Contributors to In Brief

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	Contributors to In Brief
	A number of different writers regularly write articles for In Brief. They include a wide range of individuals, each with different expertise to bring to In Brief. Our writers include practising solicitors and barristers. The following people have written for In Brief: Vidan Hadzi-Vidanovic LLB (Hons) LLM Vidan graduated at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law and commenced his career at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, one of the leading European academic institutions in the field of human rights and international law. He moved to England in 2007, and completed his Masters studies at the University of Nottingham School of Law where he is currently writing his doctorate. He was a holder of a prestigious Chevening Scholarship and he is currently a holder of two additional scholarships. Vidan published several books, brochures and articles in the field of international law and human rights. As a member of the Belgrade Centre’s litigation team, he acted as a co-counsel in several cases before the European Court of Human Rights. He is also a research assistant at the University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre. Vidan is particularly interested in human rights law, humanitarian law and international criminal law. He is also experienced in immigration and refugee law, criminal law, mental disability and guardianship law, employment and social security law. Karen Nicholls LLB (Hons) Karen has worked in the criminal law for over 21 years and recently completed a law degree coupled with the Legal Practice Course at Birmingham City University. She obtained a 2:1 law degree and a distinction on the LPC. Karen worked as both a Crown Court caseworker and Magistrates Court advocate in the Crown Prosecution Service and has an in-depth knowledge of the criminal justice system. Karen currently prosecute cases in the Magistrates Court and deals with all first hearing cases ranging from murder to driving offences. She presents cases to the magistrates which in terms of guilty pleas involves opening the facts and pointing out relevant convictions and current court orders as well as addressing sentencing guidelines. In terms of not guilty pleas she would deal with mode of trial and depending on the determination of the court fix for trial or send/commit the case to Crown Court. Karen also prosecutes contested bail applications, breach of bail, exceptional hardship and removal of disqualification hearings. She regularly cross examines defendants and witnesses in relation to these hearings. Alex Greaves LLB (Hons); Post Dip in Legal Practice Alex graduated with a degree in Law in 1995 and then went on to complete the Legal Practice Course in 1996. Alex then spent over 10 years working as a lawyer for two of the country’s leading law firms and has also worked as a locum lawyer. Alex specializes in Commercial Litigation. Steven Harry Thomas Micklewright LLB (Hons) Having graduated with a 1st class degree in law from the University of Wolverhampton, Steven went onto complete his Postgraduate Diploma in Bar Vocational Studies (Bar Finals) at the College of Law in Birmingham. Having completed his BVC, he was called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in October 2009 and he is currently completing a LLM in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Birmingham. Steven specializes in crime including regulatory, motoring, human rights and international criminal law, with a keen interest in war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. In practice, Steven works as a legal advisor for a progressive chain of funeral directors advising on a wide range of issues such as employment, health and safety, contracts, debt recovery and regulatory procedures relevant to the funeral trade specifically. Christopher Bleakley LLB (Hons) Christopher graduated in law in 1998 from Manchester Metropolitan University. After 12 months’ volunteering for the Citizens Advice Bureau, Christopher moved to Prague where for the last six years he has been a support lawyer for a major Czech-origin law firm. Christopher is also a legal advisor to a not-for-profit Czech cultural exchange program and assists a Czech translation company with translations of legal documents from Czech to English. He has also lectured on elements of English law at the Charles University in Prague. Thomasina Newsholme LLB (Hons) Thomasina Newsholme graduated from Exeter University with a law degree. She is currently studying on a full time Legal Practice Course at UWE in Bristol and will be graduating in August 2010. She is passionate about the subject of law and has accumulated a great amount of legal knowledge from text books and papers. Thomasina has been a brand manager while at UWE. She is also a student member of the solicitors’ regulation authority and intends to practise as a solicitor upon graduation. Thomasina enjoys sport and was a member of the first lacrosse team while at Malvern College. She also enjoys dancing and has been taught tap, ballet and modern dance lessons from a young age. One of her favourite pastimes is reading books by Robert Harris. Thomasina is a popular young woman who enjoys the respect of those with whom she works. While at Malvern College she was voted as a head of her house by her peers Emily Drea LLB (Hons) Emily graduated from the University of Manchester in 2005 with a 2:1 in Law. She then went on to complete her LPC at Nottingham Law School, where she achieved a commendation. Upon qualifying as a solicitor at DLA Piper in London, which included a secondment to ITV, Emily has gained 10 months post qualification experience working within a corporate/commercial department at a firm which predominately works for the NHS. She has also had the benefit of being seconded to the Social Enterprise Unit at the Department of Health. Nahied Asjad LLB (Hons) LLM Nahied is an experienced Crown Advocate and has worked for the CPS since qualifying as a Solicitor in 2002 and transferred to the Bar in 2007. She has prosecuted in all courts, including the Magistrates Court and the Youth Court and currently works as a Crown Court advocate, dealing with serious offences. Nahied is a trained Pre-Trial Witness Interviewer and Proceeds of Crime Specialist and was the lead lawyer in the largest money laundering case in Leicester leading to a £5Million confiscation order. Nahied reviews offences at the police station and decides upon charge and prepares cases in the office and makes decisions as to whether or not to prosecute. Pamela P. Azicate G.Inst.Lex Pamela graduated from ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives), specializing in Wills and Probate. She is a graduate of the University of the Philippines majoring in History with a minor in Political Science. She was previously the Operations Director for a Social Science research company in the Philippines. Her voluntary work placements exposed her to criminal law and personal injury but felt that Wills and Probate was her calling. She is currently the Membership secretary for the ILEX Greater Manchester Branch. Celia Rasbach LLB (Hons) Celia spent from 1985 to 1999 practising law in Toronto and this including a decade working at the Canadian Department of Justice. Between 1999 and 2001 she practiced law in the Turks and Caicos Islands as Senior Crown Counsel. She is an experienced Canadian barrister and solicitor who has lived in Britain for 5 years. During her time in the UK she acquired an extensive knowledge of English law through her work as a teacher of law and business studies. Sarfraz Syed BA (Hons) Sarfraz has a degree in English Literature. He has worked for the regulatory body for solicitors in England & Wales (The Law Society/The Solicitors Regulation Authority) for over six years, where he gained knowledge and experience of regulatory issues affecting the solicitors’ profession and has extensively contributed to reform. Nia Elizabeth Godsmark BSc (Hons) MA Nia is a qualified business solicitor working with a range of organisations on business and employment issues. She has a Masters degree in Law and is regularly involved in assisting small businesses during their start up phase with a range of employment, commercial and general business issues. Nia has been practising for several years in a number of Law firms across South and West Wales. She has gained extensive experience in all areas of business law including both contentious and non-contentious employment law. She is a fluent Welsh speak whose hobbies include riding and long distance running. In addition to her legal work, she is a partner in a company offering translation services. She is also a former member of Great Britain Under 21 Polo squad. Hazem Edmond Abu-Ghazaleh LLB (Hons) Hazem completed his LLB (hons) Law at Bournemouth University, and went on to achieve a grade of 'Very Competent' for the BVC at the College of Law in Bloomsbury, London. Following this, Hazem was called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in November 2009. His expertise is primarily in the areas of criminal law and human rights. Hazem has demonstrated his academic excellence through consistently high achievement in LLB coursework, and was awarded the highest mark in the year for Advanced Criminal Litigation during the BVC. Hazem has previously worked as a Team Leader at a Crown Court, and as part of a legal team at a prestigious Travel company. Maria Chrenkova LLB (Hons) Maria graduated from UWE, Bristol with an honour’s degree in law. She then went on to do her LPC at BPP Law School in London. She has participated in variety of Pro Bono programs advising on Human Rights and Employment law matters. In 2008 Maria assisted lawyers from the pressure group Liberty on Human Rights law. Since 2006 she has been actively involved with the Howard League for Penal Reform in preventing crime and advocating more efficient means of penal treatment. Following her graduation she joined a law firm and also has experience in legal costs drafting. Maria is fluent in four languages and is learning Russian. Maria has also won a number of awards for poetry. In 2007 she obtained the Editors Choice Award from International Library of Poetry and Publication. Three years prior to obtaining this prestigious award Maria obtained an award for poetry in her native Slovakia. Four of her poems were published in Mirrors of Personality, a Slovak book of poetry. Divya Srivastava LLB (Hons) Divya has extensive legal knowledge gained through experience of legal work, not only in UK but across the globe. She is a Law graduate and in the year 2009 she was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn. She has a key interest in Criminal Litigation, Civil Litigation, Human Rights issues, Employment Law and Immigration Law. Jonathan Swindlehurst LLB (Hons) LLM Jonathan graduated from King's College London with a degree in law, he then went on to postgraduate study of law specialising in sports law. Jonathan has worked for both FIFA and the ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board). He recently managed ticket sales at the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009. He is in head of our section on Sports Law. Kobie Jayne Child LLB (Hons) In May 2009 Kobie was given Admission to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales. This was after a career as a lawyer in Australia where she had roles ranging from dealing with Immigration and human rights to dealing with offshore companies and property. She is now working as a Solicitor in Maidenhead, England. Joelle Wahnon LLB (Hons) A former president of the Gibraltar Student Law Society and University of Leeds law graduate, Joelle Wahnon took the Bar Vocation Course (BVC) in Bristol. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2009. Joelle is former colleague of Gibraltar’s Minister of Justice, Daniel Feetham, who describes her as being both hard working and intelligent. She speaks fluent Spanish as well as basic Russian and was captain of Gibraltar’s international basketball team. Joelle is also a former writer for the Gibraltar Chronicle. Saima Haq BA.LLB (Hons) Samia has extensive legal experience in addition to her formal qualifications which include a bachelor’s degree in English, a law degree, and the Bar Vocational Course. She specializes in in Debt and Mental Health issues. Stefan de Beer BA. LLB (Hons) Stefan is a British Citizen who was brought up in South Africa and was made Head Prefect while at school in the country. He later went to university in South Africa. In 1994 Stefan graduated from Rhodes University, South Africa with a degree in English literature. Ten years later he would finish his second degree at the University of South Africa – a Bachelor of Laws Degree – which was completed part-time through correspondence whilst working in full-time employment as a fee-earning Paralegal at Rouse Legal, London. He has spent seven years with the intellectual property legal firm Rouse Legal and gained extensive knowledge of this area of law. Other employment includes work as a secondary school English teacher in both the UK and South Africa. In his spare time Stefan enjoys writing, exercising, golf, playing guitar, watching rugby and cricket, cooking, and the outdoors. Stefan has now returned to the UK and lives in West Sussex. Alex Hocking BA (Hons) After achieving straight As in ten GCSEs, Alex took his A levels at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Sixth Form College before studying for a Bachelor of Arts at University College London. Upon concluding his studies he worked as a researcher and writer for Chambers and Partners, working on major legal publications in both the UK and USA. As well as contributing articles to In Brief, Alex occasionally writes for The Big Issue and Sandman magazines. Rona Lucy Lobski LLB (Hons) Rona began her career her legal career over 20 years ago. After completing a law degree at Staffordshire University she spent four and a half years working at as a legal researcher for the LPC. In 1996 she started the Legal Practice Course at Leeds Metropolitan University. This was followed by a period of working as a General Advice Worker at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Ms. Lobski has extensive legal experience and knowledge of many aspects of English law. She has spent seven years working as a Conveyancer. Rona has also written reports for a large firm of solicitors based in York on the following topics: auctions, the right to buy, re-mortgages, equity release, restrictive covenants, adverse possession, boundary disputes, rights of way, deeds of gifts and easement, tenancy agreements, assents, and buying and selling registered and unregistered freehold and leasehold land. Victoria Barrat LLB (Hons) Victoria graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in law. Following this she took a Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in Chester gaining a distinction. She has experience in a wide range of practice areas with a significant bias towards corporate law including general company administration, establishment and winding up of companies, asset finance, assisting with AIM listings and off-shore company structures and general corporate finance. Acting for a wide range of clients including international corporations, banks and owner managed business. Victoria has contributed to 'Legalink Summary of Laws Around the world' with extracts of advice on Manx employment law. She is a qualified dance teacher and plays netball for her local team. Eileen C Menguito LLB. MA As well having a legal background and possessing a post-graduate degree in law, Eileen is also an accomplished writer. She has worked for a number of legal publications and was editor-in-chief of ‘The Communicator’ when the publication was awarded ‘Best University Magazine’ by ‘Penstroke’ in 2003. Eileen received academic recognition for her research into the rights of indigenous peoples. She has seen employment in a range of legal positions and has also been a writer for academic films. In 2007 Eileen was actively involved in the monitoring of the Presidential elections that were being held in the Philippines. She safeguarded the will of the electorate through legal interventions and issuing election documents. Haroon Shafique BA.LLB (Hons) Haroon graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada with a degree in political science and history. When he lived in Canada he served as deputy returning officer during national elections. After working at legal firms around the world including in the United States, the UK, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and in Europe, Haroon decided he wished to pursue a career in law. He then began an law degree at the Cardiff University. Sophie Charara BA (Hons) Sophie graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Classics from King’s College London. This was followed by time spent as an Editorial Intern at the Sunday Times Magazine and Ethical Consumer Magazine. Sophie has a broad range of interests in addition to English law, including the arts, music, current affairs, fashion, and technology. She is also active in campaigning on behalf of Friends of the Earth to local MPs on a range of environmental issues. Sophie currently contributes articles to In Brief and regularly writes for a number of other publications and websites. Rebecca Pearson LLB (Hons) LLM Rebecca completed her education and legal training, consistently ranking amongst the highest academically, and benefited from two prestigious scholarships. Following this she became a member of the civil department of Cobden House Chambers. Her particular interest was in personal injury claims but also undertook a wide range of housing related matters. These included possession claims, injunctions, and unlawful eviction. Rebecca has acted equally for both tenants and landlords. She also has experience in employment, criminal, and commercial law. Rebecca is an experienced barrister who has spent more than a decade at the Bar. Shauna Lewis BA LLB (Hons) LLM Shauna's first degree was in Political Science and History. Following this she studied law at the University of Warwick and is now a qualified barrister. She currently works in the South of England.

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