Rochelle Inbakumar knew from a young age she wanted to study law, but at City St George’s, she also found her passion for equality, diversity and inclusion. Through her extracurricular activities, she has already made a difference, and as a recent graduate, she continues to help law firms change.
“There are certain things that law firms are doing, but I think there could be more done,” says Rochelle Inbakumar (LLB Law, 2024). “There are a lot of things to help students get in at entry level but cultivating an environment that makes someone feel comfortable rather than leave is something I think they need to work on.”
Rochelle’s ambition to study law formed in year 10, when she participated in debates during English.
“I was quite set for a long time, so I had about five years to completely map out my path,” she says. “I like how detail-oriented the law is and how much analysis you have to do, and the fact that it changes a lot, so it keeps you on your toes all the time. That was the kind of career that I wanted.”
Rochelle did work experience at a law firm and word of mouth encouraged her to apply to The City Law School.
“Once I got there, I realised it wasn’t just marketing, it was actually really good.”
But as Rochelle got involved with extracurricular activities, she also became increasingly aware of the inequalities that exist in her future industry.
“Through the societies, I found out that I’m really passionate about diversity, equality and inclusion,” she says.
At City St George’s, Rochelle acted as Head of Societies at The City Law School, Editor-in-Chief of the City Pro Bono Gazette, and Communications Officer and President of the City Women in Law Society.
“I do want to highlight that there is progress being made,” Rochelle says. “But sometimes it’s not necessarily just about the numbers of people getting in, it’s about cultivating the environment they’re in.”
Rochelle gives the lack of women in the most senior positions as an example.
“There are a lot of biases about what women can and can’t do in their careers,” she says, acknowledging that this is also an issue in other professions. “So, I think there’s a culture shift that needs to happen in the industry, and it’s why I got involved in some of the initiatives we did at City, especially with Women in Law.”
During Rochelle’s time with the Women in Law Society, they established the “Black Women in Law” series, which saw the likes of Dr I. Stephanie Boyce, former President of the Law Society of England and Wales, and Dr Miranda Brawn, founder of The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, as speakers, and it won “Event of the Year” at the Students Union Awards. The society also founded a new mentoring scheme, EmpowHER, which runs again this year.
“We paired female City alumni from the Law School with current students so that they could see what alumni are doing and how they can get there,” Rochelle explains. “That’s to help with entry but seeing women in senior roles also helps them aspire higher, and things like that make a really big difference.”
Rochelle’s academic and extracurricular achievements have been recognised. In 2023, she was a finalist in targetjobs’ “Undergraduate of the Year” Awards, and last year, she was a Next 100 Years “Law Student of the Year“ Nominee.
“The Next 100 Years nomination had to do with the Women in Law Society work that I did,” she says. “I’m glad to be part of such good teams.”
Recently graduated, Rochelle admits missing university, but she is already involved in several organisations that are working towards a more inclusive law industry. Having been a mentee and Student Ambassador for the Association of British Tamil Lawyers, Rochelle is now part of their Operational Committee.
“Particularly for Tamil people, it’s not always the case that they see law as a viable path and it means there are fewer of us in the industry than there could be,” Rochelle says. “The events we do help in the same way the Women in Law Society did. They’re helping people see that people from their own ethnic minority or gender can make it.”
Rochelle is also on the Future Board of O Shaped. According to the organisation’s website, O Shaped “ … brings together progressive legal professionals and organisations that believe in building a more inclusive, people-focused industry.”
“O shaped is trying to help shift that culture change,” Rochelle says.
Rochelle is currently preparing for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which is required to become a qualified solicitor. After that, there is a two-year period of qualifying work experience. Rochelle has a special interest in data protection law but is aware it is a newer area of law with many moving parts.
“Because of that, they’re hiring more experienced lawyers which does make sense, but it limits the opportunities for graduates.”
To those still at university and considering a career in law, what is Rochelle’s advice?
“If you’re planning to do a degree, you should also be planning to do an extracurricular of some kind, because of how tough the industry is right now. It’s hard to differentiate between candidates, and while academics are really good, I think extracurriculars bring out another side of you. And they also help you find what you’re most passionate about.
“Even if it does scare you a little bit it’s good to do it because then you’re challenging the parts of yourself that really need to grow. And I think undergrad is the right time to be doing all of that and finding out who you are as a person and who you are outside of your degree.”
A big thank you to Rochelle Inbakumar for sharing her experiences of studying at The City Law School and the work she’s doing to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in law.