Úna Graham

Úna is undertaking a Family pupillage under the supervision of Pauline McHugh and Hannah Wood.

Before pupillage, Úna worked as a Family Paralegal within busy law firms. Úna is originally from Ireland and worked as a family paralegal in Belfast, which involved assisting the Partner on complex divorce and ancillary relief cases. Since moving to Manchester, Úna worked in a busy childcare department of a national law firm and was given the opportunity to manage her own caseload of clients. The clients were predominantly involved with care proceedings and Úna played a vital role in conducting meetings, taking instructions and drafting court statements.

Úna has often worked with vulnerable adults who appreciated Úna’s personable and warm manner when dealing with sensitive matters. As a paralegal, Úna was also permitted to carry out advocacy in representing a Respondent to a non-molestation order application and a Respondent at a Dispute Resolution Hearing and Appointment. She gained positive feedback on her robust advocacy skills and ability to take initiative. She has also shadowed a number of family barristers over several mini pupillages and undertook marshalling with HHJ Caroline Wright, Family Circuit Judge of Swindon.

Úna has recently completed her Barrister Training Course and gained an average of a Distinction overall. Alongside her studies, Úna was also a volunteer for Independent Domestic Abuse Services. She assisted the charity in producing a report on the experience of domestic abuse survivors within private law proceedings, with a particular focus on the circulating ‘parental alienation’ term. She has been passionate about garnering survivor voices on how domestic abuse concerns can be properly managed in a court setting.