’Sussex has a special place in my heart’

Rustom Tata - Sussex alumnus and leading employment law solicitor Rustom Tata was praised this week for "raising the next generation of social justice warriors". Rustom, a partner and chairman at DHM Stallard LLP, received a University of Sussex Fellowship at winter graduation for his voluntary work with the University's employment law clinic. In presenting Rustom to Sussex's Vice-Chancellor, Sasha Roseneil, for the honour, Professor Amir Paz-Fuchs, Head of Law at Sussex, said: "Rustom has not given up on the power of law in general, and employment law in particular, to bring about a better society." He described how Rustom was the first solicitor to come onboard when the legal clinics, which provide free legal advice through student advisors and with the support of expert professionals, began seven years ago. He went on: "Rustom has been showing up, sleeves unrolled.. not only to offer advice to the client in the office, but also to raise the next generation of social justice warriors." After the ceremony on Wednesday (25 January) at the Brighton Centre, Rustom said that he was grateful for the acknowledgment, but emphasised that the University should be proud of the wide range of legal clinics it now runs that give advice to the local community on matters such as family law, housing law and migration law. "I wanted the opportunity to give something back". He said: "In employment law, it's all about relative strength of bargaining power.