Case studies

I am a barrister and was called to the Bar in 1998. I was born and brought up in West London and am the eldest of four siblings. I went to state schools throughout my education and did not have any connections to the law when I was growing up.

I grew up in Hertfordshire, where I attended St Albans High School on a full scholarship before reading law at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. After taking the solicitors’ final exams I joined Freshfields, a law firm in the City of London, as a trainee, qualifying as a solicitor in 1986 and becoming a partner in 1994.

Lesley Smith is a full time Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber. She was previously a fee-paid Lawyer Chairman of the Residential Property Tribunal, and a senior Government Lawyer with the Treasury Solicitor’s Department. Lesley is a former ILEX Fellow.

As a child, I had no aspirations to become a lawyer but a keen interest in the world around me, and a desire to contribute something useful in the public sector.

Looking for a change of direction when studying science and mathematics at A-level, I was drawn to the law.  This was because law seemed to combine precision in reasoning with an emphasis on effective communication and choice of words, and it also seemed to touch upon most, if not all, aspects of life.

I qualified as a barrister in 1986 and went on to specialise in insolvency and corporate litigation. I love the diversity and the challenges that my practice provides and have been extremely happy with my career choice.

I am a salaried Employment Judge based in Manchester from 2019. Prior to this appointment I sat as a fee-paid Employment Tribunal Judge in Wales and I continue to sit on cases in Wales, particularly in mid and North Wales which involve Welsh speaking parties or witnesses.

I was called to the Bar in 2006 and since then I have been fortunate enough to have had a varied career working both at the Bar and within executive positions.

Tribunal judge Samina Majid was appointed as a fee-paid judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Social Entitlement Chamber, in 2019.

I grew up and went to school in North London, where my family settled after leaving Zambia in the 70s. Along with one of my siblings, I was the first in my family to enter higher education, studying law at Oxford University.