Alumnus of the month
Introduction
Laughlan Steer graduated from the UCL Department of Greek and Latin in 2011 with
an Upper Second honours BA degree in Classics. He is now a trainee solicitor
working for Charles Russell Speechlys LLP in the City of London.
What did you enjoy most about your time in Greek and Latin and at UCL?
I particularly enjoyed the freedom to express what I wanted to express! In particular,
I felt that my extended essay in the final year was the pinnacle of my academic
endeavour. It also had an extremely pretentious title: Eros and Epos :Theocritean
elements in Idylls 11 and 13! I was very interested in the comic role of Heracles and
generic debunkment in general, which I developed an interest in, following my
studies of pastoral poetry at A level.
I also loved the Department’s Greek Play and I was involved in all of them during my
degree: I was a malcontent corpse in Aristophanes’ The Frogs, the disreputable
Aegysthus in Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers and Eumenides and also took part in the
French revolutionary setting of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata as an Athenian envoy and
policeman! I still love Greek theatre and recently went to see Kristin Scott Thomas in
Electra which was wonderful.
I really enjoyed the fact that UCL was not a campus university and the proximity to
fantastic cultural venues.
What was your career path like after leaving UCL?
I did the law conversion course (officially the Graduate Diploma in Law) at BPP near
Waterloo in London. I think I always knew that I wanted to go into the Law and
initially was keen to become a barrister but, after some careful consideration, decided
to pursue the solicitor path. You are not self-employed so have a regular salary and
it is easier to obtain a training contract than a pupillage.
Whilst at UCL, I had various work experience spells in legal firms and a mini
pupillage and I would urge current students to take advantage of these
opportunities. When choosing a law firm, I would also strongly advise them to
choose the one that is best for you. Many students look at what firms offer by way of
earnings or want to wok for a “Magic Circle” (Clifford Chance, Slaughter & May et al)
or “Silver Circle” firm (those which aspire to be in the “Magic Circle”!) – but it is the
ethos, atmosphere and spectrum of work that is really important.
I am very happy working for Charles Russell Speechlys LLP; renowned for private
client work, the firm enjoys strong commercial and litigation practices within its legal
offering. . We have just undergone a merger (on 3 November 2014), in which
Charles Russell married Speechly Bircham resulting in the firm having one of the
biggest property litigation teams in the country – a great result for me, as I began my
training in this department. . Change is a-foot, although as nobody has yet moved
office which means that the firms are not yet totally integrated. I currently work in the
Fleet Place office.
What do you like most about your current job?
I work in property litigation which suits me as I like the pace, adversarial challenge
and academic nature of land law! So, I deal with land disputes, arrears and also
cover big estate management work, such as lease renewals and breaks. If law is not
your first degree, then you need to undertake two further years of study, i.e. the
Graduate Diploma in Law and then the LPC (Legal Practice Course). You also need
to apply for a training contract two years in advance. In my case, I worked for one
year between the GDL and LPC in a company dealing with energy and
infrastructure. I was the point of contact for lawyers and drafting commercial
contracts, so it was also very good training for my subsequent career.
Many people think that working for a City law firm means that you will never have any
free time but, actually, some of the best working hours can be in litigation as work
revolves around the courts which close at 4.30 p.m.! If you are working efficiently, I
have found there is no real reason to regularly work past 7 p.m. The downside with
courts is the lack of organisation – even the Royal Courts of Justice are very
chaotic. It can also be stressful when you need to debate a legal point with a Master
(a trained lawyer who is an expert in a particular field), with whom you can find
yourself having an impromptu discussion when trying to get a claim issued).
In terms of Equal Opps, I would say that certain departments such as Family
are predominantly women. Traditionally, the criminal Bar is still very male dominated
but there seems to be an increasing number of female litigators.
What was your first-ever job?
A family friend wrote a book sponsored by Buzz, the cut price airline which was later
bought by Ryanair. I was employed to stick labels into thousands of books as a
result of the necessary re-brand but, as I was in a barn in the Dordogne, it was quite
a pleasant environment!
What has been your favourite job?
My current job.
In what way did your studies help you in your subsequent work?
I think Classics is a very good training for the Law and the translation process is akin
to legal advocacy. A solicitor has to be able to ‘translate’ case law and legislation for
a client as it is often very confusing for the lay person. Also, if you are a Classics
student, you often need to complete something quite complicated to a high standard
very quickly! The same applies in the Law.
What do you remember most about your time in UCL Greek and Latin?
I remember the first drinks party for incoming students and I was very impressed with
the spread and the social interaction! I really enjoyed being with like-minded people,
who were creative and keen for knowledge. I remember buying my first Loeb (dating
from 1933) and using it for translation. There was generally a very good atmosphere
in the Department and our discussions often resembled a modern symposium!
Who at UCL (past or present) has most influenced you?
Two members of staff really stand out for me. Antony Makrinos, with his passion for
Homer, was really able to make The Odyssey and Iliad spring to life. The second is
Fiachra Mac Góráin who exuded exhibited a recherché understanding, especially
when studying Ovid. He is able to take an esoteric idea and examine it from all
angles and I really tried to do the same with my extended essay.
Of what are you most proud about UCL?
I think I am most proud of my extended essay/dissertation and involvement in the
Greek Plays. It was great to be involved in their production with lots of very creative
people, like Milla Jackson, Hugh Viney and Laura Scully. I felt as though I had come
away from UCL with so much more than just a degree.
What is your favourite part of UCL?
The Portico: I remember watching the sunrise, standing by the statues, having
survived a 16-hour cramming session!
UCL Portico and statues
What, in your opinion, would improve UCL?
I think that UCL Careers should be more proactive about informing students of the
gravity of the current job market. In terms of applications to law firms, it isn’t easy;
many candidates have been unsuccessful in their training applications for multiple
successive years! So, you really must do as much as you can to make yourself
stand out from the crowd. Law is much more than poring over contracts in a back
office – nowadays, you need skills in marketing and business development and I
think probably the most important thing is to have good social skills and to build
lasting relationships with clients. Obviously, you should never lie on a CV or you are
bound to be found out, but you do need to maximise your interests and skills – so
you need to develop them in the first place!
Tell me something about yourself that most people don’t know!
I do stand up comedy! This actually started when I was a student at UCL. I got quite
drunk and accepted the challenge to take part in an “open mike” session at the
pub. I guess I have to confess that I do like to be the centre of attention and I would
say that I have developed a jaded, observational style with academic overtones! Let
me give you a Homeric joke:
Greek teacher informs his class that they are starting the Homer course.
“EPIC!” I shouted . . .
“That’s very juvenile,” he said.
“No, no sir, I think you’ll find he wrote satire.”