The following people are members of the current JLD committee:

• Hekim Hannan - Committee chair
• Heather Iqbal-Rayner - Committee vice chair
• Alexia Binns
• Sarah Bolt
• Andrew Borland
• Grace Cowling
• Emma Dickinson
• Camilla Graham Wood
• Mark Pentecost - student representative

The following are JLD representatives on the Law Society Council:

• Grace Brass
• Kat Gibson
• Brontie Zoutewelle - Student and trainee seat

Hekim Hannan - Committee chair

Hekim studied law and criminology in Hull followed by his LPC in Chester. Hekim is now four years PQE at Irvings in Liverpool, having previously worked at the Legal Services Commission. Hekim has previously been the education and national representative on the Merseyside JLD committee during which time he has organised events, delivered talks and assisted the executive at student forums.

During his year as vice chair, Hekim closed the annual JLD conference and other JLD events, addressed the ABA YLD Council at their spring conference in Las Vegas as well as meeting with the Japanese Bar Federation during the recent trip to London.

Hekim has a keen interest in social mobility and access to the professions. He is very much looking forward to his year as chair and working with the executive for the benefit of the members this coming year.

Hekim can be contacted at hekimh@gmail.com.

Heather Iqbal-Rayner - Committee vice chair

Heather studied for a Bachelors degree in English literature and philosophy and followed this with a law degree studied through the Open University. She took her LPC with the college of Law at Bloomsbury in London and went on to work as a paralegal for a firm in Sussex and trained as a solicitor with a legal aid firm in Kent.

Heather currently work as a welfare benefits supervisor for Ty Arian Solicitors in Swansea, specialising in housing and welfare benefit law and is about to undertake a new role as legal advice services manager at a cancer charity in Cardiff.

She started the North Kent Junior Lawyers Group in 2009 and sat as chair and national representative for the JLD but gave up her seat when she relocated to Wales and is very proud to now be the vice chair.

She passionately believes in the work that the JLD undertakes and fully supports the ethos that all JLD members should have a voice and that they should be a part of legal policy and change. Heather hopes to encourage more students, paralegals and trainees to become involved in the JLD.

Alexia Binns

Alexia studied law with criminology at Keele University. During the second year of her degree Alexia spent a semester studying at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

She completed her LPC at Nottingham Law School before training with a high street firm and qualified in September 2010. She now works as an assistant solicitor in the Legal Department at Elite Insurance Company Limited, a leading provider of legal expenses insurance.

Alexia has attended every JLD conference to date and was Nottinghamshire JLD Ball Secretary in 2009. Alexia is keen to continue to progress the work of past JLD Executive Committee members, support members and facilitate information to members on issues which are of interest to them.

Sarah Bolt

Sarah graduated from the University of Birmingham with a law degree in 2006 and Masters in Criminal Law and Justice in 2007. Sarah was elected as the vice president of welfare at the Student Guild and led the organisation to restructure its governance structures, policy and develop new initiatives. In 2008 she completed the LPC at the College of Law in Birmingham.

Following the LPC she worked as a County Court Advocate for LPC Ltd before beginning a training contract at Irwin Mitchell in Birmingham in September 2010.

Sarah joined the JLD to ensure that the organisation not only represents its members, but is effective and delivers on its promises. She is also keen to ensure that the organisation has the correct structures so that it can empower members to make change happen and their views are at the heart of everything we do.

Andrew Borland

Andrew studied Law with Politics at the University of Hull before undertaking a masters degree in international human rights. He has previously worked in the USA assisting attorneys representing clients on death row and has worked for an NGO in Ghana assisting individuals in recognising their legal and human rights.

He completed the LPC at the College of Law in London and currently works as a paralegal in the Injury Risk team for DAC Beachcroft LLP in Leeds, while actively seeking a training contract.

In October and November 2010 Andrew participated in the joint JLD Raleigh charity expedition to Southern India installing bio-gas fuel plant systems to a village in need of this type of infrastructure. Upon his return Andrew was elected as the student representative on the Executive Committee of the JLD for 2011. As part of this role, Andrew organised two LPC student forums, one in London in April, and one in Newcastle in October 2011.

He is keen to continue to represent all members of the JLD and has a particular interest in representing paralegals who have completed the LPC and are seeking training contracts.

Andrew can be contacted at andrewborland128@googlemail.com

Grace Cowling

Grace studied law at Nottingham University and then, after a year out travelling, attended Chester College of Law before training at Gordons LLP in Leeds. Grace is now 1 PQE with Gordons LLP in the Commercial Litigation Department. Grace was vice chair of Leeds JLD 2009/2010 chair of Leeds JLD 2010/2011.

Grace hopes to encourage more members to get involved and have their say in the future of the legal profession, and also improve access to the profession, which she hopes can be achieved with the help of local JLD groups.

Emma Dickinson

Emma is passionate about helping junior lawyers achieve their full potential by providing consistent support, relevant information, and effective representation. She is also interested in assisting groups throughout the JLD engage efficiently with members on a local, national and international level.

Emma previously chaired the West London local JLD group and continues to help organise events, raise sponsorship and support local West London JLD members. She currently works as a solicitor for national law firm Simpson Millar, specialising in employment law.

Emma can be contacted via twitter @emmaswdickinson or LinkedIn

Camilla Graham Wood

Camilla graduated from Bristol University with a BA in politics. She then completed her GDL at BPP and LPC at College of Law, Bloomsbury. She currently works at Birnberg Peirce Solicitors in Camden.

As the legal aid sector faces huge cuts by the government and the Legal Services Commission has cut funding for legal aid training contracts, Camilla wants the JLD to help ensure that young lawyers who want to fight for the rights of vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society continue to be encouraged to pursue a career in legal aid.

Mark Pentecost - student representative

Mark Pentecost was awarded a BA (Hons) in Drama and Religious Studies by Surrey University after undergraduate study at St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill. A few years later he decided to start a legal career and attended Northumbria University where he completed the CPE in 2009 and the LPC in 2011. During his four years at Northumbria Mark was an active student representative.

In January 2012 Mark will commence his training contract at Sanderson McCreath & Edney, a high street firm in Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland. Mark was elected as a student representative on the JLD national committee in 2010 and was delighted to have been elected onto the JLD executive a year later. He is looking forward to continuing his work in representing LPC students who are seeking to start out on a successful legal career.

As a more mature student Mark is acutely aware of the difficulties that older applicants often face when trying to secure a training contract or other legal role. Mark believes that access to the profession for a greater diversity of applicants is something that should be vigorously encouraged and campaigned for.

In a rapidly changing legal landscape there will be many new opportunities as well as challenges for young lawyers. Mark is passionate about helping LPC students to overcome those challenges and grasp those opportunities.

If you are a past, present or future LPC student and would like to contact Mark then please email pentecom@gmail.com

Council member profiles

Grace Brass

Following the completion of her LLB from the University of Durham and LPC in York, Grace started her training contract in September 2006 at Adlams Solicitors, a high street firm in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Grace is looking forward to qualifying in September 2008.

Grace was elected to the Law Society Council to represent the Trainee Solicitors Group and LPC Students in June 2007. Since then Grace has also enjoyed the privilege of being involved on the JLD interim-executive.

Grace says:

‘The JLD's task now is to build on the fantastic experience and hard work previously undertaken by the Trainee Solicitors Group (TSG) and the Young Solicitors Group (YSG). My hope is that the JLD will encourage and engage more members to get involved either with their local group or on a national level, and that members will continue to be provided with as many opportunities as possible to have their say on the future of their profession (and hopefully have some along the way too!).’

Grace can be contacted by email at graceb@adlams.co.uk.

Kat Gibson

Kat is a four-year PQE solicitor working in house for Coca-Cola Enterprises Limited (CCE), a soft drinks manufacturing, trade and marketing multi-national. Kat has worked in-house since 2007, having previously been at Nortel Networks; a multi-national telecommunications company.

Kat is an employment specialist, and advises CCE on all labour and privacy law issues across its GB operation. Prior to opting to go in house, Kat worked in private practice in Southampton.

She joined Paris Smith LLP as a paralegal and went on to train at the same firm. Post qualification, she practised at Paris Smith LLP for a further two years as an assistant solicitor.

Kat has a history of volunteering with the Trainee Solicitors Group (TSG) on both a national and local basis. She was the inaugural chair of the Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society (JLD) and ran the same for its first two years.