Alumni

Stuart McCabe

Career Path: Trainee Casework Assistant at Iris Law Firm
Location: Gateshead, UK

I am currently a trainee casework assistant, and my role is that I work to support senior caseworkers. I am the equivalent of a trainee solicitor working for a solicitor, except caseworkers are legal experts in UK immigration law. I learn under the wings of senior caseworkers the tasks that they do with regards to asylum claim cases, such as signing up new clients, writing witness statements, communicating with the Home Office over administrative matters relating to a client's asylum claim, and ultimately, spending time with clients who tell me the reasons why they cannot go back home.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

I came to Northumbria because it had a great reputation for teaching law to students and ensuring a high chance of employment after graduation.

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

I felt Northumbria fostered an environment that actively tried to breakdown social barriers between people at the university, whether your a student or a member of the faculty. I felt that the student's educational interests were placed at the centre of the concerns of the university, and that their efforts to help were in the right place. There was a mixture of lectures, 1 hour seminars, or 2+ hour workshops that were had. At the student law office in your final year, the was an emphasis on taking control and leading meetings however which way you wanted. There opportunities to perform presentations and group work. The library is great, and offers many interesting books to help enlighten one's mind.

How connected was your course with industry?

I felt that there were regular guests invited to the university, to discuss interesting developments in law, research, and employment within the region. However, sometimes the featured guests were not always varied and could leave someone with a niche interest having to spend more time researching for opportunities for their acquired skills.

If you took on a placement during your course how did you feel this helped you in your career/ with your studies?

I did a work placement at Northumbria's legal team, learning how to perform freedom of information requests. This role was not something I enjoyed towards the end but it was needed, as it helped to teach me new skills and to make me aware of jobs that I had less interest in, and to focus on the ones that were still not tried yet.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/ give your career an edge?

It is the thing that has helped me have a career. Northumbria offers many different aspects of the law to research in, and the ones that I chose to learn as an area of interest, I excelled in, and one those that I finished my university with I got a 1st. This helped me prepare for what I am doing now in my job, not in terms of legal skills as they are not transferable but in terms of understanding the international scene and its impact on the clients I interact with.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

I enjoyed the chance to apply myself into things that tested me, and made me a better prospective employee upon graduating. I liked the in-depth research I get to do on subjects I was really drawn to, and to illustrate this with well made essays.

What advice would you give somebody who is considering studying at Northumbria?

There are three things you should do. 1st, go to the open day and meet the lecturers and get to know the campus you are going to study at. 2nd, go to the students' union and look at the social functions that are on offer, so that it can help add zest to your experience outside of your studies. And 3rd, visit Newcastle itself and explore the region, as Newcastle is a very welcoming city and can be a nice place to be in.