Shannon Thompson
Host Organisation: Shelter – Manchester
I am a passionate Trainee Solicitor from Scotland. I completed my LLB Law degree in 2018 at Liverpool John Moores University, throughout which I elected modules that reflected an interest in social justice. In addition, I chaired the university’s Student Group for Animal Lawyers. In 2020 I completed my Master of Laws in Legal Practice. Through my research I explored the extent to which human rights should be extended to include non-human sentient beings and persons, in an effort to create a global and holistic rights-based framework.
Outside of my studies I have tried my best to gain the experience required to prepare me for a career in social justice. Following my LLB I spent a year in South Australia where I volunteered with Justice Net SA. During this time, I assisted disadvantaged and low-income South Australians experiencing civil law issues. Whilst completing my LPC LLM I volunteered with the Freedom Law Clinic as a postgraduate researcher where I enjoyed the opportunity of hands-on experience in projects such as: The Miscarriages of Justice pro bono programme and a Race and Policing Home and Abroad Research project.
Upon completing my LPC LLM I worked as a paralegal within the Clinical Negligence department at Slater and Gordon Lawyers. This opportunity allowed me to work within a team of passionate lawyers who taught me how to put the skills gained throughout my studies into practice.
Ultimately it has always been clear to me that I want not only to practice the law but to understand and contribute to social change. I hope to achieve this through campaigning for legislation which redefines the standard of life experienced by all within society. I am therefore grateful for the opportunity to join Shelter as a Trainee Solicitor, join them in their fight against homelessness and help tackle the ongoing housing crisis.
Project
Together with Erin Stanbury, a fellow Trainee Solicitor at Shelter, we will be compiling a report which will seek to explore the educational impacts on children living in temporary accommodation in the Greater Manchester area.
The report will demonstrate that by placing children in unsuitable temporary accommodation, where they have limited access to basic resources such as space and learning materials, these children fall victim to circumstances which ultimately reduce their chances of educational attainment.
It is hoped that by learning from the lived experience of those within temporary accommodation, we can propose a strategy which facilitates an end to the use of unsuitable temporary accommodation as a long-term solution.
