This opinion column is written by Marilyn Stowe. Marilyn built the largest family law firm in the UK, which she ran from Harrogate. She sold her firm in 2017 to private equity left the law and is now a writer and speaker.

A level results are out. Across Harrogate and surrounding districts there are a high number of  triumphant students. Hats off to them after two nightmare years. However, that might not be the case for every student, not accepted to their university or chosen course, wondering what to do next.

Do not despair! I doubt any student received the curt message I did from my sixth form tutor: “What are you going to do now?”

With poor results I lost my place to read law. It was my own fault. Why work hard? I was always a high achiever without much effort. On this occasion, I learned with a terrible shock. Hard work was required.

I finally obtained a place to read law by the skin of my teeth, at Leeds University, but to start a year later. I gratefully accepted the offer determined never to fail again.

I spent the year working at Boots in Leeds to earn some money, learning to type at night school and then working for my uncle, a criminal law specialist solicitor in Leeds.

I had my eyes opened to a world I had no idea existed. I typed letters to clients, and answered the phone, chatting to clients charged with offences that blew my mind, I went to prisons and met murderers and burglars, rapists and thieves. I met men and women with no chance in life from the get go. I spent a day listening to a woman on remand in prison, who described how she had murdered her baby in temper, repeatedly throwing it against the bedroom ceiling, as it went blind and slowly died. As she spoke, insects fell out of her long unkempt hair on a table between us.

I also assisted clients buying and selling houses, and even (under supervision) drafted their wills.

In a solicitor’s office I saw life in the raw and, as tough as it was, I loved it.

By the time I started university, I had a head start on the green students straight from school who had no idea what might be facing them once outside the cocoon called university. I knew I had found my future career and determined there would be no further slip ups. I flogged myself, then I went to law school to study for my finals, followed by a two year training contract with a solicitor specialising in corporate work, and finally I qualified. On my first day, proud as punch, I learned another hard lesson: no amount of studying can ever beat experience.

I was sent by a junior partner to apply for bail in a criminal case he knew he would lose and I was expendable. I had no clue what to say in front of a packed court of experienced criminal lawyers. All I could do was stand up, say in a terrified voice, “I am instructed to apply for bail” then sit down again, puce with embarrassment. Did it put me off? Short term it did. But law was my hard earned career and nothing was going to stop me. A couple of years later I found my own niche working in family law and never looked back. The stress never stopped but overall my career in law was worth the initial failure, embarrassment and sheer hard work.

So, if you have come up against a road block take heart.  With enough determination you will always get there. Some of my colleagues never went to university and worked in law firms, studying part time. They too made it. Arguably they had the advantage. It was cheaper and they had experience of what they were reading about.

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