Kent Law School alumna Jade Gani has been named Young Practitioner of the Year at the British Wills and Probate Awards 2020.
Jade graduated with a Law LLB degree from Kent in 2012 and is now Head of Wills and Probate with Aston Bond Law.
After completing her degree, Jade gained experience as a Paralegal in a Private Client department for a Buckinghamshire based firm. After two years, Jade began studying her LPC part-time while working as a Trainee Solicitor full-time. During her training, Jade also gained experience in Property and Serious Crime but she ultimately decided to specialise in Private Client because she enjoyed it so much.
We caught up with her to learn more about her work, her experiences of studying law at Kent and her thoughts on how her studies have contributed to her career development.
What does your current role involve?
I am currently the Head of Private Client at Aston Bond Law Limited in Slough. We are a relatively small high street firm that handle a surprising amount of large and complex cases. I specialise in Wills, Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection, Trusts, Probate, Inheritance Tax, Estate disputes and Estate Planning. As well as having my own case load, I manage a small team that includes Trainee Solicitors.
What are the main highlights, and challenges?
For me, the main highlights of my job are firstly seeing the relief that my Clients feel after they have met with me and I have dealt with all their concerns, and secondly seeing my Trainees build and develop the skills they need to be successful solicitors once they qualify. It can be challenging though, as every case is different with emotions usually running high and with each Trainee learning in a different way, but we come together as a team to overcome any obstacles.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My typical day includes meeting with Clients, responding to their queries via email, drafting legal documents and giving directions to my team. Trainees require a lot of supervision as we encourage them to give advice, but we have to ensure it is the right advice and that documents are drafted correctly. I also spend a lot of time building our brand, such as through blogs, marketing and social media as well as networking.
Why did you choose to study law at Kent Law School?
I chose to study law at Kent Law School because they provided a fantastic “critical” approach: it taught me how to challenge the adequacy of laws put in place and taught me to always strive for the best for my clients. Kent Law School also offered some wonderfully unusual modules that I hadn’t seen offered elsewhere at the time, such as Gender, Sexuality & the Law or 1800’s Historical Criminal Law, which fascinated me!
How did your time at Kent Law School prepare you for your career?
Kent Law School taught me the value of my voice: they teach in a way which supports the idea that any one of us can make a real difference in the world, and by the time you graduate you believe that too! The truth is, they’re right. Whether you make a difference to just one Client, or to the whole nation, the skills and knowledge you learn at law school will help you to better the world in some way. Kent Law School will never limit you, so you shouldn’t limit yourself either.
What were the highlights of your law degree programme?
The highlight of my programme had to be my dissertation, which was based on Steve Pethick’s Philosophy of Law class. Why and how we have law and order fascinates me and we really got to explore some fundamental issues in the class. As a dissertation supervisor, Steve was wholly supportive whilst also very pragmatic; he wanted you to think outside the box and welcomed all of my unusual suggestions and crazy ideas during my research.
How did you change during your time at Kent, in terms of your knowledge, skills and characteristics?
My time at Kent Law School was the first real opportunity I had to work and manage a schedule independently, learning to prioritise work and meet tight deadlines. These are all skills that come in very handy in the workplace. It also gave me the confidence to voice a reasoned and educated opinion on matters of law, as well as to defend those opinions to others who might challenge or question them.
In what ways does your law degree help you today?
Finding confidence in voicing my opinion at Kent Law School has led to me being asked to offer opinions in publications such as Today’s Wills & Probate as well as being asked to take part in technical roundtable discussions with other heads of industry, such as leaders in the Law Society, STEP and SFE. Kent Law School taught me to trust my gut when I think that a law might be insufficient or problematic in some way, and this has helped me champion better practices industry-wide and assisted in my winning of the Young Practitioner of the Year 2020 at the British Wills and Probate Awards.
Do you have any particular memories of Kent (or Canterbury) you’d like to share?
Graduating in Canterbury Cathedral is definitely one of my fondest memories of Kent Law School – how many people can say they graduated in such an iconic and picturesque setting? Also, achieving a first in my dissertation and having it ‘published’ in the library for other students to read is also really rewarding. I still wonder if anyone has picked up my ‘Restitution or Retribution: an apology theory’ essay since I left!
What advice would you give to prospective law students and what would you recommend about studying at Kent Law School?
Get stuck in! The more involved you become with the Law School the more you will learn and grow, so don’t be shy! It can be daunting, speaking up and voicing your opinion, but everyone there studying with you are all in exactly the same boat. I would highly recommend either becoming a part of the mooting group or joining the law clinic. Alternatively, you could start your own debate club based on your favourite module like we did!
What are your career plans for the next five years or so?
Hopefully, I will qualify as a full member of STEP early next year. I intend on continuing to grow my department year on year both financially and in terms of team members. In five years’ time I hope to be a director and taking over more responsibility for the firm generally. I am also debating completing the The Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) course to assist me with contentious probate matters. It seems we never stop learning!
The British Wills and Probate Awards celebrate excellence within the Wills and Probate sector.
