Darion
Smalls

Background Information

I’m originally from Brookly, NY, but have lived in a fair few places in and outside of the US. My first degree was a Bachelor of Science in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University. I went through a fairly popular American experience at university, joining a fraternity, which formed my community for four years.

After graduating, I worked for the State of Florida, in the Guardian ad Litem Programme. This was my first exposure to report writing, responding to court processes and conducting legal research.

I knew I wanted to be a barrister because of how my grandmother beamed at the idea of me becoming one. Beyond that, I have always hated injustice. Some of my earliest memories are my mum being treated differently because she is mixed-raced, and hearing about the history of injustice in the US towards various racial and ethnic groups. Over time, I’ve been more interested in economic mobility and the law’s role in facilitation (or hindering) that mobility, so my focus has shifted towards commercial and intellectual property law.

When searching online for law courses, NTU stood out to me, as it has the best reputation for distance learning programmes.

Nottingham Law School

I’ve found the teaching at NLS to be top notch. The minute that I sat in those classes I loved everything that I was hearing. I’ve had the unique opportunity to study in two countries, and found that generally in the US, a lot of what course instructors were looking for was the "right" answer. There wasn't a lot in the way of extension or debate. This is almost the exact opposite of instruction at NLS. Although memorising information plays a part, if you want to excel at NLS you have to really live and breathe the material, to dive deeper. My best grades have come with my willingness to do that. On balance, a greater number of my instructors at NLS have inspired me to be more introspective.

I was part of a cohort of Distance Learning students, and we created a supportive community. I was able to find accommodation through them, and the systems we set up as Distance Learning students really helped me integrate.

Another reason I chose NTU was the option to get practical experience. The opportunity that students spoke most highly of was the school’s regulated firm, NLS Legal.

Introduction to NLS Legal

While 2020-2021 was a rough year for everyone, it represented a convergence of opportunity. The world had been effectively shut down which meant that businesses (including NLS Legal) had to rethink how to continue their offerings at least partially online. As a result, distance learning students had the opportunity to volunteer. The summer after my first year, I was granted the opportunity to work on my first case. The case was a fairly straightforward legal case, my involvement was largely centred around an attendance note and some preliminary research. I enjoyed the client interaction, loved the legal research, and found the feedback that I received immediately valuable.

When the call for volunteers for the 2021 – 2022 academic year opened, I made it a point to apply as quickly as possible. This time it was an employment law opportunity. I found that the enjoyment I got from helping didn’t dim at all and again, the feedback that I received was immediately valuable.

The 2021-2022 academic year, I decided to move to the UK. The only guidance I had from others on my cohort were places to live in Nottingham. With no credit, no work experience in the UK, and no friends in the Nottingham area, I was overwhelmed fairly quickly in trying to find a place to live. Once I had my student ID in hand, the first building I visited was Chaucer and came right to NLS Legal to introduce myself in person. The first person I met smiled, was friendly, and perhaps most importantly to me, knew who I was from our interactions online. It was just the breath of fresh air that I needed just to feel seen in Nottingham and at NTU.