Zakia Wafa, a third-year student on the LLB Law degree, will start her training with Linklaters in 2024 and will be based at their London office.

The training contract lasts for two years, during which time Zakia will have the opportunity to sit in four different departments at the firm for six-month periods – a process to help trainees identify the legal specialism in which they wish to practice full-time, post-qualification.

A member of the so-called ‘Magic Circle’ of elite London-headquartered law firms, Linklaters has offices in more than 20 countries worldwide.

Zakia commented: “I am very excited to start my career as a commercial lawyer. Throughout my degree, I had great support from the Law lecturers at the University of Bedfordshire, in particular Chris Dixon who was also my personal tutor.”

During her time at the University, Zakia has been involved in a number of co-curricular activities, including volunteering for work placements with local solicitor’s firms, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, and assisting with the University’s own student-led Law Clinic.

Chris Dixon, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Bedfordshire’s Business School, said: “Zakia has been an outstanding student. Not only has she consistently achieved exceptional grades at the highest level but she has at the same time developed her employability throughout the years of her degree course.

“Zakia is a very capable and intelligent young lady who fully and enthusiastically engaged with her lecturers and peers in whatever Law subject she was studying and always with a very positive and friendly attitude. She has been a role model for Law students in the years below her. To secure a Training Contract with Linklaters is truly wonderful. A delight to teach, I wish her every success in the years ahead as she progresses to become a professional lawyer.” 

For more information about studying Law at the University of Bedfordshire, visit the Business School’s department of Law & Finance.