Alumni profile - Jamila Archibald

Jamila Archibald, LLB(H), 2017, & PGD, 2018.

Tell us a little bit about your life/background before Edinburgh Law School

I grew up in the Scottish Highlands, in a single parent household and was the first in my family to go to university. I always had a strong sense of justice and from the age of 10, I was passionate about becoming a lawyer and was delighted when I was accepted into Edinburgh Law School for my undergraduate degree and, subsequently, the Diploma.

What did you study at Edinburgh Law School and why did you choose the programme?

In addition to the core law subjects, in my honours year I chose a variety of interesting subjects including Contract Law, Criminal Law, Issues in Child Law, Medical Jurisprudence and Gender and Justice. Edinburgh Law School is one of the best law schools in the world and I chose the programme so that I could learn from leading academics and study interesting, thought-provoking subjects.

What do you think is unique to the Edinburgh Law School experience and what are some of your favourite memories?

The highest courts in Scotland sit in Edinburgh and I think it is really interesting to learn about cases which were decided round the corner from the law school. The University of Edinburgh is also a multicultural university and I love meeting different people from a diverse range of backgrounds. My fondest memories are meeting and studying with different people, some of whom have become my best friends.

What have you been up to since graduating/what are you doing after graduation (e.g., your professional or further academic pursuits since leaving Edinburgh Law School) and how have your degree studies with us helped you in this?

After graduating I completed my traineeship at Shepherd and Wedderburn and qualified into construction disputes. Thereafter, I moved in-house to the disputes team at SSE plc. I am now in-house legal counsel at Trip.com and responsible for the EMEA region. I thoroughly enjoy that my role involves advising on multi-jurisdictional matters and my degree at the University of Edinburgh certainly provided me with the skills to be successful in this role. I am also very passionate about increasing access to the profession and I am involved in a number of diversity initiatives. I often interact with students on their legal journey, offering advice or support. I believe that the degree gives you the core skills required to pursue a career in law. From my own experience, the skills I learned at Edinburgh Law School has given me the foundation in each of my roles, and allows for a degree of flexibility to change specialties if desired.

What advice would you give current Edinburgh Law School students?

Immerse yourself in everything the law school has to offer. Don’t be afraid to get involved and start making connections early as you and your fellow students are the lawyers to tomorrow. Most of all, enjoy the university experience and don’t be afraid to have big aspirations for your future career.