from beginning to end by myself. I’ve been able to run my own caseload and the exposure to work has been amazing. It keeps me very busy!”
I am curious to know what skills Ansbro has picked up during her two years at Fletchers. “Oh, so many!” she responds. “Learning to write letters and emails has been important. That’s a huge part of the world of work that they don’t teach you in school.” She also emphasises how much her interpersonal skills have grown over time. “I’ve learnt how to handle situations with clients properly. I’m also much more confident speaking to people over the phone now.”
This development doesn’t come without its challenges, however. “It was definitely challenging going from full-time education to full-time work,” Ansbro tells me. “Getting to grips with Fletchers systems and new IT was also overwhelming at times. It’s so normal to struggle with things like this, you’re not meant to know exactly what you’re doing right from the start,” she says.
I ask Ansbro how Fletchers supports their new staff who might be struggling with these challenges. “When I first came in to both of my teams, I was given somebody in the team to shadow,” she says. “That was really helpful because you can see how somebody’s day runs and you can ask any questions you have.” There are also systems in place to support more experienced employees. “These days, if I was struggling, I would first of all go to someone in my team. My team leader and head of department are both approachable and very easy to speak to,” Ansbro tells me. “We also have a lot of mental health champions who are there to support people who are overwhelmed.”
These formal support systems run alongside a friendly and open culture. “When I come into the office, everyone’s always so friendly,” Ansbro says. “My team is also really great. I’ve been so lucky — it honestly feels like spending time with friends!” There is also a thriving social life at Fletchers, “People go out for food and drink together regularly. We all really get on.”
To wrap up our discussion, I ask Ansbro what advice she would give to her younger self before starting work at Fletchers. “Be more confident in what you can do and don’t be afraid to ask questions,” is her response. “If you hesitate to ask questions, you can’t get your work done. Nothing bad will come of asking someone for help,” she explains. “I’d also advise myself to be more social and put myself out there earlier. I wish I’d spoken to more people earlier on but my confidence has really grown during my time here,” she concludes.
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