Pak student features in top five future UK lawyers list

LONDON: A Pakistani undergraduate law student has featured in top 5 future lawyers of the United Kingdom.

Raza Nazar, who is a student of London School of Economics (LSE) Law School and hails from Karachi, has emerged in the top 5 list of Bright Network Future Lawyers Top 100 and shares the place with two law students at University of Oxford, one from University of Cambridge and another from University of Bristol.

Speaking to this correspondent, Raza Nazar said: "I had to submit my CV during the selection process which gave me an opportunity to share my published work and international projects that I have been involved in. It is an honour but also a feeling of gratitude. I started my academic journey in Bay View High School as a child in Karachi, Pakistan. Since then it has been 13 years, and this highlight would not have been possible without the teachers and mentors who inspired me along the way, especially during my formative years."

Every year Bright Network Future Lawyers Top 100 connects the brightest 100 law students in the United Kingdom with world’s leading law firms. For 2016-17, the calibre of attendees was incredibly high, with five future lawyers picked out as the "Ones to Watch”.

Raza Nazar is about to start his final year at LSE, having achieved a 1.1 in his second year and 42/45 in the IB. He has completed internships with leading international law firms including Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Hogan Lovells, Herbert Smith Freehills and Berwin Leighton Paisner. Raza's written work has been published by various policy institutes.

Last month, Raza Nazar decided to accept his training contract offer with Slaughter and May, one of the most prestigious law firms in the world. These firms are generally regarded as being the most prestigious law firms headquartered in UK, and consistently have among the highest earnings per-partner and earnings per-lawyer of UK-headquartered law firms. Raza Nazar plans to pursue a Masters in Law before commencing his training at the firm.

Raza Nazar explained about his recent achievements: "I would recommend that aspiring professionals take leadership in projects that are outstanding yet sustainable. Time has been a precious asset for me and I have been keen to spend it on worthwhile projects wherever I can. Taking a disciplined approach has been important for me. For the benefit of aspiring UK lawyers, I recently wrote my "success story" on how I was able to achieve this feat, published by Bright Network.”

Raza Nazar is also the president of the LSE’s Student Union of Law Society -- the first Pakistani to be elected in the society's history. Raza Nazar obtained his education at the Karachi Grammar School before he went on to gain an international baccalaureate diploma from the United World College in Singapore. 

About his future plans, Raza Nazar said: “In UK, I am dedicating my time to help talented children in Pakistan get an outstanding legal education. There is so much potential in our youth and I have seen this first-hand, having spent time at three different schools in Karachi. This will mainly be for the students who plan to return to Pakistan and contribute to it, as I myself aspire to return and help bring about administrative improvement in the country. I spend much of my time thinking about what constitutional forms would help Pakistan prosper most efficiently, and make constant comparisons with theories I am studying here. As I have been given so many opportunities, I feel that I have a corresponding moral obligation to give back.”