Adam Gould graduated with a degree in Law. We caught up with Adam to discuss his work in the legal sector and his experience of ‘mooting’ at the University of Salford.

Photo of Adam Gould
Photo of Adam Gould. Photography – Jason Lawton (via Nick Harrison)

Now that you’ve graduated, what area of work are you in?

I’m a self-employed barrister. I practice predominantly in personal injury, commercial and employment law, which basically sees me go to court here, there and everywhere, and argue on behalf of my clients.

How did you get to the position you’re now in?

After graduating from the University of Salford I went to Manchester to study the bar professional training course. After that, I worked on a case for a firm called Tandem Law. It was a reparations case known as the Mau Mau litigation, and it was in the High Court at the time. After several years of applying I secured a pupillage in Leeds, which is a 12-month training provision. After that, I got tenancy in the chambers where I’m currently based. 

What was the highlight of your time at Salford?

My highlight was winning the national mooting competition. It was a long, full-on day from nine to five with back-to-back mooting. I came out on top, which I was very happy about.

There was a mooting module on my course and also a mooting society. Through that, I was able to develop my skills as an advocate. Before I started mooting, I wouldn’t have been able to speak in front of a room of two people, much less in front of a judge with an opponent and a client present, so I think that Salford really helped me to come out of my shell and become the confident barrister that I am today.

What from your studies is relevant to your job now?

The main thing I learned at university, which I now apply to practice, is legal research. When you’re a junior barrister every day is different but the starting point is always finding out what the answer is. And of course, to find the answer I need to know where to look for the answer. So knowing exactly where to find answers, how digest them and apply the law has been really helpful to my legal practice.

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