The Legal Cheek team discuss the aspiring barrister who went viral on LinkedIn for taking his job search back to basics. Is this the new strategy in an increasingly competitive job market? And what is this first-class AI and computer science graduate doing becoming a lawyer in the first place?
We also discuss the news that the "Godfather of AI", Geoffrey Hinton, told the Diary of a CEO podcast that AI spells trouble for paralegals. How often are these sorts of predictions true? And is the legal market as vulnerable to AI replacement as is often made out?
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss the news that corporate law firm Hill Dickinson will sponsor Everton Football Club's new stadium.
While critics might call it a waste of money, we explain why it could be a genius bold marketing move.
Legal Cheek writers Lydia Fontes and Angus Simpson discuss the mixed messaging around AI, asking whether law students should view the technology as a necessary tool or a risky liability?
Articles we discuss:
Judge fury after ‘fake’ cases cited by rookie barrister in High Court: https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/05/judge-fury-after-fake-cases-cited-by-rookie-barrister-in-high-court/
SRA approves 'AI-driven' law firm: https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/05/sra-approves-ai-driven-law-firm/
Shoosmiths offers £1 million bonus pot to encourage AI use among staff: https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/04/shoosmiths-offers-1-million-bonus-pot-to-encourage-ai-use-among-staff/
‘Silly examples of bad practice’ are no reason to shun AI, says top judge: https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/02/silly-examples-of-bad-practice-are-no-reason-to-shun-ai-says-master-of-the-rolls/
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss the law firms who have struck deals with the Trump administration following the President's hostile executive orders. We explore the options facing associates and partners at these firms and what this will mean for US law firms in the UK.
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss the Bar Council's decision to ban the use of AI tools likes ChatGPT and DeepSeek in pupillage applications. We ask how effective these tools really are for law applications and offer some advice for aspiring lawyers considering using AI to secure their dream career.
The Legal Cheek team discuss the news that Simmons & Simmons are raising their Bristol NQ salary to £96k, setting a record for regional junior pay. We explore how the salary increase will affect the Bristol legal market and what it means for those pursuing training contracts.
Read the story on Legal Cheek: https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/01/simmons-sets-record-with-96k-salary-for-bristol-nq-solicitors/
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss a recent Reddit thread which reveals the longest days that lawyers have worked. We talk about how common these crazy working days are, the culture that encourages them and what you need to know about yourself before embarking on a career in corporate law.
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss a recent LinkedIn post in which a law graduate vented their frustration after being rejected from a paralegal position. We ask how law students should approach posting on LinkedIn while trying to break in to the legal profession.
Read more about this story on Legal Cheek:
What effect will AI have on junior lawyers? How many trainees will firms take on? Will we see another high-profile law firm merger? Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss what's coming for the legal profession in 2025.
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss Dr Charlotte Proudman's victory over the Bar Standards Board as all five charges against her are dropped, the news that three of the allegations against Jo Sidhu have been proved, and the astonishing earnings of first year commercial barristers at top sets.
Read more about these stories on Legal Cheek:
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss growing salaries for newly qualified solicitors, the upcoming independent review of the SQE and the news that the UK's legal services sector turnover has reached £44 billion.
Read more about these stories on Legal Cheek:
https://www.legalcheek.com/2024/12/regulator-commissions-independent-review-of-sqe/
https://www.legalcheek.com/2024/12/uk-legal-sector-turnover-hits-44-billion/
Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss potential funding changes for solicitor apprenticeships, Herbert Smith Freehills' proposed merger with Kramer Levin and why criminal barristers are leaving the bar.
Saad Khalil and Samantha Wong from Legal Cheek discuss application basics ahead of the law firm application cycle 2024/25, including what 'vacation scheme' means, how to choose the right firms for you and what to look for when researching firms.
Rounding off our legal history podcast mini-series, Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and former Allen & Overy corporate partner Alan Paul sit down once again to chat about the legal industry — this time from 2016 to the present day.
Alex and Alan discuss the busy and turbulent seven years, covering events including Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, Covid-19 lockdowns and how this all impacted and shaped the legal industry.
If you enjoyed this standalone episode, make sure to check out our previous podcasts in the series where Alan and Alex explore corporate law back from 1978 until the present day.
We are back for a third edition of Legal Cheek’s new legal history podcast mini-series!
In this episode, former Allen & Overy partner Alan Paul looks back on his time as a top corporate dealmaker during the global financial crisis of 2007-08 and the chaos that ensued in the years after. In conversation with Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge, Alan looks back on many of the factors that led to the crash, how it all went so wrong and the impact on the legal industry, both at the time and today.
This is a standalone podcast, but if you enjoyed it make sure to check out our previous episodes where Alan and Alex look back on corporate law in the 1980s and 90s.
In the second episode of Legal Cheek’s legal history podcast series, Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge is joined again by former Allen & Overy partner Alan Paul. Alan looks back on his time as a corporate law star in a period of rapid growth and globalisation for law firms in the City. He walks us from 1993 into the new millennium and through the build up to the historic financial crash of 2008, considering some of the key factors that led to the crisis.
This is a standalone podcast episode, but if you enjoyed this episode make sure to listen to the previous edition in the series, where Alan and Alex discuss corporate law in the 80s.
On the first of Legal Cheek’s new legal history podcast mini-series, Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge sits down with Alan Paul, former Allen & Overy partner and corporate law star. Alan reflects on his career journey from trainee solicitor in the late 1970s, during the Winter of Discontent and at the beginning of Margaret Thatcher’s term as UK Prime Minister, to Magic Circle partner by the mid-80s, and through until the end of the decade. He discusses the stark differences between his experience and what lawyers face today, but also the similarly testing economic and social environments at that time and now.
If you’re unfamiliar with the BNOCs of law-gram, rest assured that Lucy Cole (also known as @lucydoeslaw) is one of them. With nearly 10,000 followers, the future Clifford Chance trainee is known for embracing Instagram’s Stories, TV and Reels features to share her study and application tips with the masses.
In this episode of The Legal Cheek Podcast, Lucy looks back at her studygramming journey so far, explaining how she copes with the pressures of social media and her advice to those wanting to follow in her footsteps.
After more than a year of working from home, the traditional side of the sector seems set to embrace a new ‘new normal’: hybrid working. But will this be enough for lawyers in traditional firms? Or will their new taste for flexibility drive them to NewLaw firms, such as Level, that are shaking-up the traditional ways of working in law? In this podcast, Level’s founding partners Dan Lowen and Morris Bentata share their predictions ahead of today’s virtual conference, Living Room Law. We also hear from the Level’s head of growth, Amy Sullivan, who discusses the firm's new training contract, which embraces the new SQE approach to qualification.
Shortly after training at a magic circle law firm, Coker had an epiphany: a busy career in commercial law shouldn’t require sacrificing doing the things you love. Since then, Coker has joined the new wave of lawyers doing things differently, as she now balances life as a legal consultant for Re:link, Linklaters’ network of flexible lawyers working on a regular fixed term basis, alongside her photography, art and lifestyle business. On the latest episode of The Legal Cheek Podcast, Coker looks back on her search for flexibility, and reveals what it takes to become a contracting lawyer.
