Core Legal Skills
Legal research, professional drafting, case-file management, evidence review, chronology preparation, client communication, document organisation, confidentiality and Microsoft Office.
LLB Law Student · Placement Paralegal
Shahriar Ahmed Shakir
A motivated and detail-oriented law student at the University of Hertfordshire, working voluntarily as a paralegal at Imran & Co Solicitors since May 2024 and undertaking a formal placement year there from September 2025 to August 2026, developing practical legal experience across immigration, civil litigation, employment, family, housing, welfare and regulatory matters.
Professional Profile
Combining legal study with practical experience
My placement has enabled me to apply legal principles to live matters, improve my research and drafting, organise complex evidence, communicate professionally with clients and work effectively to strict deadlines.
Career Focus
I am working towards a career at the Bar, with a particular interest in public and administrative law and the planning and environmental practice connected to it. My placement has given me hands-on exposure to appeals, Administrative Review, Pre-Action Protocol correspondence and Judicial Review — the process of testing whether the decisions of public bodies are lawful.
Work Experience
Placement Paralegal
Ongoing voluntary paralegal experience since May 2024, together with a formal University of Hertfordshire placement year from September 2025 to August 2026. All work is described in general terms; no confidential client information is disclosed.
May 2024 — Present
Imran & Co Solicitors
- Continue to gain practical experience by supporting solicitors and fee earners across a broad legal caseload.
- Conduct legal and factual research using legislation, case law, procedural guidance and reliable secondary sources.
- Assist with legal drafting, professional correspondence, attendance notes, chronologies, case summaries and witness-statement material.
- Review and organise supporting evidence, maintain accurate case files, paginate documents and monitor deadlines.
- Communicate professionally with clients, counsel, public authorities and third parties while maintaining confidentiality.
Sep 2025 — Aug 2026
Imran & Co Solicitors
- Undertake a formal university placement year as part of the LLB degree at the University of Hertfordshire.
- Support matters across immigration, civil litigation, employment, family, housing, welfare benefits and regulatory work.
- Assist with Administrative Review, immigration appeals, Pre-Action Protocol correspondence and Judicial Review-related case preparation.
- Prepare and organise client-care documents, evidence bundles, legal representations and case-management materials under supervision.
- Develop professional skills in legal research, drafting, client communication, deadline management and ethical practice.
Placement Work Areas
Broad practical exposure
My placement has given me experience across the areas below, grouped by field. I have found the public and administrative law work — challenging the decisions of public bodies — the most engaging.
Public & Administrative Law
Judicial Review
Pre-Action Protocol
Administrative Review
Immigration Appeals (FtT & UT & CoA)
Deportation
Detention
Immigration
Entry Clearance — Partner
Entry Clearance — Visitor
Skilled Worker & Graduate Routes
FLR, Settlement & Naturalisation
Asylum
Fee Waivers & Change of Conditions
Sponsor Licences
Right of Abode & British Passports
Domestic Violence (Immigration)
Family
Child Arrangements
Divorce
Domestic Violence
Other Civil Matters
Civil Litigation
Employment
Housing
Welfare Benefits
Regulatory
Education & Development
Academic and professional growth
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
University of Hertfordshire
September 2023 — September 2027
Essential Skills for Practice — Conducting Legal Research
The Law Society · Foundation Learning Track
Recharge — Confidence Building
The Law Society · Foundation Learning Track
Working Flexibly and Developing a Portfolio Career
The Law Society · Foundation Learning Track
Working Flexibly as a Consultant
The Law Society · Foundation Learning Track
Legal Interests & Commentary
Reading and writing on public law
Alongside my placement I follow developments in public, administrative and immigration law. Below is a short note, in my own words, on a reported and publicly available Court of Appeal decision that interests me.
IA & Ors v SSHD [2025] EWCA Civ 1516
This appeal arose from a Palestinian family of six in Gaza who applied for entry clearance outside the Immigration Rules to join a relative settled in the UK. Their applications were refused and their appeals dismissed by the First-tier Tribunal. The Court of Appeal clarified the test for establishing "family life" between adult relatives under Article 8 ECHR, reaffirming the principle in Kugathas v SSHD [2003] EWCA Civ 31 that more than normal emotional ties — real, committed or effective support, or additional elements of dependence — must be shown. It also considered when the State owes obligations to people outside its territory, and stressed that considerable weight must be given to the Home Secretary's immigration policy when assessing proportionality. The Secretary of State's appeal succeeded. I find the case interesting because it sits at the pressure point between individual human-rights protection and the executive's control of immigration policy, and shows how the appellate courts calibrate that balance.
Let’s connect
I welcome opportunities to continue developing my legal knowledge, advocacy, research and litigation experience.