A TOP Barnsley-born lawyer has shared his life journey with the Chronicle, encouraging hopeful legal eagles to get stuck into family law.
Russell Bywater is living proof that you can take a man out of Barnsley, but you can’t take the Barnsley out of a man.
Born in St Helen’s Hospital and growing up in Smithies in the 1960s, it’s safe to say that both life and the law have changed greatly in his lifetime.
Recently promoted to a top law job in London, as a managing partner at Dawson Cornwell, Russell still looks fondly back on growing up in Barnsley.
Born to working-class parents and looked after by his aunt Dora, Russell remembers his school days through his love for literature - despite finding spelling challenging.
Having had his creativity encouraged by teachers, Russell eventually decided to study law, leaving Barnsley to study at Brunel University.
Russell joined Dawson Cornwell as a trainee solicitor in 1983, qualifying two years later and specialising in family law.
The lawyer has been a loyal employee of the firm for his entire career, with him impressively becoming a partner in his early thirties - before taking on the role of Managing Partner earlier this year.
Russell admitted that growing up in Barnsley and living in London his entire adult life couldn’t have been more different.
However, despite his admiration for the bustling city, Russell hasn’t forgotten his roots.
He said: “I was originally going to come back to Barnsley after graduating, but followed family law, I’ve been at Dawson Cornwell ever since.
“When I was an intern, that was considered cutting edge back then.
“It was definitely a very different world, the three managing partners were all called John and all went to Oxbridge.
“Sometimes I wonder why I wasn’t crippled by imposter syndrome.
“I represented diversity back in 1983, but it couldn’t be any more different now.
“There are 55 people in the firm now and 49 of them are women - I’m used to being the only man in meetings.
“We still run internship schemes that allow kids from less affluent backgrounds to get into family law.
“I still feel like a Barnsley man, I’ve been a lifelong supporter of Barnsley FC and I still return regularly to Yorkshire to visit family.
“I maintain a strong connection to it, two of my children went to school nearby in Wakefield and then tried London life but returned.
“My son married a girl from Penistone and there were lots of grammar school girls at the wedding.
“I love the market, it’s great, I have a wander every time I visit.
“Smithies was a nice community to grow up in.
“My mum and dad’s generation have passed on and some friends have left, but I still come back.
“It’s easy to feel alienated when you’re in London.
“I miss the Barnsley humour.
“If you speak to someone on a bus in London, they think it’s strange, but in Barnsley, they’ve got your National Insurance number by he next stop.
“You get lovely countryside and rural beauty, but it’s still well connected, I miss it.”
