Leathes Prior welcomes three new Trainee Solicitors

Leathes Prior is pleased to welcome three new Trainee Solicitors to the firm, with Katie Cursons, Alexandra Moorhouse and Niamh Creedon beginning their Training Contracts in September 2026.

Their arrival marks the latest intake of trainees to join Leathes Prior. For their first seats, Katie Cursons has joined the Residential Property Team, Alexandra Moorhouse is sitting within the Family Team, and Niamh Creedon has joined the Employment Team.

Katie joins the firm following her Law degree at the University of East Anglia and subsequent studies with the University of Law in preparation for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. She also brings previous legal experience from a local solicitors’ firm, where she worked as a Legal Assistant specialising in private client matters, as well as experience working alongside in-house legal counsel at Aviva and within a commercial legal team in Southampton.

Alexandra also studied at the University of East Anglia, initially graduating with a degree in English Literature before completing a Masters’ degree in Modern and Contemporary Writing. She subsequently obtained a distinction in the Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies, receiving the GDL prize for the highest academic performance of her year. Alexandra will complete the SQE alongside her Training Contract with Leathes Prior.

Niamh graduated from Newcastle University with a Law degree in 2025. During her studies she volunteered with a pro-bono organisation specialising in criminal appeals and represented Newcastle University in the UK Student Mediation Competition. She subsequently completed her LLM, incorporating SQE1 and SQE2, at the University of Law in Norwich.

Sarah Appleton, Training Principal at Leathes Prior, commented:

“I am delighted to welcome Katie, Alexandra and Niamh to Leathes Prior and to see them take the next step in their legal careers.

Our Training Contracts are designed to give trainees real responsibility, exposure to high-quality work, and the opportunity to learn directly from experienced lawyers across the firm, and I am excited to watch each of them take on that challenge, each bringing their varied experiences, skills and interests with them.

It is a privilege to help the three of them flourish and grow into what I am sure will be very accomplished solicitors, and a responsibility that my fellow Partners and I take very seriously. Welcome, 2026 Trainees!”

The new intake follows the recent qualification of James Iron, Charlie Watkins and Lily Stagg, who completed their Training Contracts with Leathes Prior before qualifying into the firm in 2026.

Leathes Prior continues to invest in its trainee programme as part of the firm’s wider growth, providing aspiring solicitors with experience across a broad range of practice areas and the opportunity to build their careers within one of East Anglia’s leading full-service law firms.