The weather cheered up just in time for the Leicester Institute of Legal Practice's (LILP) annual reception and garden party.
Solicitors, barristers and judges were invited to the event as a thank-you for their support in helping De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) train those entering the legal profession.
Many of the guests, including DMU alumni, act as mentors for students or their firms offer valuable placement opportunities.
Welcoming them to the Trinity House Chapel was Tim Hillier, Acting Head of DMU Law School. He said: "This is our way of thanking the local legal profession for the help and support they have given us over the year.
"It is also an excellent way to keep networks vibrant."
Among the firms represented were Jones & Duffin, Freeths, Howes Percival, Affinity Law and Emery Johnson Astills. Judge Paul Swann also attended.
Solicitor Richard Fitzmaurice, of Freeths, says his company makes a concerted effort to maintain links with local universities.
"We have had excellent students on work placement," he said, adding a recent DMU Legal Practice Course (LPC) graduate has just been offered a training contract.
Kerrie Deakin, Associate Head of Postgraduate and Professional Programmes, said Freeths sponsors one of the prizes for LPC students, which potentially comes with a work placement.
"It is important to have links with such well-regarded firms," she said.
Among the DMU alumni at the event were Sue Roberts and Nicola Kitchener, partners in Affinity Law. They really enjoyed their time at university, which is why they are happy to help current students.
Sue said: "I did the course at night school. I'm a legal executive and Nicola is a solicitor and we decided to set up the company together.
"We were two single parents, broke and people said we were crazy! There were two of us in one room and now there are 12 of us and we've been trading for eight years."
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The Leicester law firm has given training contracts to two DMU graduates as well as a paralegal.
Sue added: "We do whatever we can to support."
Another DMU success story is Kim Abbott, Legal Counsel for Employment and Labour at Jaguar Land Rover.
Kim did both the Graduate Diploma in Law and the LPC at DMU, before securing a training contract at Spearing Waite.
She said: "If it hadn't been for the fact I did the professional courses here, I wouldn't have got the training contract, as Spearing Waite would only take people with a local connection.
"I wouldn't have started off life as a solicitor so easily."
Among other guests were Peter Duffin, a student at the then Leicester Polytechnic in the 1970s. Now Senior Partner of Jones Duffin, he oversaw DMU's legal surgery for many years. He said: "I have a soft spot for the 'poly'!"
The event gave him a chance to catch up with one of his former tutors, David Monk, who spent six years at the university before going into practice. The barrister has remained a familiar face at DMU, teaching employment law, and is on the Law School advisory committee.
Also on the guest list was Justine Flack, director of Howes Percival LLP, who has acted as a mentor and been involved in DMU law events.
"It's a real privilege to be invited," she said.
Posted on Wednesday 29 June 2016