Dame Laura Cox studied both her LLB and LLM at the School of Law, and graduated in 1975. She was appointed member of the Queen's Council before becoming a High Court Judge from 2002-2016. She is now an Associate Member of Cloisters Chambers.
I wanted to come to London University to read law and in 1969/70, after applying through UCAS and being interviewed by Ian Yeats, I was lucky enough to be offered a place at Queen Mary College (QMC), as it then was, to study for the LLB. I was very enthused by what was then still a relatively new Law Faculty established at QMC. There was a really exciting atmosphere around the place and I instinctively felt I would be happy there. My instincts turned out to be right.
Job opportunities in the legal world in London have helped me to define my career path. I have had the opportunity to work as an in-house lawyer, in both the public sector and in the private sector: I have worked for an international oil company and in an international law firm which enabled me to work towards qualifying as a solicitor in England & Wales. My experience at Queen Mary not only gave me the knowledge but also the opportunity to see that law could be practiced in different ways. So now I know what I really want and where I am going.
I would say to anyone considering applying to Queen Mary from abroad that it is possible. All the limitations and concerns that one might have -which I also used to have before pursuing this path - are psychological. If you really want to do it, you can make it happen and believe me it will be worth it.
I feel very privileged to be a member of the CCLS community, since I feel that I owe so much of my fulfilling and successful legal career to my time as a student there. It is where it all began for me.
The legal knowledge, skills, enthusiasm and encouragement of the teaching staff there had a huge impact on me personally and on my decision to study for the Bar, at a time when there were few women in the profession. The rigorous analytical skills we learned there, together with a respect for the law and for the role of the law in society, were the best possible foundation for a successful legal practice. We were all encouraged, whatever our backgrounds, to aim high and to persevere, an approach which stood me in good stead over many years.
I was a barrister 1976-2002 (appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1994) and then a High Court Judge 2002-2016. I retired from the Bench to undertake other work and I am now an Associate Member of Cloisters Chambers.
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