Growing up, my mum was my role model

Hello, I’m Jade Quirke (she/her) an Associate at Russell-Cooke in the Children & Education Law team.

When I was younger my mum will tell you that I was always very sure that I wanted to be a solicitor when I grew up. Sounds like a cliché but it’s true although there was a small part of me that wondered about a possible post office career – I loved my plastic till, stamps and envelopes.

Born to young, separated parents in a low income family, you could say the odds of achieving my legal dreams weren’t entirely in my favour. But what’s life without a challenge!

Growing up, my mum was my role model. She worked tirelessly juggling her University degree and a part time job. In between, she and my grandmothers (who are very special and important women in my life) dedicated their spare time to helping my sister and I with our homework and ferrying us back and forth to our numerous extra-curricular activities.

When I saw my mum graduate as a teenager and qualify as a Speech and Language Therapist, it was a very proud and special moment. It taught me that no matter what, you can achieve your dreams if you work hard and most importantly, you are genuine and kind. Treat others how you would like to be treated she has always told us.

I suppose the opening line of this blog is a bit of a spoiler as you know that I ended up achieving my goal of becoming a solicitor. But that wasn’t without hard work and most importantly the support of several powerful, confident and successful women in my life. So thank you to my family and all the amazing female and non-binary colleagues I have worked with in the past and the fantastically talented and supportive women I work with currently– you rock!

So I look back at my younger determined self and smile. Little did I know that same person, playing with her plastic till, coins and envelopes would be an Associate Solicitor specialising in children, fertility and adoption law.