Paul Dowling

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Leigh Day

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

I worked for a commercial law firm in Spain for a period. I then joined Leigh Day, first as a paralegal, then as a trainee solicitor. I have worked as a solicitor at Leigh Day since January 2009.

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

I wanted to work in a field of law in which I would have the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives. I enjoy representing disadvantaged individuals against powerful corporations.

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

I played for the hockey club in my first and second years.

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

I thoroughly enjoyed my Erasmus year at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, in Spain.

What did you enjoy most about studying here?

The campus is a great environment for studying. I enjoyed being close to the countryside and the coast, particularly in the spring and summer.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I visited the campus which I liked very much. The course offered the opportunity to study abroad which appealed to me. The university (and the law department in particular) had a good reputation,

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

In 2016 I completed a Masters in International Economic Law at Birkbeck College, University of London. I have found this to be very useful for the purposes of legal analysis and critical thinking in my casework.

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

Study hard and try to get a broad range of work experience working with individuals and corporations. It is good to develop an understanding of the interests of both sides in order to be an effective litigator.

What are your plans for the future?

I intend to continue doing this work for the foreseeable future.