From Surrey Law student to Deputy District Judge at 34: Dominique Smith’s remarkable journey

After leaving a medical degree part-way through that she knew wasn’t right for her, Dominique made a bold decision to trust her instincts, reset her path and pursue Law. Ten years after graduating with an LLB from Surrey, she is now a highly ranked Barrister. At just 35, she is also one of the youngest female Deputy District Judges in the country.

It’s a judicial appointment that typically comes much later in a legal career. For Dominique, it represents not just professional excellence, but resilience, self-belief and the impact of a supportive university community.

Finding her place at Surrey

Dominique chose Surrey after a difficult start elsewhere. Drawn to the campus, the sense of belonging and the encouragement she received at an open day, she knew immediately she had found the environment she needed to thrive.

“Surrey built me back up,” she says. “I’d come from a difficult place, but I felt nurtured. I felt like people genuinely cared and wanted to see me succeed.”

That support came not just from her peers, but from her lecturers too, particularly Claire Lilywhite and Noreen O’Mara, who guided her through the early stages of her ambition to become a Barrister.

“They never once told me I couldn’t do it,” Dominique recalls. “They believed in me and that made all the difference.”

Surrey’s flexible final-year modules allowed Dominique to shape her degree around her future at the Bar, choosing subjects like medical Law and sentencing that would support her ambitions beyond graduation.

Raising the Bar

After graduating in 2015, Dominique went straight to Bar School in London and secured pupillage at her first interview, a rare and highly competitive achievement.

But despite her success, the early years were tough.

“I felt different,” she admits. “I didn’t have the traditional background of a Law student. I didn’t have any family in Law. And there was a lot of imposter syndrome.”

What carried her through was persistence and the work ethic she had developed long before Law School, through part-time jobs in places like Tesco and Pizza Hut.

“Those jobs taught me how to deal with and interact with people,” she says. “That’s just as important as legal knowledge when you’re working with clients whose lives have been turned upside down.”

A career built on advocacy and compassion

Today, Dominique specialises in personal injury, clinical negligence, travel Law and inquests, representing people who have suffered some of the most serious and life-changing injuries.

Her work is wide-ranging and often international: from holiday accidents abroad to medical negligence cases, she brings together legal precision with empathy and real-world understanding.

No two days are the same and that’s exactly what she loves.

“There’s an adrenaline rush when you go to court,” she says. “You prepare as much as you can, but things can change. Witnesses can say something unexpected. New evidence may come to light. You have to think on your feet and I love that.”

Appointed to the bench in her 30s

After just five years in practice, Dominique applied to become a Deputy District Judge, not expecting to be successful.

“I thought I was too young,” she says. “I applied thinking, if nothing else, it’s good experience.”

Less than eighteen months later, she was appointed.

It is an extraordinary achievement in a profession where judicial roles are usually held by people decades into their careers. But for Dominique, it came down to preparation, reflection and self-belief.

“I reached a point where I thought: I’ve got here like everyone else, why shouldn’t I try?”

Changing what the profession looks like

Dominique is deeply committed to making the legal profession more diverse and accessible.

As a SurreyLeader, she volunteers by guest speaking, mentoring students through SurreyConnects, the Inns of Court, and chambers, and regularly attending law speed-networking events to share her expertise and help students navigate a system she once found intimidating.

“So many people think the Bar isn’t for them,” she says. “But it is changing, and it needs people from all backgrounds. I want to show that it’s possible.”

She also credits the women who mentored her, who include senior barristers and a Baroness, for giving her the confidence to keep going when things were tough.

“Seeing women who had paved the way before me made me believe I could too.”

A Surrey story she carries with her

Dominique still keeps in touch with her Surrey lecturers and friends, and often returns to Guildford when she can.

One of her favourite memories is a simple one: sitting by the lake with friends in the sunshine after exams, realising how far they had all come.

“I was just so happy,” she says. “I’d found my place.”

Today, as both a barrister and a judge, Dominique Smith is helping shape the future of law and inspiring the next generation of Surrey students to believe that no background is a barrier to extraordinary success.