A west Belfast solicitor has revealed how growing up during the Troubles inspired her to pursue a career in Law.
Geraldine Stephens grew up in Twinbrook which she has described as an area, “blighted by high unemployment, deprivation and suicide.”
“I remember watching some war footage on TV and I said to my mum ‘imagine living through a war’ and she said, ‘Geraldine we do but you just don’t realise it.’”
“And when I think about it one of my earliest memories was being forced to leave the cinema because a bomb had been planted nearby - which is mad to say but it’s just what you were used to.”
Geraldine also recalls seeing a local girl whose sister was accused of joyriding being tied to a lamp post and “tarred and feathered,” while another neighbour suffered a paramilitary-style attack at the hands of the IRA.
“You just don’t know any different when you’re living through it.
“I have a four-year-old and a seven-year-old now and when I think about my childhood it’s difficult to comprehend that is the environment I grew up in because it’s so far removed from what my children’s life is like.”
However, despite growing up against this turbulent backdrop a trip to the cinema in 1994 inspired Geraldine to become “a voice for the vulnerable.”
“I went to see In the Name of the Father in the cinema and that’s really where the inspiration came from,” she said.
Based on the true story of the Guildford Four and Gerry Conlon’s 15-year struggle to clear his father’s name, Geraldine described watching the film as a “pivotal moment in (her) life.”
“Seeing Emma Thompson’s character fight so hard for justice really sparked something in me.
“I think a lot of children grow up wanting to do or be something that’s going to make a change and because I’d grown up hearing and witnessing all these injustices, I decided that I was going to be Emma Thompson – I was going to be a lawyer.”
After attending St. Louise’s Comprehensive College and achieving good grades, Geraldine went on to study Law at Queen’s University Belfast.
“When I started university in 2001 it was quite an overwhelming experience,” she confessed.
“I didn’t know that many people and I was living at home so I never really felt like I integrated properly.
“My parents couldn’t pay for my fees and I was only able to attend university with the assistance of grants and bursaries.
“But had it not been for their love, support and constant encouragement, I would probably never have left Belfast or pursued a career in law.”
After three years of hard work and determination, Geraldine graduated with a 2:1 but found herself at “a career crossroads.”
“To become a solicitor in Northern Ireland you needed to attend the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, which provides a one-year postgraduate course for trainee barristers and solicitors,” she explained.
“You are required to find a law firm to take you on while you study but I had no connections and no network to help me.
“So instead I ended up moving away from home to Chester to undertake the University of Law’s Legal Practice Course.”
Geraldine secured her first job in law as a paralegal in 2006 and progressed at two more law firms before joining Clarke Willmott in 2019. She now works in commercial litigation in the firm’s Manchester office.
“Clarke Willmott is the best law firm I’ve ever worked for.
“They’re huge on improving social mobility which is something I’m also really passionate about.”
Social mobility is the belief that a person’s occupation or income is impacted or influenced by that of their parents.
“Unfortunately where you come from, the school or university you went to and what your parents do has a massive impact on your career and life chances,” said Geraldine.
“But what we’re trying to do at Clarke Willmott is improve social mobility by firstly raising awareness of it and by changing the way we recruit so that we can open doors for more people from different backgrounds.”
Geraldine was also “recommended” in this year’s Legal 500 guide which ranks law firms and individual legal professionals based on research and analysis.
“It was really lovely to be recognised in that way and it’s a real testament to the supportive environment that Clarke Willmott creates and how much they champion their staff which is amazing,” she said.
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Looking ahead Geraldine said her main goal for the future is to be made a partner at the firm and continue to find ways to improve social mobility.
“The UK as a whole is really behind in relation to social mobility and there’s so much scope to make it better so I’d really love to be instrumental in bringing about change in that area.”
