BPP student Samantha Howlett discusses her finding the right firm, balancing apprenticeship and parenthood, and her insider advice for acing SQE1
It was a personal experience with the legal system that motivated Samantha Howlett to pursue a career as a solicitor. “I saw how important it is for vulnerable people to understand their rights and feel like there is someone on their side,” she tells me. “This kickstarted my interest in law and my decision to finish my studies.” Already a mum of three, Howlett studied law as a mature student at the University of Essex. She then went on to study the SQE with BPP University Law School while completing a graduate solicitor apprenticeship at a private client firm based in London and Essex.
Howlett is currently working in the private family law department at her firm, an interest she has been developing since her undergraduate degree. “I’ve always been very interested in family law. At university I was student director of the law clinic for two years, where I worked really closely with the family law project and domestic and sexual abuse project,” she tells me.
I ask her about the process of securing qualifying work experience, a hurdle many aspiring lawyers struggle with. “I went for a few interviews with London firms and local firms which gave me a really good indication of what I was really looking for,” she responds. “I realised I was looking for a firm which felt more collegiate and decided to focus on firms in my local area.” She spoke to tutors at her university as well as university alumni, asking about their experiences with local firms. “That direct, face-to-face research was so important,” she says.
“When you’re looking for a firm, remember you’ll be spending a lot of time there so it has to be right for you.”
Offering some advice to current law students, Howlett says, “Have confidence in yourself.” She continues, “At my first few interviews I didn’t feel fully confident so I spent some time building up my confidence, practising talking about myself in a positive light – it’s not something that comes naturally to a lot of us!” This was pivotal in her ability to secure a graduate apprenticeship: “I could sell myself in interviews without feeling so awkward,” she laughs.
While working, Howlett has been studying with BPP and passed her SQE1 in July 2024. She sat SQE2 back in October and is waiting for her results. Looking back on her SQE journey, Howlett tells me how helpful the ability to study online with BPP while completing an apprenticeship has been. “The real benefit is being able to earn money while studying,” she says. “This is really important, especially for someone like me who has a young family to support.” Howlett spends four days a week in the office and studies in a live online classroom one day a week. “I find this works really well and I’m able to tackle my revision and studying at a steady pace,” she tells me. As well as providing income, working while studying can actually make the course content sink in faster, she explains: “I have been able to directly apply the practical skills the SQE teaches as I have learnt them, which is really good for consolidating the skills and knowledge. A lot of the core skills the SQE teaches are very applicable to my work.”
So, what was the secret to Howlett’s SQE1 success? “My first piece of advice is to break it down into manageable chunks,” she says. “It’s a huge exam, with a lot of content. It can be very overwhelming when you look at it as a whole.” She advises a more practical method: “Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to cover absolutely everything. The best approach is to get a solid amount of knowledge on each module and prioritise breadth.” She also gives some useful tips for exam preparation and revision. “It really helped me to as many practice questions as possible,” she shares. “The more you’re used to the format of the exam, including the timing and how the questions are worded, the better you will do.”
She also cites the support she received from BPP during her prep course as a reason for her success. Of her tutors who delivered her regular live teaching, she says, “I really felt that they wanted me to pass and were willing to go the extra mile to help me out.” She goes on, “Every single one of them were happy to answer any question I had, and were prepared to receive emails and stay after sessions to give explanations.” She tells me that the online resources are “easily accessible and clearly laid out”, commenting that, “I was very well-guided during the course and never felt like I was left to do it alone.”
Juggling work, studying and childcare responsibilities is no mean feat. I ask Howlett how she manages her time to fit in all these commitments. “It’s really challenging – I’ve got to be honest,” she says frankly, adding, “I think I’ll be looking for that perfect balance for a very long time.” However, she is keen to point out the advantages that being a parent has given her. “There are lots of skills that you have as a mother that are very transferable to the law,” she begins. “The organisational skills I learned through parenting, have really helped me in my career so far. As a parent, organisation is so important – you have to have your life organised down to the minute sometimes,” she laughs. In terms of advice, she would offer others balancing the same responsibilities, she says, “It is workable. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and make sure you have a good support network to rely on.”
Join us TOMORROW for our virtual student event “SQE student panel: all your questions answered — in partnership with BPP University Law School”.
About Legal Cheek Careers posts.
