Dere Street’s Pupil Deck

We are looking forward to welcoming our 5 new pupils, Samantha Herman, Lydia Gibson, Lidia Beqiraj, Robert White and Amelia Taylor. The pupils will be commencing their pupillages on the 29 of September 2025 and each week, leading up to their start, we shall be introducing each of them individually.

The limelight this week goes to Civil Specialist Pupil Robert White.

Rob studied for a Master of Law (LL.M.) at the University of Cambridge, where he received the University prize for Advanced Labour Law, having achieved the highest marks in his assessment. Prior to this, he studied law at Northumbria University, where he received several awards for academic achievement and ranked top of his cohort for consecutive years. He regularly competed in advocacy competitions, most recently placing third in the 2025 Lincoln’s Inn Sir Louis Gluckstein Advocacy Competition for Best Junior Advocate.

After university, Rob joined the Civil Service Fast Stream, working on HM Treasury’s response to the Covid-19 Inquiry. He was frequently tasked with drafting statements to the Inquiry and led the Department’s response on several issues, ranging from Universal Credit to the use of WhatsApp by senior officials. He also led the Department’s response to expert reports on the Treasury’s actions during the pandemic. Through close collaboration with the Government Legal Department and external counsel, he developed strong skills in legal drafting and case planning. Before this, he worked as a school tutor on the Government’s National Tutoring Programme, supporting children who had fallen behind in their education, and volunteered with the Citizens Advice Bureau.

A native of the North East, Rob is excited to return to Newcastle, where he looks forward to taking part in the Town Moor Parkrun and catching up with friends over pub quizzes. He is a keen cyclist, runner, and swimmer, having competed in several triathlons and road races. He is also a motorsport enthusiast, enjoys spending time in the Ouseburn, and supports Newcastle Falcons rugby team.

Robert’s pupillage will be under the supervision of Stephen Fletcher.