A solicitor hs narrowly avoided being struck off after falsely claiming that she had a 2:1 degree.
Anna Goodwin, a 31-year-old lawyer who qualified in 2011, is the holder of a 2:2 in law from the University of the West of England, Bristol. In 2014 she applied for a job with the Army Legal Service, a role that was advertised as suitable for candidates who had "completed a qualifying degree, normally 2:1 or above". So she decided to upgrade her degree result on her application.
Goodwin was invited to a preliminary interview and asked to bring along her degree certificate. Realising that she was busted she immediately fessed up. She apologised for "exaggerating my marks on my CV slightly", said that she had set her heart on joining the ALS and assumed that she would be rejected out of hand had she been honest about her degree. She added that she hoped that the interview would still proceed regardless. The Army, possibly unsurprisingly, told her to sling her hook and reported her to the SRA.
Goodwin was up before the tribunal last week. She said that she was frustrated at repeatedly being turned down for jobs solely because of her degree result, despite having a great deal of experience and good law school grades. The tribunal held that in most circumstances Goodwin would have been struck off, but she had reported the deception before the interview and had admitted behaving dishonestly. The protection of the public did not require her to be struck off and in the "exceptional circumstances" Goodwin was suspended for 18 months.
Tip Off ROF
Anna Goodwin, a 31-year-old lawyer who qualified in 2011, is the holder of a 2:2 in law from the University of the West of England, Bristol. In 2014 she applied for a job with the Army Legal Service, a role that was advertised as suitable for candidates who had "completed a qualifying degree, normally 2:1 or above". So she decided to upgrade her degree result on her application.
Goodwin was invited to a preliminary interview and asked to bring along her degree certificate. Realising that she was busted she immediately fessed up. She apologised for "exaggerating my marks on my CV slightly", said that she had set her heart on joining the ALS and assumed that she would be rejected out of hand had she been honest about her degree. She added that she hoped that the interview would still proceed regardless. The Army, possibly unsurprisingly, told her to sling her hook and reported her to the SRA.
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Goodwin's CV - how it should have looked |
Goodwin was up before the tribunal last week. She said that she was frustrated at repeatedly being turned down for jobs solely because of her degree result, despite having a great deal of experience and good law school grades. The tribunal held that in most circumstances Goodwin would have been struck off, but she had reported the deception before the interview and had admitted behaving dishonestly. The protection of the public did not require her to be struck off and in the "exceptional circumstances" Goodwin was suspended for 18 months.
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Doubt it, most firms have automated systems where if you don't select the required answers re degree and a levels, you don't even get to submit your application.
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last year over 70% of graduates were awarded a 2:1 because universities are aware that employers won't consider an application unless a 1st or a 2:1 is achieved. Ironic really that a job applicant can have no interpersonal or social skills (and therefore unlikely to be able to form business relationships with clients) but with the golden 2:1 / 1st its assumed they will help grow and develop a legal business.
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