Nurul Aisyah Hassan

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

I went on to do my Bar, got called to the Bar of England and Wales, completed my pupillage in Malaysia and called to the Bar of Malaysia. I have been in practice ever since.

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

It ran in the family. I enjoyed my area of practice, i.e. Employment Law.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was in the Out of Doors Society and Malaysian Society.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

My lecturers, Mike Sanderson is particularly etched in my memory because I attended two of his classes in my second and final year and they were always very interesting. I do remember his lectures on international refugee law very vividly and even managed to apply the knowledge when I was a pupil in Malaysia. So were Professor Stephen Skinner’s classes – he really made us think outside the box and his classes were never boring and his lectures on lethal use of force will always be etched in my memory somehow. 

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

Being in the peaceful countryside, the people. It’s one of my favourite memories.

When I went to Exeter, I already knew I would love it. It’s such a beautiful campus and town and I always wanted to live abroad anyway. Being part of the Out of Doors Society gave me something to look forward to almost every weekend. It’s also a no-brainer that my family away from home was the Malaysian Society and we would always organise events that would often involve food, to keep our spirits up and feel like home. I was not quite a social butterfly so my nature walks and trips to the coast always made me happy. I even eventually met my husband in Exeter. Unfortunately I don’t quite remember any career talks that I attended, if any, that particularly guided me afterward.

Exeter will always be a fond memory for me and I look forward to being back someday.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

It had a good law programme and being in the countryside didn’t hurt.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

Networking and speaking skills.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

Think hard if this is what you really want to do.

What are your plans for the future?

I might want to come back to the UK and practise there.