Tyler Richards
Current Employer/Organisation Name
Stephens Scown LLP
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
I graduated from Exeter University in 2018 having studied Law for three years (and somehow managing to come away with a first!) and began working as a paralegal in the Dispute Resolution Team at Stephens Scown in September of that year. After 2 years I successfully applied for a training contract with the firm as an internal candidate and began the LPC in 2020. I did the LPC full time alongside my paralegal role which was tough (I worked 2 days a week and studied the rest of the week) and came away with a distinction in 2021. I started my training contract later that year and completed this on 1 September 2023 after doing three seats (Real Estate, Family and Litigation). I always knew I wanted to be a Family solicitor and am thrilled to have that title today at such a brilliant firm. I am now a fully qualified solicitor with my own client base and matters which is amazing.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
I really enjoyed Family law when I took it as a module in my third year of university and knew from then on that is what I would want to do if I got the chance. I also took it as an LPC elective which helped me understand the law from a more practical/ realistic perspective. Having now qualified as a Family solicitor at Stephens Scown, I can say that I love doing this because of the clients. There is something very special about helping someone navigate through one of the most stressful periods of their life and it is very rewarding when a settlement is reached. I have always enjoyed working in contentious arrears because every day is exciting and brings new challenges. I particularly enjoy going to court and working with world-class advocates, which is always so impressive.
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
I was a member of Exeter UOTC during my time at university which was great. I absolutely loved it and made friends for life! That experience was definitely something that shined on my CV and was something I was asked about a lot.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
I enjoyed listening to and learning from the brilliant lecturers, who were so knowledgeable and inspiring. I really enjoyed Family Law and Gender and Law as topics. Biggest highlight was definitely graduating with a First – I always remember my tutor in first year telling us that was pretty rare.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
Exeter is a great city and a great community. It certainly makes you very proud to be green!
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
I am from Cornwall and wanted to study somewhere close to home. Exeter was always my first choice because of the stellar reputation of the university and the Law programme in particular. It being close to home was an absolute bonus!
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Communication is huge. We communicate with clients every day both in person and by phone and email. You have to be a confident and clear communicator to be a good lawyer. It is also important to keep up to date with legal and commercial developments – we never stop learning in this job!
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Do as much work experience as you can but make sure it is valuable experience. Anything that is going to increase your confidence, person-ability and knowledge is going to be useful – it doesn’t have to be legal work experience. Also get used to networking at university, as we do it a lot in practice!
What are your plans for the future?
I want to progress within Stephens Scown to partner level and continue in this career for many years to come!
