Alumnus of the Month - Jonathan White

Our Alumnus of the Month for June is Jonathan White, who completed his Legal Practice Course (LPC) at De Montfort University in 1997.  He has since gone on to lead a distinguished career in the legal sector, being appointed as the Head of Legal for National Accident Helpline in 2010.  It was here he was heavily involved in what he terms one of his greatest achievements, the at the time unusual move by a law firm to successfully float the company on the London Stock Exchange.

Jonathan began his time in Leicester by studying his undergraduate degree in Politics at the University of Leicester, enjoying the city so much that he decided to return to study his LPC at DMU in 1996 - 1997. Although his enjoyment of living in Leicester initially influenced his choice, Jonathan credits the "great reputation of DMU as a place to study law" and the strength of the Legal Practice programme for his decision to enrol. 

He noted in particular: "The facilities at De Montfort University were great, really modern and up to date.  I found that the staff were not only helpful, but also very down to earth and practically minded, they focused on application of legal practice in the professional environment, not solely theory."

Discussing his decision to move into personal injury law, Jonathan said: "I was motivated by a desire to help as many people as possible and represent consumers to ensure they were getting a fair deal.  I've since worked on issues such as ethical marketing practice, lobbying against nuisance cold calls which affect huge numbers of people every year.  Being committed to maintaining high ethical standards alongside turning a profit continues to motivate me to make constant improvements to our service."

Asked for his advice for current law students, Jonathan was keen to emphasise the following: "You sure ensure your CV is as broad as possible, specialism obviously has its advantages, but having a breadth of knowledge and experience will help you to develop your career.  Your time at university shouldn't solely be about academic success, demonstrate your proactivity by gaining work experience or volunteering to enhance your employability."