Claire Friel

Claire graduated from Newcastle University in 2019 with a law degree before successfully completing the Legal Practice Course with Masters at the University of Law in 2021 with a distinction. During her Legal Practice Course, she studied electives in Advanced Criminal Practice and Immigration Law. As part of a research module, Claire also completed a personal project on modern slavery defences in the context of County Lines drugs trafficking, an area of criminal law which continues to be of great interest.

Throughout both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, Claire has volunteered at organisations including Citizens' Advice and a legal charity helpline. She has also written articles as a volunteer reporter for online magazine 'The Justice Gap' on a variety of topical issues from patterns of offending to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on prisoners.

In a previous role with a high street firm, Claire gained valuable experience supporting vulnerable clients, especially those with mental health issues and those detained under the Mental Health Act.

Claire joined Goldman Bailey in September 2021 and qualified as a police station adviser in 2022. We are delighted to confirm that she was admitted as a Solicitor in October 2023 and will continue to specialise in criminal defence work. She is also now a qualified Duty Solicitor and regularly conducts magistrates' court trials.