An Interview with Junior Lawyer of the Year - Georgina Power

❖ How did you feel winning Junior Lawyer of the Year?

When I won Junior Lawyer of the Year, it felt surreal. I couldn’t help but think back over the past nine years—the summers I spent revising while friends were out in the sun, the invitations I turned down because my books needed me more, and all the nights I worked from five to nine after finishing my nine to five.

In that moment, I realised it had all been worth it. The sacrifices, the discipline, the determination—every step was part of climbing a steep, rocky hill. And standing there, award in hand, I understood something powerful: what you truly want isn’t out of reach. It’s just waiting for you on the other side of that climb.

❖ What has been your route into the legal profession?

At 36, I made a decision that would completely change the course of my life: I wanted to become a lawyer. So, I enrolled at Nottingham Trent University as a distance learner to study law. At the time, I was running my own consultancy business and raising two children, so fitting it all in was a stretch. But in 2019, I graduated with a 2:1. I thought that was tough—little did I know the SQE would make it feel like a walk in the park!

After graduating, I wasn’t sure what would come next. I doubted myself, thinking I might be too old to secure a training contract. I knew how competitive the legal world could be, so for a while, I just sat on it. But in 2021, I decided to be brave and reached out to Rothera Bray’s Head of Transport, Anton Balkitis, someone I’d known professionally in my previous career, to ask if there were any paralegal opportunities.

To my absolute delight, I was offered a position in March 2022—and honestly, I felt like I’d come home. From the very first day, I loved the work. It felt like everything I had done before was leading me to this moment, and I was so grateful to finally have my foot on the first rung of the ladder in a career I had worked so hard to pursue.

In September 2022, Rothera Bray offered me a position as an Apprentice Solicitor, and I enrolled once again with Nottingham Trent, this time on an SQE prep course. I’ll be honest — there were so many moments when I wanted to give up. In my head, I quit a hundred times, convinced that I just couldn’t do it.

But I kept going. With the unwavering support and encouragement of my family, my colleagues, and the firm, I pushed through the doubts and the challenges, and in September 2024, I qualified as a solicitor.

❖ What made you decide to follow a career in law?

There were a few reasons I wanted to become a lawyer. Firstly, I wanted to prove to myself that it was possible. I’d always seen law as an elitist career, and I wondered: could someone like me — who grew up in a council house, with no family connections to the profession, and who was in her 40s — really make it as a lawyer? The answer, of course, is yes!

Secondly, I’ve always been a fixer. Helping people is in my nature. Most people only need a lawyer when something has gone wrong, often during one of the most difficult times in their lives. I wanted to be the person who could guide them through it, give them reassurance, and help them reach the other side. If I wasn’t so squeamish, I might well have been a nurse!

And thirdly, I was inspired by Anton. We first worked together back in 2014 when he was representing a mutual client, and that experience lit a spark in me. I remember thinking, “I want to do that.”

❖ How do you see firms & the profession adapting to meet the needs of junior lawyers?

From my own experience, I think what junior lawyers need most is support, encouragement, and the reassurance that they’re not on this journey alone. There were plenty of moments where I doubted myself or felt like giving up, but what made all the difference was having colleagues and mentors who believed in me and gave me the confidence to keep going.

I can see the profession moving towards that kind of culture — one that recognises the human side of being a junior lawyer, not just the technical side. Mentoring, open-door policies, and creating space to ask questions without fear are invaluable. Flexibility is also key: many of us come into law through non-traditional routes, balancing family and other commitments, and firms that embrace that diversity of experience will only grow stronger.

I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without that kind of support. It was the encouragement of my family, colleagues, and Rothera Bray that kept me climbing when things felt impossible — and ultimately, that journey led me to qualifying as a solicitor and being named Junior Lawyer of the Year. For me, that’s proof of just how powerful the right environment can be in helping people achieve things they never thought possible.

❖ What progress have you seen in equality & diversity in the legal profession, and what more would you like to see happen?

I think the biggest progress I’ve seen is around accessibility. The SQE has opened up new routes into the profession that weren’t there before, and more firms are recognising the value of people coming into law through non-traditional backgrounds. I’m living proof of that — I didn’t follow the straight-through academic path, I came to law later in life, and yet here I am, thriving in the profession. That simply wouldn’t have been possible even a generation ago.

But there’s still more to do. Equality and diversity aren’t just about who gets through the door; they’re about making sure that once you’re in, you feel like you belong. I’d love to see even more emphasis on mentoring, sponsorship, and creating spaces where people from all walks of life — whether that’s different socioeconomic backgrounds, career-changers, or underrepresented groups — can see themselves reflected and supported in the profession.

For me, real progress will be when every aspiring lawyer, no matter their background, feels that same sense of belonging I felt when I first walked through the doors at Rothera Bray.

❖ If you could give some useful tips to the Junior Lawyers out there, what would they be?

Here’s the truth: this job is tough. Really tough. I’ve seen a lot of criticism of the SQE, with people saying it’s too difficult or that it’s putting undue pressure on those studying for it. I actually disagree — to succeed in this profession, you have to be made of stern stuff. You need to be able to juggle multiple complex tasks at once, often while mentoring others, thinking about business development, and yes, even planning your next LinkedIn post. It’s not a job for the faint-hearted.

That said, it can also be the most rewarding job in the world. There’s nothing quite like achieving a good result for a client or knowing that you’ve genuinely made a positive difference in someone’s life or business. That feeling — that impact — is incredibly powerful, and it’s what makes all the hard work worth it.

So my advice? Embrace the challenge. Stay resilient. Seek out mentors. And never forget why you came into this profession in the first place — to make a real impact. If you do that, you’ll not only survive as a junior lawyer, you’ll thrive.

❖ What else do you enjoy outside of the law, and how do you achieve a work/life balance?

There are really two sides to my life — one is law, and the other is farming. We run a suckler beef herd, so there’s always some cow-related task on the go. I also have a small herd of Dexter cows, which are miniature for anyone not familiar with the breed.

During the summer, I show them at country shows, and let me tell you, training a cow to walk nicely on a halter around a ring takes an unbelievable number of hours! They certainly don’t think it’s for them, but with a bit (a lot) of patience (and persuasion), they usually come around. It’s hard work, but it’s also incredibly rewarding, my heifer won the local Dexter Championship this year — and it’s a great counterbalance to life in law.

❖ What is the funniest thing you have seen working in law?

Honestly, it’s the little everyday moments that make me smile. The legal world can be so serious and intense, but sometimes it’s the unexpected quirks that get you — like my voicemail system transcribing a message in the most creative way, or someone forgetting to mute themselves on a virtual hearing while their cat strolls across the screen. It’s those tiny, human moments that remind you that even in law, things don’t always go perfectly.

This award was kindly sponsored by KCH Garden Square.