Am I Really a Lawyer?

“So are you really a lawyer?”…

I get asked this question sometimes and wanted to set the record straight:

I did qualify as a lawyer but I’m not currently a practicing one.

I know you’re probably thinking, what does that mean?

Clear as mud, right?!

So let’s get into it.

My Background

I did my undergraduate degree in law from 2010 to 2013 at the University of Birmingham.

I completed a summer vacation scheme in 2012, which led to me securing my training contract offer for my legal training to be a solicitor to start in 2014.

After graduating, I completed my legal practice course at the University of Law from 2013 to 2014.

I then went on to complete my training contract from 2014 to 2016, where I did seats in:

• Banking - I still have PTSD from the experience!

• Real estate

• Commercial

• Employment

This is a very traditional route to becoming a solicitor.

I qualified as a lawyer and was admitted to the roll of solicitors in 2016.

The admission ceremony will always be one of the proudest moments of my life. I loved sharing the day with my mom, stepdad and partner.

When you qualify you are issued with a practicing certificate, which is then renewed annually.

I started an NQ (newly qualified) role as a commercial lawyer specialising in commercial contracts and data protection.

There’s only so many subject access requests a girl can handle though, so I switched it up and became an employment lawyer.

Life Changing Moments

I then did some grown up things.

I got married and went from a Baker to a Smith.

Next babies came along…our first during a pandemic!

I had Lola in 2020 and was promoted to Associate whilst on maternity leave.

I returned to work in 2021 and you know how the story goes…

We blinked and 3 became 4 with Iliana joining the Smith family in 2022.

It all sounds pretty perfect, right?!

Not so much.

Leaving Private Practice

I made the difficult decision to leave private practice towards the end of 2023.

I wouldn’t blame you for thinking, why after 6 years of education/training and all that hard work would I ever quit?

Well, I found the work life balance of being a lawyer really difficult after I had Lola.

The mom guilt was real.

I also had a rough postnatal period after Iliana too.

I needed a moment, so I asked for a career break but it wasn’t to be.

I ultimately decided to step away from private practice for my mental health and my family.

For the first time in my life I had time. It was liberating! I had space to figure out what is important to me and what I wanted to do next.

We paused our life, packed our bags and travelled the world for 6 months with a 1 year old and a 3 year old.

We visited Dubai, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Bali, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

I healed and took a leap of faith.

I used the time to get Keeley Smith | Virtual Business Support off the ground and I’ve never looked back.

I now use my skills and experience to support other small business owners with ensuring that their:

• businesses have the right contracts and documents in place to ensure that they are protected and legally compliant; and

• operations and projects are streamlined and well managed.

Why Don’t I “Practice” Now?

You have to renew your practicing certificate annually and I decided not to renew mine when it expired at the end of 2023.

I was still figuring out my service offering at that time and it didn’t seem necessary.

I do think about whether it’s worth getting my certificate back at times but it would come with a lot of red tape for me and my clients.

It’s always an option for the future.

So I am currently not a "practicing" solicitor.

I am in the process of reapplying to the roll of solicitors currently (side note, who knew you get removed, if you don’t apply to remain each year!).

You’ll be able to fact check me at the Solicitors Regulation Authority soon, so watch this space.