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Early Careers Series -:Breaking down the barriers: learning the truth about myself and my desire for finding justice
Leah Browning is in her final year of studying Law at Bournemouth University. She is also a regular volunteer with the charity Beauty Banks and recently completed a year working at the Citizens Advice as part of her legal training.
“I want to become a lawyer because I cannot accept a world where injustice goes unchallenged and those without the means to defend themselves are left unheard”- Leah
From Midwifery to Law
I didn’t fall in love with law after watching Suits or Legally Blonde. In fact, until I turned 16, I had dreams of being a midwife.
Everything changed during the pandemic when I volunteered for a hygiene poverty charity called Beauty Banks. I witnessed first-hand, the immoral injustice of children and families being unable to access basic hygiene products – soap, shampoo, sanitary products - so unable to be clean. I believe being clean is a basic human right - and during Covid being clean was also a matter of life and death. This injustice infuriated me, igniting a passion for helping people who were unable to help themselves be seen, heard and not pushed to the side. After meeting with careers advisors and speaking with family and friends I decided to turn my fury into something positive and helpful and that’s when my law education began.
The Bumps in the Road
In 2022, I enrolled at Bournemouth University to study Law and was immediately drawn to Criminal, Human Rights, Family, and Employment Law—seeking out inconsistencies, contradictions, unfairness, gaps, and biases, especially where they create unequal treatment or leave people without fair and adequate legal protection. Like many other students, I supported my studies by working, taking on the role of duty manager of the student union bar—working long and gruelling hours alongside my intensive degree.
In my second year, I was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia, and the combination of coursework, long working hours, and the challenges of my diagnoses began to take a toll on my mental health. Although I was on track for a 2:1, the constant pressure among my peers to “hurry up” and finish our degrees in order to start working—and avoid being “left behind”—was intense. After much consultation with my lecturers, the university, friends, and family, I made the difficult decision to defer for a year. It was a decision that initially terrified me but ultimately proved to be the best choice I could have made for both my wellbeing and my legal career.
Turning Lemons into Lemonade
I was determined to use the deferment time as an opportunity to develop my knowledge and understanding of social injustice in practice and in the real world. One of my lecturers encouraged me to join a team of five students representing Bournemouth University in the 2024 Observatory on Human Rights of Children Policy Advocacy Competition.
Our brief was to research a children’s rights issue, draft a policy brief, and present reform recommendations to a panel of experts. The case focused on Section 58 of the Children Act 2004, which upholds the defence of “reasonable punishment”—a section I believe is outdated and incompatible with the Welfare Principle and children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The experience fuelled my interest in Family Law and Advocacy for Children’s Rights and boosted my confidence. After extensive research and multiple practice moots, our team placed second and was “Highly Commended” by the judges.
To further explore my passion for Advocacy and Family Law, I took part in London School of Economics (LSE) Featherson Sexual Orientation and Gender Moot Competition with some fellow students. I was drawn to the competition as its focus was on LGBTQIA+ rights – a topic that personally and professionally drives me as it aligned with my commitment to challenging injustice, advocating for underrepresented communities, and advancing equality through the law. This competition expanded my knowledge, strengthened my research skills, and helped me build a valuable network. It also reaffirmed my belief that only in a fair, equal and just society can rights be truly protected and the law applied equally to everyone – regardless of background, sexual orientation, gender, religion or income. While this moot did not result in non-binary and genderqueer people being formally recognised in law, it was a vital opportunity to share ideas on how the law can be reformed to be more inclusive – and a reminder that this is a fight for the future.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE REAL WORLD
During my deferment I joined the Citizens Advice Bureau – a UK charity that provides free, confidential, and impartial advice to help people resolve debt, benefits, housing, employment and other everyday problems and issues. Initially, I worked as a volunteer to support the charities fundraising efforts and then became employed as part of the Admin Partnership Support team and started volunteering as a caseworker. This experience opened my eyes to the everyday injustices people face—from housing insecurity and workplace exploitation to discrimination and barriers to accessing their legal rights—deepening my resolve to use the law as a tool for change.
A big part of my volunteering involved casework such as, assisting with PIP (Personal Independent Payments) applications (50 page-long forms that required, in detail the case for the benefit application), conducting benefit checks, and helping a homeless member of the public in urgent need to find shelter. These experiences taught me that people ultimately want – and absolutely should be - validated, seen, and heard—and reassured that someone is willing to help them without overwhelming them with legal jargon, complex policies, or confusing systems. That is the type of lawyer I aspire to be: one who leads with compassion and empathy, and who recognises that sometimes simply listening can be enough.
My Next Phase
As I write this blog, I’m prepping to go back to university to complete the final year of my law degree. I am nervous, and more than a little anxious about returning but I learnt a very helpful coping tool from a brilliant female High Court Judge I had the privilege of spending time with during my deferment who told me to, “Act like a lion and everyone around you is a mouse”. It made me smile. And I think of it every time I need a mindset shift or confidence boost, I am aiming for a 2.1 (or higher!) in my degree and to secure a training contract with a legal firm who specialises in Family Law, Healthcare Law and Human Rights. But right now, I’m focused on my third year.
My path has not been smooth or easy, and there have been many bumps along the way. I have felt shame, fear, and embarrassment, and I have often been overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy following my ADHD and Dyslexia diagnoses—challenges that continue to test me as I pursue my dream career. Yet, these same challenges have made me more resilient and determined to succeed. I am proud of how I turned my year of deferment into an opportunity to explore and deepen my passion for law, and to help people with the skills and knowledge I have already gained at the Citizens Advice Bureau. I have listened to incredible women like Christina Blacklaws, Seema Gill, and Elizabeth Shimmell tell their stories about the very different paths each took to enter the legal profession – none smooth, none easy but very humbling and inspiring. Their ability to overcome obstacles reinforced my determination to push forward and not be consumed by Imposter Syndrome. As my best friend often reminds me, “comparison is the thief of joy”.
So, it’s back to Bournemouth I go. I am excited, I am ready.
Miss Leah Browning
LLB Law Student, Bournemouth University
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-browning-6520761b0/
September 2025