Competition win supports Hamsar’s law career ambitions

Winning a law debating competition confirmed to HND legal studies student, Hamsar Asghar that his decision to return to study after a nine-year gap was the right one.

“I came to Matthew Boulton College thinking I had unfinished business with the law industry – winning the debate just proved it,” he said.

Hamsar competed against 40 students from BMet, Birmingham City University’s School of Law and University College Birmingham in the inaugural competition. His prize was to spend the early part of his summer on a temporary pupillage at Birmingham’s St Philips Chamber. Here, he got to shadow a barrister through an important part of an ongoing trial.

“The pupillage was an amazing opportunity,” he said. “I was with the barrister as he consulted with his client and discussed how to present evidence. I also sat in court and saw how witnesses were cross-examined by the prosecution and defence teams.

“Overall, the experience has spurred me to work towards becoming a barrister myself.”

The 29-year-old is about to start the second year of his HND Legal Studies at Matthew Boulton College. At the end of this, he’ll be able to progress onto the second year of a law honours degree.

“I dropped out of a criminology degree when I was 20 but always felt that one day, I’d be on this road again,” said Hamsar, who has spent the last few years taking on a number of roles in social care. “I thought the HND would the best way to ease myself back into study. The course has definitely done that. It’s shown me how laws and regulations have changed over the last few years and reminded me how to present and reference my coursework.”

“The structure is intensive although that puts us at an advantage to traditional second year law students as we will have been introduced to topics that they won’t have looked at yet.”

He continued: “Law is highly competitive, but if you build up your knowledge and your network then you can get where you want to be. I’m ready for this now in ways I wasn’t before. And I want to keep learning.”

He added: “It’s a career with a lot of hard work involved and the hours are long, but it’s also exciting to be involved in cases.

“Representing the law and legal sector also means you’re leaving a legacy. You could be shaping legislation that stays in place not just beyond your lifetime but those of your children and grandchildren. No other profession can do this.”