Sakarias Lankinen

Originally from Finland, I moved to the UK in 2020 to start a life with my wife and study LLB (Hons) Law and, subsequently, Master of Laws including Legal Practice at UCLan.

In my undergraduate degree I achieved First Class Honours and was placed on the Dean’s List for Outstanding Academic Achievement. I then participated in the Summer Vacation Scheme at the School of Justice, where I experienced a working legal practice, gained insights into document preparation and caseload management, and presented to Napthens’ Head of Learning and Development on the developing use of AI in the sector.

During my Masters course - which included the Legal Practice Course (LPC) qualification - I studied modules in (amongst many other topics) Litigation, Practical Legal Research, Drafting, Legal Writing, and Professional Conduct and Regulation. I graduated from the Masters course in December 2024.

I am proficient in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel, and hold a Microsoft Security Essentials Professional Certificate.

I am passionate about beginning a career in legal practice and learning from experienced professionals in this area. I possess excellent workload planning skills, developed over the four years of my degrees, where there was a complex schedule of submission dates and exams. During this time, I also developed meticulous analytical and research skills, using both Westlaw and Lexis Law Library. I have excellent written and verbal skills, as evidenced by my academic attainment.

I benefitted from the outstanding education system in my home country, where I attained exemplary grades and won an award for my performance in the subject History, at equivalent A-level. I am also tri-lingual, being fluent in both Swedish and Finnish.

I then undertook twelve months service in the army, during which I was promoted to Corporal, where I developed a number of transferrable skills, such as self-motivation; meticulous organisation; discipline; and stamina.

Shortly thereafter I attended Perho culinary school which instilled in me a hard-working mentality. A commercial kitchen is a busy, high-pressure environment, so I also learnt how to work calmly and efficiently when issued with deadlines.

After graduating from culinary school, I worked as a manager in a bar. During this time, I had to become familiar with the ever-changing landscape of Finnish Alcohol Legislation, which is where my first interest in the Law as a subject began. In addition to this insight into business and legislation this role gave me exceptional time-keeping skills, as I had to manage a number of staff and a large inventory. The customer-facing side of the job helped me to develop patience; tolerance of different viewpoints and opinions; and communication skills with a diverse variety of people.

During the undertaking of my degrees I have been working at Aldi, where I work often in a team but also independently, and have on numerous occasions been praised for my work ethic.

All of the above experience, combined with my studies, where I have given team presentations and participated in moot court simulations, have helped me to develop excellent team-working skills. My decision to study Law in England is exemplary of my determination, attitude to flexibility, and ability to adapt. I have immersed myself in my studies, where I have gained in-depth knowledge of several sectors of the legal profession, though I am keen to develop these skills further.

My hobbies include playing drums, which I have done since the age of five, and cooking. Being a Finn, I am also partial to a sauna! I hold a full EU driving licence, and have the right to work in the UK.

Microsoft Security Essentials Professional Certificate