Imane Elassali
A short presentation on who I am, what I've achieved, and why CMS.
Law Graduate
Paralegal

Professional Profile
My interest in commercial law comes from its role in shaping how businesses make decisions under uncertainty. Legal advice is most effective when it helps clients weigh risk, cost, and outcome rather than simply interpreting rules.
I am particularly interested in how developments in technology are changing both the delivery of legal services and the nature of the risks businesses face.
From legal interpretation to business-wide risk understanding
What interests me about the way legal practice is changing is how AI is shifting the balance of work.
It can already handle a lot of the routine, process driven tasks, but it can't replace the part of legal advice that depends on understanding how a business actually operates, why decisions matter, and what the real world consequences are.
Because of that, clients are not just looking for an explanation of the law.
They want help weighing up options — including cost, risk, and commercial impact — so they can make decisions with a clearer understanding of what each path means in practice.
That becomes especially clear in areas like cybersecurity. Risk is no longer confined to IT systems or purely technical issues.
It is distributed across the organisation, across suppliers, internal processes, and human decision-making, which can create blind spots in how prepared a business actually is.
As companies become more reliant on AI and interconnected systems, those points of exposure increase in both number and complexity.
As a result, cyber risk is not contained in one function, but sits across multiple areas in a way that requires coordination and oversight.
For me, that links back to how legal advice is evolving: it's increasingly about understanding the wider business context, not just applying the law in isolation.
My Journey
From Study to Practice
Each step has deepened my practical expertise, from academic foundations through international exposure to hands-on criminal defence work in London.
Education
University of East London
LLB Law with Criminology, 2:1 (2021 – 2025)
Moot Court Champion
Secured 1st place in competitive university advocacy competition.
Justice Advocate
Civil & Criminal Justice Advocacy volunteer throughout studies.
Academic Focus
A Broad Legal Grounding
My studies spanned a comprehensive range of disciplines, equipping me with versatile knowledge across commercial, regulatory, and litigation contexts.
Contract & Banking Law
Foundations in commercial obligations and financial regulation.
International & EU Law
International Competition Law and EU Law frameworks.
Equity & Litigation
Equity & Trusts alongside Civil & Criminal Litigation.
Experience · Bark & Co, London
Paralegal
January 2024 – September 2025
  • Managed solicitor schedules, correspondence, and case files while ensuring compliance with procedural rules and strict court deadlines.
  • Prepared court bundles and reviewed prosecution evidence, identifying inconsistencies and evidential gaps to support case strategy.
  • Drafted formal correspondence, legal documents, and applications with high accuracy and attention to detail.
  • Conducted legal research on statutory interpretation, procedural rules, and case law.
  • Maintained confidential client information and liaised professionally with counsel, court staff, and external parties.
Experience · University of East London
Civil & Criminal Justice Advocate
September 2022 – July 2025
Community Legal Research
Conducted research for clients facing council disputes, language barriers, and administrative challenges.
Miscarriage of Justice Support
Assisted a solicitor by reviewing case materials and analysing legal arguments; presented findings to inform case direction.
Mentorship
Mentored secondary school students on legal education pathways and professional development.
Experience · New York Law School
Law Internship
May 2023 – June 2023
Selected as 1 of just 4 students from a competitive applicant pool following a successful bail application advocacy exercise, assessed by a panel of university lecturers.
  • Observed Immigration Court proceedings, analysing procedural differences between the UK and US legal systems.
  • Engaged with a Criminal Justice Project examining systemic reform initiatives.
  • Participated in practitioner-led discussions on case strategy and legal ethics.
Key Skills
What I Bring to the Team
1
Legal Research
Proficient with LexisNexis and Clio for statutory and case law research.
2
Client Communication
Professional liaison with clients, counsel, and court staff.
3
Analytical Problem-Solving
Identifying inconsistencies and evidential gaps with precision.
4
Written Communication
Strong drafting with meticulous attention to detail and Microsoft Office fluency.
Problem Solving in Practice
I recently managed a long running housing issue involving damp and mould, which required careful organisation of information over time.
I created a structured chronology of events, gathered supporting evidence, and organised all correspondence between relevant parties.
This allowed me to identify gaps in communication and track how the issue progressed over time.
The experience reinforced key legal skills including:
  • Evidence management
  • Attention to detail
  • Analytical thinking
  • Persistence in complex, multi-party issues
  • Clear and structured communication

Beyond the Law
Outside of my professional life, I pursue interests that keep me curious, balanced, and grounded.
Literature
Hikes
Travel
Photography
Gym