Kay Ma LLB Hons, 2005

Freelance Commercial & Technology Solicitor

Being a lawyer is more than just knowing the law, it's creative, innovative and sociable. One of the best things about studying at Southampton University is the opportunity to get to know not just your fellow lawyers, but students studying other disciplines. Every day you are surrounded by future CEOs, entrepreneurs, inventors... just to name a few; they’re all people who could have a significant impact on your future career but you just don't know it yet.

All of these opportunities, combined with the high quality teaching at the Law School, made my university experience one I look back fondly on and, importantly, it helped prepare me for the rest of my career – which has taken turns I never thought possible.

I like to think I was a very proactive student during my time at Southampton. I was President, Social Secretary and Third Year Representative of the student Law Society (obviously not all at once!) and Treasurer/team member of Southampton University Trampoline Club. All of these opportunities, combined with the high quality teaching at the Law School, made my university experience one I look back fondly on and, importantly, it helped prepare me for the rest of my career – which has taken turns I never thought possible.

From the first day I stepped foot on campus (October 2002) to the present day, the legal market has grown and changed in many ways and that is one of the brilliant things about a career in law: there is always something new to learn, be it a new development in the law or a new way of practising law.

I spent the best part of a decade after graduating finding my place in the legal world, hopping from a legal publishers to law firms to the in-house legal team of a global IT company to eventually pulling it altogether to get the best of all worlds: working freelance. Currently, I work as a freelance solicitor on assignments through LOD (an alternative legal services company). Working this way, I get to work in-house at a variety of companies and with many different talented lawyers and business people. I often meet other Southampton Alumni in these companies too. Being freelance has also allowed me the time and flexibility to work on building and growing my side-business (in making novelty cakes) without having to give up being a lawyer. I feel I quite literally can have my cake and eat it!

My advice to current and future law students at Southampton University is don’t be afraid to think or try something different – there is no such a thing as a “normal lawyer” in today’s legal market. Today’s up-and-coming lawyers are innovators not followers.