"This is a career with real impact": What it's like to be an employment lawyer in the West Midlands
For Neha Thethi “helping people feel heard again” is the most rewarding part of being an employment lawyer.
She offers clarity and practical guidance on a wide range of workplace issues.
Growing up in the Black Country, Neha never planned on becoming a lawyer and says that, in many ways, she fell into it by accident.
A turning point came when she volunteered at the Citizens Advice Bureau and witnessed first-hand how people could be supported and empowered.
“I saw how a few minutes of clear legal guidance could completely change the trajectory of someone’s life. People came in feeling powerless, overwhelmed or confused, and by the end of a conversation they had clarity, options and hope.
“That immediate and personal impact stayed with me,” explains Neha, who attended Old Hill Primary School, The Earls High School and Halesowen College.
“I realised that this kind of work suited how I naturally think: it’s analytical, strategic and people-focused. Over time, claimant employment law aligned more and more with my sense of fairness.
“Helping people navigate some of the most vulnerable moments in their working lives gave me a real sense of purpose, and that’s what made me stay in the profession,” she explains.
“My parents ran an off-licence and worked incredibly hard, so I saw first-hand what long hours, commitment and community service look like. That upbringing shaped my work ethic – I learned to be dependable, steady and unafraid of difficult situations or challenging personalities,” she adds.
