Brad Wallace: University of Birmingham 2019/20 Intern: Report
Brad Wallace was awarded the Kalisher Scholarship to study LLM General Laws at the University of Birmingham from 2019-2020. As Brad comes to the end of his time studying for his Masters, he has reflected on his year:
“From an academic standpoint, my year at Birmingham has been great so far. The LLM offers great discretion in regard to modules, so I was able to continue learning about criminal law and justice, while also pushing myself to explore new legal areas in the commercial field. I am currently in the early stages of writing a criminal law dissertation, which concerns the rules governing voluntary manslaughter (specifically loss of control) and whether they allow for discrimination to occur on the basis of gender and race. I look forward to researching this area further over the next few months, especially as I want to become a criminal barrister.
I explained in my interview that financial support offered by the Kalisher Trust would be extremely helpful for someone in my position because it would mean I could spend my free time engaging in extra-curricular activities and volunteering, rather than being tied down by a part-time job to pay for my daily living. Engaging in law related extra-curriculum was very important for me because I felt that I needed to enhance my public-speaking skills if I wanted to enter the legal profession. I engaged in every available internal advocacy competition that the university offered. I was a participant in the Postgraduate Cup mooting competition, and found out last week that I was the winner and I was thrilled.
I was also awarded the CEPLER prize for Outstanding Contribution to Advocacy, gaining a certificate and a cash prize sponsored by No 5 Chambers. I was incredibly proud to have won this award.
Without the support of the Kalisher Trust it is unlikely I would have been able to find the time to participate at all. These are all skills will take with me into my future career.
I felt much less stressed this year than my previous years at university from a financial perspective, as because I am from a poorer background, I have always needed to borrow a large loan each year, meaning I have accumulated a lot of debt. Not only this, but having a scholarship seemed to have a very positive effect on my confidence throughout the year, as it provided me with further motivation to push myself to my limits to prove I was a worthy candidate. This can be reflected in how much extra-curriculum I got involved in and how much I pushed myself when completing my assignments. I am extremely grateful for the generous contribution the Kalisher Trust made to support my studies and I feel that a lot of what I achieved so far this year would not have been possible without this. Thank you so much again for selecting me and allowing me to have a great year studying in Birmingham.”