Surrey Junior Lawyers Division

Surrey Junior Lawyers Division

It has been a fantastic start to the Surrey Junior Lawyers Division’s new term! We have started as we mean to go on: with a busy, exciting and jam-packed schedule! 

Our Chosen Charity 

We are delighted to announce that the SJLD’s chosen charity of the year is the Grace Dear Trust.  The Grace Dear Trust is a Surrey-based mental health charity set up by Grace Dear’s family after losing their daughter and sister, Grace, to suicide, only aged 27. The charity aims to help save the lives of other young people suffering from mental health issues. Working with a number of local schools, the charity raises awareness of mental health to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health and encourage more people to speak openly about their feelings no matter how big or small.  

We’re delighted to work with the Grace Dear Trust and look forward to helping them throughout 2025.

The SJLD Annual Christmas Quiz 

December's festive cheer was in full swing at the SJLD's Christmas Quiz which was kindly sponsored by Guildford Chambers. Quizmaster Simon Morris (of Guildford Chambers) served up a delightful mix of questions that had everyone from junior lawyers to sixth formers (shout out to the Farnborough College attendees!) scratching their heads. Who knew Surrey was the most wooded county in England?!

The event wasn't just a battle of wits and IQ; ticket sales and raffles raised a fantastic £430 for the Grace Dear Trust, supporting their vital mental health work with Surrey's youth.

In addition to raising money for charity, the quiz allowed our members to network with other junior lawyers in a comfortable and informal environment (assisted by festivities, pizza and drink). Thank you, Guildford Chambers, for assisting with a brilliant event. 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

In 2024, the tech industry's wave of DE&I team layoffs (Zoom, Microsoft, Google, Meta) prompted the SJLD to spotlight DE&I's importance in the legal sector during our inaugural webinar of our new term. Our panel speakers, Amandeep Khasriya, Shivi Rajput, Farah Khalid and Jeevan Athwal, gave an excellent insight into why DE&I remains crucial in the legal market. 

The discussion touched on the necessity for law firms to embody the principles of DE&I authentically and not just ‘talk the talk’. Our speakers highlighted that it was crucial law firms move beyond performative gestures to ensure DE&I is reflected in the actual day-to-day workings of law firms. 

Our panellists’ personal narratives provided an insight into the complexities of navigating a legal career while balancing cultural, religious and caregiving responsibilities. Our panellists spoke honestly and openly about real-life issues and shared strategies to move diversity and inclusion forward, proving that robust, actionable DE&I policies are not just beneficial for those it helps directly but essential for the legal industry's continued success. 

Thank you not only to our panellists for their contributions, but also to Akarsshaa Bhargava (Universities & College Representative) for her excellent hosting of the webinar. 

Did somebody say Masquerade Ball?!

Yes. Us. 

Postpone the family dinner, cancel the holiday, reschedule the important Teams meeting because there is only one date you need to worry about: Thursday 6 February 2025.  

Dust off the tux, throw on the dress and get yourself to Weybourne House, Guildford. We’re hosting our third Annual Gala and it’s going to be

a ball - a masquerade ball, to be exact.  Points will be awarded to the guest with the best mask and we all know: Points. Means. Prizes. 

This year’s Gala is sure to be an unforgettable evening of socialising, live music, entertainment, fine dining, and more!  As always, we’ll be raising money for our chosen charity, the Grace Dear Trust, and giving our members a valuable opportunity to network with other local juniors and professionals in their industry. 

Join us for a night to remember and secure your tickets now, starting at just £56.99 (plus Eventbrite fees). There is (quite literally) a limited number of tickets available this year so buy yours now before it sells out. 

We are looking forward to the Annual Gala and if you would like to sponsor this year’s event and have the opportunity of getting your firm/company’s name out there to a huge number of junior lawyers in the Surrey area, then please do get in touch at surreyjuniorlawyersdivision@gmail.com. 

Step aside, Jaguar

If the past few months of news have shown us anything, it is that a rebrand can be far from straightforward. Thankfully, in the capable hands of our Digital Marketing Representative, Bethany Catchpole, the SJLD has pulled off a rebrand that the marketing team at Jaguar could only have dreamt of doing.

Learning from the mistakes of the car giant, we’ve kept our logo simple, we’ve stuck with green and kept the iconic stag, synonymous with Surrey. Keep an eye out for the new logo at our events!

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming you at our next event. Bring on 2025! 

By Alex Watson-Lee,

Chair, Surrey Junior Lawyers Division