Welcome to the thirty fifth blog post for TheLawyerFiles.
Thank you, as always, for subscribing and following the journeys of legal changemakers. Each edition brings you honest reflections, practical insights and powerful stories from individuals shaping the future of law with purpose, curiosity and innovation.
✨ In this edition, we feature Charlie Suzannah Cromwell — a future trainee solicitor at Bird and Bird, a First Class Computer Science graduate and a passionate advocate for social mobility, inclusion and technology driven legal practice.
Charlie’s journey spans two continents and two disciplines. From her research into algorithmic bias and data equity in the United States to her academic success at the University of Warwick, she has developed a unique perspective on how systems, language and logic operate both in technology and in law. Her work on topics such as autonomous drones, predictive policing and airport screening bias gave her an early understanding of how regulation shapes society and why lawyers play a crucial role in ensuring fairness in an increasingly digital world.
In this conversation, Charlie shares the moment she realised she wanted to leave coding behind in favour of a career centred on impact, communication and problem solving. She reflects on her Bird and Bird vacation scheme, where she explored intellectual property, collaborated with lawyers across the firm and discovered the importance of curiosity, clarity and honesty when navigating high quality legal work.
She also discusses her writing for The Student Lawyer, her teaching and mentorship roles within Computer Science and why transparent communication is one of the most transferable and valuable skills for any aspiring lawyer. Her powerful reflections on social mobility highlight how access, opportunity and visibility shaped her own journey and why structural change across the sector remains so important.
If you are exploring law at the intersection of technology, curious about intellectual property or passionate about widening access to the profession, Charlie’s story offers both depth and inspiration.
Let’s dive in 💡.
- You hold a degree in Computer Science and are now pursuing a legal career. What initially drew you to law, and how does your technical background influence the way you think about legal issues today?
I absolutely loved studying for my degree but during my final years at university, I realised I didn’t want a career centered around coding or creating technology. That moment of realisation came when I took a class called ‘Data, Signals & Equity,’ which opened my eyes to a different kind of impact I could have. The class had us to analyse commonly used technologies and systems in order to highlight biases found within them, and research ways to remove the bias in future technologies. Projects included analysis of autonomous drone use, predictive policing algorithms and their impact, and potential discrimination in airport screening technology. Because of these types of projects, I decided that I wanted a career that would allow me to use my technical understanding and knowledge to have a broader influence on how technologies are used, implemented, and regulated once they’re created.
Initially, I thought computer science and law were very different disciplines. STEM often lives in the area of things being black or white, while law exists in the grey. However, I’ve discovered that many core skills transfer between the two fields. Systems thinking in CS teaches you to see how components interact within larger frameworks, and in law, this helps you understand how different statutes, regulations, and case law interconnect. Programming demands precision with language – a misplaced semicolon breaks everything. This hypersensitivity to syntax makes you attuned to the precise wording of statutes and contracts that matter. CS also teaches you to think in boolean logic and anticipate edge cases, and legal reasoning often requires similar if-then analysis. You instinctively ask “but what if X happens?” in ways that stress-test legal arguments.
I like to think of it this way: if law is the operating system of society, a CS background helps you read the source code. Legal systems evolve like software versions. Court decisions are like patches that fix bugs – ambiguities or injustices in existing law – and sometimes introduce new ones. This perspective is particularly helpful because you understand that law is written by humans and contains bugs, can be gamed or exploited if you understand the logic, and that small changes in wording can have massive downstream effects.
- You recently completed a Summer Vacation Scheme with Bird & Bird in Intellectual Property. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it shape your excitement to begin your training contract with the firm?
During my vacation scheme, I conducted independent in-depth research about issues related to IP disputes, including EU Telecommunication Regulations, and collated over 15 legal opinions on updates to contract law based on recent case law and judgements, which were used to advise more than 25 clients on best practices. Beyond the desk work, I networked with a variety of clients and lawyers by attending court for an IP dispute and multiple events hosted by the firm, including an analysis of the COPA v Wright trial.
The experience taught me several crucial lessons. First, you’re not expected to be perfect, but you are expected to be curious, enthusiastic, and willing to throw yourself into everything – this attitude will get you into many more doors than technical perfection alone. I also learned that the basics are incredibly important: being polite, maintaining good and prompt communication, and practicing honesty leave a bigger impression than you might think. You’re allowed to make mistakes because that’s how you learn, but it’s what you do afterwards that makes the difference. Equally important is knowing when to say no – being upfront about your commitments and capacity is better than letting people down. Perhaps most encouragingly, I discovered that almost everybody wants to support you, so don’t be afraid to use it.
This experience has made me even more excited for my training contract. I’m looking forward to the diversity of work and clients, along with the frequent collaboration that characterises Bird & Bird’s practice. I realised that I’ll be able to use my knowledge and previous experiences to have a strong impact straight away, and that I’ll be in the right firm to grow and learn, surrounded by like-minded, curious, enthusiastic, and supportive people where everyone is equally interesting and important.
- You’ve written for The Student Lawyer and taken part in several academic and leadership roles. How have these opportunities helped you build confidence in legal research and communication?
I think the key part is that these skills are very transferable, so my most helpful experiences have actually been the non-legal related ones. With my role at The Student Lawyer, I had to turn sometimes very complicated legal news into concise, digestible articles for all audiences. While the articles were commercially focused, I think this applies across all legal research and communication – know your audience and keep it simple.
The law is hard and complex, which is exactly why people need lawyers. The best lawyers know how to explain the most complex law in a way that any client can understand. Writing for The Student Lawyer and being in other leadership roles, especially as a Teaching Assistant for Computer Science classes, taught me how to take complex issues of all kinds and explain them to others, which I can now apply to legal research and communication. I’ve built confidence by practicing this art – taking something complex that I understand, whether legal or not, and teaching it to people.
- You’ve been actively involved in social mobility and inclusion initiatives. What does social mobility mean to you personally, and what do you think the legal industry can do better to support it?
Imagine social mobility as a race where everyone is supposed to compete fairly to reach the finish line of success. But the reality is that not everyone starts at the same starting line. Some people begin 100 meters ahead because of their family’s wealth, connections, and access to resources. Others start right at the standard line. And many – like those from disadvantaged backgrounds – start 100 meters behind, facing hurdles placed throughout their lane that others don’t have to jump over. Social mobility is about either moving everyone to the same starting line or removing the hurdles so that talent, effort, and determination matter more than where you started. The goal isn’t to give anyone an unfair advantage – it’s to make the race actually fair.
Coming from a low-socioeconomic, single-parent household and attending a state school (in special measures at the time of my attendance), statistically speaking, I shouldn’t be where I am today. The reason I am, apart from sheer grit and determination, is the many social mobility organisations and charities that exist. The problem is, they shouldn’t have to exist. I shouldn’t have needed them. My background should not be able to determine my future, but ultimately, it does.
Social mobility to me is about access, opportunity, resources, and visibility. In the legal industry, access and opportunity ensure the option is there – such as solicitor apprenticeships – and that those disadvantaged have the ability to get there, for instance by assessing grades against background rather than applying a blanket policy. Resources are about providing candidates with everything necessary so that everyone starts their application with the same knowledge and information, which means having very transparent policies, processes and events. Visibility is about making sure opportunities are promoted to the appropriate audience and also having champions of social mobility within leadership.
The legal industry has had significant progression recently from external organisations and the firms themselves, but change takes time and requires many people working together. It’s not exclusively a problem in law firm recruitment either – it starts much earlier. Access and opportunity are not available for so many people from an early age, and the disadvantage compounds as you progress. The roots of the problem need to be addressed as well, which requires the collaboration of many organisations, charities, and the government.
- Having studied and worked in both the UK and the US, how has your international experience shaped your approach to law and your interest in areas like AI, data privacy, and technology?
My international experience has given me broader perspectives to approach everything. For much of that time, I had to look at everything through two lenses – how does it affect my life in the US and how does it affect my life in the UK? So naturally now that’s my approach to my work, especially as I’ll be doing work for many international clients that need to think outside of the legal system of England and Wales.
I also built skills from living across two countries that will help me transition to international, cross-border work. I’m used to balancing my own life across multiple time zones and now balance close friendships across multiple time zones, so I’m looking forward to using those skills to coordinate cross-border work effectively.
As for my interest in AI, data privacy, and technology, I think it’s been fascinating living in regions with very different mindsets towards these areas and vastly different regulations and laws. I’m excited about the prospect of working with clients in the future to ensure compliance with different regulations across the world. For example, the EU and UK have comprehensive GDPR laws that fundamentally reshaped how companies handle personal data, while the US takes a much more fragmented, sector-specific approach with no overarching federal data privacy law. Living under both systems has given me firsthand insight into how different regulatory philosophies impact everyday life and business operations, which has shaped my interest in data privacy law and cross-border compliance challenges.
Charlie Suzannah Cromwell – https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesuzannahcromwell/
Future Trainee Solicitor at Bird & Bird | WashU Engineering Alumna | Social Mobility Advocate & Mentor
I hope Charlie’s journey has inspired you, especially if you are exploring the intersection of law and technology, finding your voice as an aspiring solicitor or learning how to turn academic insight into meaningful real world impact.
Her story is a reminder that legal careers can be shaped by curiosity, resilience and the confidence to step into spaces where you might not immediately see people who look like you or share your background. Whether it is analysing algorithmic bias, navigating academic life across two countries or discovering the value of clarity and communication through writing and mentorship, Charlie shows that your unique experiences can become your greatest strengths.
From her research into technology and equity to her reflections on social mobility and her experience at Bird and Bird, she reminds us that growth comes from asking questions, embracing new perspectives and allowing yourself to learn openly. For anyone doubting their place in the profession or wondering if their non traditional background truly belongs in law, her journey shows that it absolutely can. Passion, preparation and authenticity can take you exactly where you are meant to be.
🎧 Our podcast episode with Charlie will be available soon on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Audible. We explore her transition from Computer Science to law, her insights on intellectual property and data privacy, and the lessons she learned during her Bird and Bird vacation scheme.
We also discuss the reality of social mobility, the importance of accessible communication in legal work and how she continues to build a career shaped by innovation, purpose and a commitment to equity.
Make sure you are subscribed so you do not miss future episodes.
Until next time, stay curious, stay open minded and keep pursuing the work that inspires you 💡🎙️
Denice Obeng 😊
