When you qualify as a solicitor, there are a real myriad of avenues you may choose to go down in terms of your law specialism. Today we’re talking with Kristian Campbell Drummond, Employment Associate at Weightmans LLP and also the Co-Chair of Birmingham Solicitors’ Group. He shares with us his career journey in employment law, why he chose this fascinating area of work, and his tips for those considering a similar path.
Tell us about your path to becoming a solicitor
“So my path to qualification was pretty traditional given the different routes available today. I went to a state school in Birmingham, stayed on for sixth form, and then went to university, Nottingham Trent. In 2017 I completed my LLB, with a placement year in London, before coming back to Birmingham to start the Legal Practise Course (LPC). That same year, I was able to secure a vacation scheme at a top 40 law firm, Weightmans LLP, which led to me being offered a training contract with them which started in 2020. During which I covered healthcare, litigation and employment law. I quickly realised that employment law was the right area of law for me, it varied greatly from my experience of it at university and so I went down the route of specialising in this area. Now, 2 years after qualifying, I am an Associate at my firm and Co-Chair of the Birmingham Solicitors’ Group”.
Why do you enjoy employment law?
“The reason I love being an employment lawyer is because it is one of the few areas of law that is applicable to almost everyone. Most people have either been employed or self-employed, have been an employee or a manager, and as a result, are directly affected by employment law - even if they don’t necessarily think about that. Being a people person, I thrive off being able to have frequent and varying interactions with clients, exploring tailored solutions to resolve the problems they have. No two issues are ever the same, and in a field which is continuously evolving and changing like employment law does, it is exciting having to always adapt and learn to ensure the advice I give is of the highest level”.
What does an employment lawyer do?
“Employment law really piques my interest as it’s a varied area of law, where you can find yourself working simultaneously on contentious and non-contentious cases. Your job is to provide your client with guidance, legal advice or representation, on all manner of employment, HR and company support issues. One day I might be working directly with the HR department at a large organisation that needs advice on a range of complex employee queries, the next I could be assisting a Senior Director of a company in negotiating an exit deal and then the day after that I could find myself in the employment tribunal, representing a client in a discrimination case. The common thread that goes throughout each element of the job is that we directly work with people. I’m less interested in the highly corporate, transactional side of things - I like to see exactly where my impact is by having a meaningful influence in someone’s story, and I find that’s definitely the case in this area. There’s also this old misconception that if you want to make a good living, you have to work in the more corporate, financial side of law, but I’ve found that employment law is also a great way to build a career with a comfortable income.”
What do you like most about this area of law?
“The flexibility and diversity of employment law makes it really enjoyable. There is no set pattern that defines what a typical day for an employment lawyer looks like, which really allows you to tailor both your role and specialism to that which suits your strengths. Some seek to specialise in advocacy, others may become experts in internal grievance and disciplinary processes, it truly varies. I particularly enjoy providing practical and commercial advice in relation to day-to-day issues, such as workplace disputes as often you’re able to identify and assess the issues that have the potential to escalate and offer solutions which prevent this from happening.
While there’s stability in how my day usually looks, there’s always variety in the actual workload, meaning no two days are ever the same. I also find that, as is the case for many modern lawyers, the appeal of a role where you can achieve a healthy work/life balance is very important to me, and as an employment lawyer I’ve found the balance to be great. As most of my clients work within the 9-5 day, the support I offer them is usually within this time too. Around that I am able to work on my projects, drafting, and case management within the day, which means it is pretty rare that I ever need to work on evenings or weekends!”.
Are there any downsides?
“I’m hesitant to describe these as downsides, as they’re more so just as much a part of the job as the fun parts, but I’d say there are certainly some more challenging areas of work in employment law than others.
At times what you’re working on is an incredibly significant issue or concern within someone’s life, and so there are plenty of challenging moments. Overseeing redundancies, workplace investigations and tribunals, can involve seeing people at their most vulnerable. The topic/theme of an internal disciplinary for instance, could be one that concerns workplace abuse, violence or sexual harassment, and so the importance of the quality of advice I give is paramount as there will likely be reliance on it that could impact someone’s life. Areas such as those tend to be the more serious parts of the job, though that’s not really a negative, rather it’s just a more challenging and complex area to navigate.
In terms of the wider legal community, as I reflect on the main challenges that still persist, one of the major concerns remains the lack of diversity. To date whilst my own progression has been pretty successful, I would love to see more representation across law generally. It’s certainly improved since I started my first legal role 5 years ago, and firms like my own are doing a fantastic job of supporting DEI initiatives, but there are times where I will be at networking events in the city, in meetings or at tribunal, and realise I’m still the only black man in the room. I’m seeing greater representation as the years go on, especially within the newer intakes of trainees and apprentices across the city, and I’m hoping that in, say, 10 years, law is going to look far more representative of the talent out there from all backgrounds.”
What is a typical day of an employment solicitor?
“So one of the things I love about employment law is that, for the most part, you have control of your workload, and so can set yourself a reasonable work day, subject to any out-of-the-blue variables! The same definitely can’t be said for other areas of law. For me I have to start my day with a mocha! Then I’ll get to work on my inbox, addressing first any high priority requests of me and then make my way through the rest. I’ll then take stock and review the various tribunal cases, HR queries and general employment-related processes I’m supporting on, to see what needs to be progressed that day and I’ll formulate a plan of action to achieve this. I like to have done this by the early afternoon, as at this point, I’ll likely have client meetings so I like to make sure I have sufficient time to sufficiently complete any preparation before then. All being well, if my day has been productive, then by 5/5.30PM, I’ll be logging off, ready to enjoy my evening! I like that stability, with space for novelty.”
How would you advise those considering this area of law? How can they get ahead?
“I’d say it’s less about simply knocking on the right doors and more about forcing yourself into the right rooms. If you’re at university now, get speaking to your careers team. See what resources they can offer you to help you start your legal journey from now. 10 years ago it used to be a lot harder to speak directly with someone in employment law, but with the increase in networking events both in-person and digitally, and the prevalence of solicitors discussing their work on LinkedIn, there are more opportunities than ever to speak with the people doing what you want to do in the future. Talk, learn, get your face out there and take in as much as you can.
Get involved with societies and committees which can lead to you making the connections who could give you employment law experience and opportunities in the future! If you're local, start engaging from now with the Birmingham Solicitors’ Group and the Birmingham Law Society. Especially if you’re from a Black or Asian background, Birmingham Black Lawyers and Midlands Asian Lawyers Association are great organisations intent on promoting diversity, equality and uplifting those from underrepresented backgrounds”
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