Dolcie Hughes-Penzer

LLB 2026, St John’s College

Studying at Durham University gave me the opportunities and skills that were essential in my path to securing a training contract with Withers.

Beginning the process to apply to training contracts and vacation schemes is daunting, but I truly feel that the support I had from academic staff, college staff, and friends made through university equipped me to deal with the challenges along the way.

At Durham Law School, the ability to study niche and emerging areas of the law (such as my dissertation on the legality of neurotechnology in classrooms) means that you can develop a real feel for an area before applying to specialist law firms. This allowed me to better understand the differences between specialties and ultimately apply for private client positions. Throughout the seminars, you are encouraged to use a practical and collaborative approach to digest complex legal situations, which meant that assessing these situations in the legal world felt natural. I particularly value the approachability of seminar leaders, who encourage you to stretch your knowledge and show that you often know more than you think!

Beyond academia, my time at Durham allowed me to be involved in extracurriculars that shaped my leadership and teamwork, such as leading St John's College Bar, being involved in my college boat club, and volunteering. Durham offers niche opportunities that are hard to come by elsewhere and allow you to really tailor your experience.

The most valuable support I received from the Law School was slightly less tangible; academic staff really make an effort to increase your confidence and encourage self-belief throughout the learning process. This was essential when applying for competitive jobs, and to be able to engage fully in the content without doubts!

If I were to offer future Durham Law students one piece of advice, it would be: make the most of every opportunity that Durham has to offer, and you will have an incredible three years.