Jessie Shepherd
Trainee Solicitor
Contact Information
- Trainee Solicitor
- Public Law
- City of London
- 02072752844
- @Send Email
Profile / Experience
I am a Trainee Solicitor in the Immigration department working under the supervision of Legal 500 Recommended Lawyer and Director, Nazia Khan.
I am committed to improving access to justice for the most vulnerable in society, including asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and victims of domestic abuse. Since joining Duncan Lewis, I have worked on a broad range of Immigration and Public Law matters, the majority of which have been funded by Legal Aid. My day-to-day casework includes protection claims, leave to remain applications and applications for family reunion. I have particular experience working with Afghan clients, including applications for family members in Afghanistan who are at risk to join relatives here in the UK.
I have also been instructed in several complex Judicial Reviews, including working to obtain protected safe house accommodation for a vulnerable victim of trafficking and challenging the Home Office's application of its policy on obtaining biometric data prior to a grant of entry clearance in the context of Palestinian nationals.
I am a Level 2 Senior Caseworker under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (IAAS).
Prior to my position at Duncan Lewis, my background includes casework with clients on several resettlement schemes including the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Afghan Relocations & Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), as well as volunteer work with asylum seekers across hotspot areas in Greece and Calais.
I am committed to improving access to justice for the most vulnerable in society, including asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and victims of domestic abuse. Since joining Duncan Lewis, I have worked on a broad range of Immigration and Public Law matters, the majority of which have been funded by Legal Aid. My day-to-day casework includes protection claims, leave to remain applications and applications for family reunion. I have particular experience working with Afghan clients, including applications for family members in Afghanistan who are at risk to join relatives here in the UK.
I have also been instructed in several complex Judicial Reviews, including working to obtain protected safe house accommodation for a vulnerable victim of trafficking and challenging the Home Office's application of its policy on obtaining biometric data prior to a grant of entry clearance in the context of Palestinian nationals.
I am a Level 2 Senior Caseworker under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (IAAS).
Prior to my position at Duncan Lewis, my background includes casework with clients on several resettlement schemes including the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Afghan Relocations & Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), as well as volunteer work with asylum seekers across hotspot areas in Greece and Calais.
Education
- Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) 1 - July 2023
- Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) 2 - April 2024
- LLM Law & Legal Practice at BPP University
- BA International Relations at King's College London
Career
- Trainee Solicitor - Duncan Lewis Solicitors (March 2024 - Present)
Notable Cases
High Court
- R (on the Application of QA) v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2024] EWHC 3064 (Admin) - Assisted with this challenge against the SSFCDA, which concerned an Afghan client's application for his family members in Afghanistan to join him in the United Kingdom. Mr Justice Johnson ruled that the client had been deprived of a fair decision on his application and the decision must be remade.
Civil Court
Membership & Accreditations
- Level 2 Senior Caseworker - Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (IAAS)