The world of law is expansive. From criminal to corporate, areas of practice heavily influence and differentiate the types of work that lawyers do and as such the skillsets they need to succeed. As a result, graduate recruitment processes for a career in law can vary greatly, even within their own subset of the legal profession. Despite this, there are a number of common (and critical!) skills, tips and pointers to bear in mind throughout it all. In this episode, Ben Triggs, from graduate...

Legal technology is changing the way that lawyers and their clients do business. Contracts are increasingly becoming automated from the initial drafting stage right through to the final end product review. Samuel Smolkin is the founder and CEO of legal tech startup 'Office & Dragons'. In this episode, we discuss his journey to date, the inspiration behind the company and how the future of how lawyers transact and do business is changing. --- Boost your commercial awareness, learn how...

Whether you're a recent NQ, fresh-faced trainee or aspiring lawyer-to-be, its important to be aware of how your own contributions fit in to the broader enterprise of how firms function as businesses. Michael Schauer surveyed firms across the spectrum of scope, size and practice area, asking what they want to see more of from their junior talent. We discuss the five key findings of his report, as well as how you can learn to develop these skills throughout your legal career. You can read the...

Training Contracts and practicing law differs greatly from its academic study. Starting out as a Trainee presents new ways to personally develop and new challenges to learn from. In this episode, Baker McKenzie Trainee Solicitor Arjun Patel shares his tips and insights into trainee life, covering what Training Contracts are really like, the different types of work commercial lawyers do, and more. --- Boost your commercial awareness, learn how lawyers solve problems, and get an insight into...

Few words can cause as much stress, confusion anxiety in the application process as the 'Watson-Glaser test'. This aptitude test - and others like it - are quite unique from other common forms of recruitment such as interviews and cover letters. To give an insight into what it's all about, I'm joined by Arbel Yellin, product manager and former Watson-Glaser test writer for Job Test Prep. We discuss each of the main 5 question types as well as the general advice he'd give to those attempting...

In this installment of the F-LEX mini-series on legal practice areas, I'm joined by Leo Hutchings to discuss the ins and outs of Banking, Finance and Derivatives law. Listen in to learn more about what it involves, common trainee/paralegal tasks, as well as which personalities and working styles might favour this area of practice more! --- Sponsored by F-LEX - sign up for 100s of flexible, long and short term paralegal opportunities across a variety of sectors in less than 60 seconds here:...

In this installment of the F-LEX mini-series on legal practice areas, I'm joined by Ben Alexander to discuss the ins and outs of Private Equity law. Listen in to learn more about what it involves, common trainee/paralegal tasks, as well as which personalities and working styles might favour this area of practice more! --- Sponsored by F-LEX - sign up for 100s of flexible, long and short term paralegal opportunities across a variety of sectors in less than 60 seconds here:...

In this installment of the F-LEX mini-series on legal practice areas, I'm joined by Tringa Kunoviku to discuss the ins and outs of Litigation and Disputes law. Listen in to learn more about what it involves, common trainee/paralegal tasks, as well as which personalities and working styles might favour this area of practice more! --- Sponsored by F-LEX - sign up for 100s of flexible, long and short term paralegal opportunities across a variety of sectors in less than 60 seconds here:...

In this installment of the F-LEX mini-series on legal practice areas, I'm joined by Josephine Carver to discuss the ins and outs of Corporate law. Listen in to learn more about what it involves, common trainee/paralegal tasks, as well as which personalities and working styles might favour this area of practice more! --- Sponsored by F-LEX - sign up for 100s of flexible, long and short term paralegal opportunities across a variety of sectors in less than 60 seconds here:...

In this installment of the F-LEX mini-series on legal practice areas, I'm joined by Chris Coplestone to discuss the ins and outs of IP law. Listen in to learn more about what it involves, common trainee/paralegal tasks, as well as which personalities and working styles might favour this area of practice more! --- Sponsored by F-LEX - sign up for 100s of flexible, long and short term paralegal opportunities across a variety of sectors in less than 60 seconds here:...

In this installment of the F-LEX mini-series on legal practice areas, I'm joined by Karanvir Sagoo to discuss the ins and outs of Real Estate law. Listen in to learn more about what it involves, common trainee/paralegal tasks, as well as which personalities and working styles might favour this area of practice more! --- Sponsored by F-LEX - sign up for 100s of flexible, long and short term paralegal opportunities across a variety of sectors in less than 60 seconds here:...

Beginning a Training Contract marks the commencement of (usually) two years of learning, legal practice and development as a Trainee Solicitor. You'll be expected to rotate between different departments, interact with clients/your colleagues and pick up new concepts along the way. So how does it all get started? Like almost any other role, you'll likely commence and introductory induction period full of training and onboarding when commencing a TC. In this episode, I reflect on my own...

Like any other business, law firms aim to generate profit, build their customer base and remain competitive. After practicing within the world of law, Jodie Hill decided to found her own law firm, Thrive Law. In this episode, I ask Jodie about her approach to law firm management, the importance of junior lawyers appreciating the business side of law and what ultimately inspired her to start her own firm. --- You can keep up to date with everything I'm up to - including my latest resources,...

The intersection of law and technology has always been a curious topic of conversation within the world of law. Bold, attention-seeking headlines have historically claimed AI is coming to replace us all - but is this true for lawyers? What will their future look like? How might LegalTech (not) fundamentally change the work they do? Richard Tromans founded the popular LegalTech outlet Artificial Lawyer and has shared a wealth of information on this topic for several years. --- Be sure to...

Lawyers will talk to a variety of people and parties throughout their working day - sometimes collaboratively and sometimes during disputes. Brenden Kumarasamy founded MasterTalk to help people learn more about effective communication and public speaking. In this episode, he shares his advice on those two topics, as well as how to tailor your approach to an online virtual setting versus an in-person one. --- You can learn more about Mastertalk here:...

'Almost everything we do and think about crime and punishment is wrong.' Chris Daw QC has spent more than 25 years as a criminal defence lawyer, acting for some of the UK's most notorious criminals of both white and blue-collar crime. In this episode, I talk to Chris about the UK criminal justice system - where we currently stand, why it's at breaking point and what we can do to fix it. --- You can learn more about Chris' book here: https://amzn.to/31VtypF --- Sponsored by GetIntoLaw: check...

In a first for the podcast, this cross-over episode features both myself and Claire Rason, host of the Lawyer's Coach podcast. In this episode, Claire and I explore the concept of success, personal branding and how firms should be embracing social media to attract new recruits. --- You can keep up to date with everything I'm up to - including my latest resources, events and episodes - by signing up to my newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/hc-signup --- Music provided by Audio Library:...

What comes to mind when you picture an 'effective' leader? Someone who can raise morale? Draw in business? Make tough decisions? Or something else? In this episode, I speak to leadership coach David McQueen, Co Founder at Q Squared Ltd. David and I holistically discuss leadership - what it looks like when it’s done well, when it’s done poorly, as well as a reflection on leadership in law and how to become a better leader yourself. --- You can keep up to date with everything I'm up to -...

Lawyers have to juggle a lot of responsibilities in their professional lives and often even more outside of it in their personal ones too. In this episode, I speak to Hannah Beko, property lawyer as well as wellness coach at Authentically Speaking. Hannah and I discuss how mental health is being discussed within the world of law, what firms and lawyers alike can do to improve their wellbeing, as well as vital soft skills to develop in order to succeed in your career. --- You can keep up to...

Getting advice directly from recruiters can be incredibly hard to obtain but nevertheless extremely valuable to hear. This isn't helped by the fact that Training Contract applications can often be complex and involve many different stages. Luckily for you, this episode aims to help solve both of those issues! I recently spoke to Lizzie Arthey, member of the Graduate Recruitment Team at Baker McKenzie, about her tips for Training Contract applications. We discuss what she looks for in...

Two of the more common stages aspiring lawyers will undertake in their journey into the profession are their Bachelor of Laws undergraduate degree (the LLB) and the Legal Practice Course (the LPC). But what are they, are they comparable and what advice might be handy to bear in mind before starting them? In this episode - having recently graduated from them both - I set out to answer these questions! --- Sponsored by GetIntoLaw: check them out on Instagram @getintolaw for insights, advice...

Vacation schemes are a great opportunity develop your experience, learn about a firm and hopefully convert it to a fully-fledged Training Contract offer. But what are they and what are the best ways to stand out from other candidates? In this episode, I speak to Baker McKenzie Graduate Recruitment Officer Lizzie Arthey. Lizzie shares her insights and advice from the other side of the recruitment desk, covering the best ways to apply for vacation schemes, prepare for them, as well as a number...

Whether you're looking to enter the profession, or have several years of experience practicing within in, it's helpful to look to the future in order to consider how you'd like your career to progress. In this episode, I speak to Monika Shearezco, law firm graduate recruiter turned career and personal development coach. We discuss how to find, define and follow through with your own career ambitions - whether you’re looking to enter the profession, or reflecting on your current experience and...

'Money makes the world go round’ - and lawyers are a big part of helping banks and other financial institutions with that whole process! If you're interested in the world of commercial practice, it's highly likely you'll be working with or against financial institutions throughout your career. In this episode, financial lawyer Annabel Akintomide shares her insights into this practice area: what it is, what she does and who it's particularly suited for. Music provided by Audio Library: Jungle...