law | Alumni blog

Law alum Sabeena Pirooz addressed hundreds of students and their friends and family at graduations in Bristol Beacon this July. Watch or read her speech below – Sabeena explains her numerous hats, her driving passion and gives graduates 5 top tips for success.

My name is Sabeena Pirooz, and I wear several hats. I am a Senior Clinical Negligence Solicitor at Thompsons Solicitors in Bristol, a Director of The Sky Project, a charity that raises awareness of Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Abuse, and I was recently appointed Vice President of Bristol Law Society, with the privilege of soon becoming its President.

It is an absolute honour to stand before you today, and it is wonderful to see such a diverse group of students. In many ways, you represent exactly what I hope the future of the legal profession will look like.

I would like to share a few of my top tips.

1. Find something you are passionate about and drive it forward

I joined The Sky Project during my trainee seat in family law. Whilst I realised that family law itself was not the career path for me, my passion for the charity and its work opened doors I never could have anticipated.

Through that involvement, I met influential people from across the country and developed valuable skills, including public speaking, training and leadership. Those experiences ultimately led to me receiving the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award at the Bristol Law Society Awards and more recently the national Legal Hero Award in 2023.

I do believe that the opportunities that make the biggest difference come from following your passion, even when they sit outside your day job.

2. Find your people – and choose your partner wisely

(I sense my husband squirming in his seat right now!) I am not here to give relationship advice, but I do want to talk about the importance of having the right people around you.

When I became a mother, there were many opportunities I nearly turned down because I worried about how I could manage them alongside family life.

One of them was becoming Vice President of Bristol Law Society. I remember standing there in a mild panic and saying to my husband, “How can I possibly do this with the children?”

His response was simple: “We’ll find a way. Just do it.”

That support gave me the confidence to say yes.

I have been fortunate to have supportive people around me throughout my life. My parents have always championed me—my mum is here today—I still remember her marching into school to ask why I wasn’t on the school netball team! FYI I still play now (and still, not particularly well).

You will need your own support network throughout your career. There will be highs and lows, both professionally and personally, and often the two will overlap. Your friends, family, mentors and colleagues will be the people who celebrate your successes and help lift you back up when things become difficult.

I have known some of my university friends for over twenty years (I know you’re all thinking I don’t look quite old enough!) but they remain some of my biggest supporters. I know there are also excellent lecturers here today who may become part of your professional journey in ways you cannot yet imagine. Remember those who support you—you never know where your paths may cross again.

3. When you reach leadership positions, open doors for others

As you become leaders within your organisations and communities, remember the importance of creating opportunities for others; do not fear those who are different to you.

The legal profession becomes more diverse, more inclusive and stronger when leaders actively support the next generation. The people who opened doors for me have made a lasting difference to my career, and we all have a responsibility to do the same for those who follow.

4. Be authentic

It has taken me time to become comfortable being my authentic self (a shaved head being one of them to my dad’s dismay). Trying to be the person you think others want you to be is exhausting, and ultimately it limits your ability to be the best lawyer—and the best version of yourself—that you can be.

Not every organisation will be the right fit for you, and that is okay. A managing partner once said, “You have to kiss a few frogs before you find the right one.”

When you find an environment where you can be yourself, that is when you will truly thrive.

5. Finally, enjoy the journey

You do not have to follow the same path as anyone else. One of the great things about studying law is that you develop skills that are valuable in countless careers and industries.

Keep learning. Stay curious. Be open to opportunities.

Most importantly, take a moment today to recognise what you have achieved.

Be proud of yourselves. Stand proud. And remember to thank the people who have supported you along the way, because none of us gets here entirely on our own.

Congratulations to each and every one of you, and I wish you every success for the future.

Thank you.

Sabeena on LinkedIn

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Growing up in a small town in Malaysia, for Thanaselan Rajendran studying abroad was out of the question. It was not even dreamt of.

He didn’t grow up with privilege or powerful networks. He lived with his Malaysian Indian family who worked on a plantation estate, where he experienced first-hand the deep structural inequalities in his country.

Thanaselan’s Mum sadly died and he was increasingly unhappy at home. Little did he know that his life would take an unexpected path, and his ambition to change the lives of those left behind would become a reality.

Law at UWE Bristol

After two years of studying law in Malaysia, Thanaselan dared to dream about his future.

“My thinking was simple: you either step forward despite uncertainty, or you stay where you are.”

With the support of a friend, Thanaselan applied to study Law at UWE Bristol, and he arrived in Carrol Court on Frenchay Campus in September 2007.

He settled into his studies and enjoyed Bristol life, but by the end of his degree he knew that carrying on in law was not for him. What his time at UWE Bristol had given him though, was an idea of his potential.

From Malaysia to Sheffield and back

Thanaselan returned to Malaysia and worked for the Prime Minister’s office, where he learned to craft and implement socio-economic policies.

“I witnessed how inclusive policies could transform lives, but how bureaucracy often limited their reach.”

A decade later he found himself at another crossroads, and he chose to return to the UK to study International Public and Political Communication at Sheffield University. He carried new conviction back to Malaysia, but the pandemic struck.

A social entrepreneur is born

Rather than wait for an opportunity, Thanaselan created one. He joined the founding team of social enterprise Pepper Labs. It began as a food business, providing a living for marginalised youth on the edge of Malaysian society.

Today Pepper Labs has grown into a nationally recognised organisation that drives economic empowerment. Their programmes use entrepreneurship, employability and digital literacy to make lasting change to the lives of marginalised people.

Pepper Labs’ latest programming is driving democratisation of AI – delivering locally relevant, multi-lingual education about AI to Malaysian communities. They start by understanding the needs of the community and then works to provide the means for empowerment. It’s about making systems works better for people, which is what it’s always been about for Thanaselan.

Thanaselan returns to Frenchay Campus

We recently found out that Thanaselan was a finalist for ‘Social Action’ in this year’s British Council’s Study UK Alumni Awards, so we got in touch to congratulate him. Last month Thanaselan returned to Frenchay Campus. He met with the School of Computing and Creative Technologies leadership team to talk about ways UWE Bristol might build networks and collaborations with Pepper Labs.

He also delivered a fantastic talk for students on ‘Building inclusive AI’ and found time to visit his old lecture theatre and reminisce about his time in Bristol. We showed him the expanded campus including the new Bristol Business and Law School and Purdown View accommodation where his old Carroll Court flat had stood!

We talked about his career, and I asked what drives him.

“As a child I saw how uneven opportunity can be. The idea of widening opportunity has driven me throughout my career. The next challenge is building impact that endures.”

And so, the determination that drove Thanaselan as a boy is still powering him today.

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