As the Official Legal Advisers to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, our cross-practice team has been working on numerous projects to support Birmingham 2022 in the delivery of the largest multisport events in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic Games. In addition to this, some of our people are representing our firm by joining the thousands of people in the Commonwealth Collective who are volunteering to support the delivery of the Games.
In our new series of blog posts, we meet a few of our volunteers who are representing Gowling WLG at the Games, to get an insight into their roles as volunteers and what they are most looking forward to.
This week we’re pleased to meet Laura Pratt.
Tell us about your role at Gowling WLG
I am currently a legal apprentice in Gowling WLG’s Real Estate team. As the firm’s largest practice group, it’s a very busy team with lots of dealings with large clients. It can be stressful at times but it’s always exciting.
I started working at the firm five years ago when I was accepted onto a paralegal apprenticeship, which I completed over a two-year period. I am now doing my solicitor apprenticeship.
Why did you choose a career in law?
I’ve always been interested in law and chose it as a subject for my A Levels. What interests me the most is the thought of being able to help clients with their problems.
After my A Levels, my passion then led to me choosing to study law for my undergraduate degree. In my first year I realised that university wasn’t for me, but my passion for law remained. I began to look at different avenues of how I could still have a career in law without taking the ‘normal’ path. I found out about the CILEX Law School, which provides vocational and apprenticeship legal training. At the time, Gowling WLG was one of only a few law firms that provided an apprenticeship option, which I thought was a great alternative for me.
Why did you want to volunteer for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games?
I decided to volunteer because of the opportunities that it brings for Birmingham. I wanted to be a part of supporting the city and be involved in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As Gowling WLG is the Official Legal Advisers for Birmingham 2022, I’m excited to be a representative for the firm and celebrate our involvement. It is great to see the firm be more in the public eye – a highlight for me was seeing the Gowling WLG takeover of Birmingham New Street Station.
What will your role be as a volunteer for the Games?
My role as a volunteer will be a Workforce Team Member, which means I will be helping to organise staff, volunteers and contractors at the workforce check-in and support venues. The role is based at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, which means I get to be in the midst of all the action and in a completely different environment to what I am used to.
What are you most looking forward to at the Games?
I think seeing all the behind the scenes activity to get the Games up and running will be a highlight. To deliver such an extraordinary event will require meticulous organisation and I’m excited to be a part of this. The closer it gets to the Games the more anticipation I have for it – the volunteers will receive training and uniform soon and that will be when it will become a lot more real. I also can’t wait to meet all the other volunteers and be a part of the experience with others.
If you could compete in a sport at Birmingham 2022 what would you play and why?
My dad used to do a lot of athletics when he was younger and would always teach me the different throwing sports in the run-up to my school sports days. So I would choose discus or shotput, I hope I would remember some of the technique and make my dad proud!
To find out more about Birmingham 2022 and how we’re playing our part as the Official Legal Advisers of the Games, read our story so far.
About the author(s)
Laura Pratt is a legal apprentice at Gowling WLG.
