Paralegal Spotlight: Asad Farooq

In the spotlight today, we have Asad, a driven and insightful paralegal who has been steadily carving out his path in the legal world. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Asad about his journey, his experiences with Flex Legal, and his advice for aspiring legal professionals.

Hi Asad! Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?

My legal career began during my A-Levels where I first began studying law. Following this insightful experience, I took a step forward and studied Law as an Undergraduate Degree at the University of Liverpool. During my undergraduate studies, I was able to gain relevant experience to assist in my professional development which allowed me to understand my strengths in advocacy. Following this, I decided to pursue a career at the Bar and attended the University of Law in Leeds to study the Bar Practice Course, which I completed in early 2024.

How did you first become interested in becoming a lawyer?

I understood that a career in law would offer me a challenging environment where I will continuously be required to develop both professionally and personally. I realised the importance of lawyers in society; a job as a lawyer is not just a role, it is a professional responsibility where you are required to ensure that justice and equality is upheld in society.

Studying Law at A-Level allowed me to understand the foundations of criminal law. During my postgraduate studies, my performances during external mooting competitions provided me with various opportunities, including but not limited to: a marshalling scheme at Birmingham Crown Court, a mini-pupillage at Exchange Chambers, Byrom Street Chambers, Park Square Chambers and Church Court Chambers. I have attended various Crown Courts and Tribunals with barristers and lawyers and have enjoyed studying and engaging in the legal field over the past seven years. I now represent clients at employment tribunals throughout various complex matters involving cases of discrimination, unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, TUPE and wages.

The demand for continuous development has kept me commercially aware which has allowed me to identify further areas for improvement to mould myself into the best possible professional which has inevitably had a great impact on my personal development too.

Could you tell us about your experience of working through Flex Legal?

I initially began working at a firm as a Litigation Paralegal where I would assist Litigation Executives and Litigation Consultants with their case preparation. Flex Legal provided me with the opportunity to gain practical experience in law following the completion of my relevant studies.

This experience allowed me to continue my professional development in a practical manner. The team at Flex were always readily accessible to assist me with any queries I had. Following my first Flex role, I was offered a full-time role at the firm, where I still work. I am extremely grateful for Flex providing me with the opportunity to showcase my skills in the most suitable environment for myself. 

Could you tell us about your current role and what you find most interesting about it?

What I have found the most interesting about working in employment law is the wide variety of claims that are brought to the Employment Tribunal. Mainly, I have enjoyed working with companies and providing them with the best possible support.

Whether it be an Early Conciliation matter or an Employment Tribunal matter, I have typically enjoyed communicating with clients to further understand their case and establish a rapport.

Following this, I have reviewed the legal issues surrounding their case and have then informed the client of the strengths and weaknesses of their case. Where the client has a reasonable prospect of successfully defending their claim, I have mainly enjoyed ensuring that they are well prepared for the Final Hearing and what they should expect. Assisting companies through the Tribunal process has been a wholly beneficial experience. 

What advice would you give to those looking to get into paralegal work?

As a paralegal, it is important to ensure that you understand the importance of continuously developing your skill-set. You will be required to possess sound organisation and communication skills, all whilst continuing to further understand the area of law you are working in. The skills you develop as a paralegal will greatly assist you in your legal career.  

Additional Resources:

• Hire now - want to take on some top quality interim legal professionals like Asad? Check out our ‘hire’ page today to find the paralegals and lawyers you need to ease your team’s workload.
• How we've supported Emerald Publishing with interim lawyers - perhaps Asad’s experiences have got you wondering what interim legal resourcing could do for your team? Take a look at this case study, where we break down how we supported Emerald Publishing with interim lawyers.
• Apply to be a Flex Paralegal - interested in what the world of interim paralegal work could look like for you? Well look no further! Click here to learn more and perhaps even apply.