The Legal Cheek Podcast

Ever since its introduction in 2021, the SQE has been nostranger to controversy. Originally conceived as a way to simplify the pathway to qualification, one of the SRA’s key pledges was a commitment to disclosing the pass rates of individual course providers. However, this promise has been plagued by delays, with disclosure initially set for ‘late 2023’. Legal Cheek’s Julia Szaniszlo and Tom Conne...

Big Law is no stranger to major mergers -- many of the most prestigious City firms were formed through international tie ups and partnerships. However, in the past month legal headlines have been hit by a wave of major law firm tie-ups with a distinctly transatlantic flavour. In this episode, Legal Cheek’s Julia Szanislo and Ryan Scott sit down to discuss the proposed deals between Ashurst and Per...

The Legal Cheek podcast is BACK! This week we kick off by discussing the recent rises in salaries for newly qualified lawyers. We dig into what this means for the legal industry as well as addressing complaints of "salary bunching" from lawyers further up the food chain. And is this continual rise in NQ pay having an affect of the amount of qualifying trainees that firms keep on? We exam...

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 p...

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 &#39...

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. Read the story here: https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/01/buddi...

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-s...

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 : https://www.legalcheek.com/2025/01/law-graduate-rejected-f...

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 : https://www.legalcheek.com/...

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/big-billables-bigger-salaries-are-junior-lawyers-paying-the-price-for-their...

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 im...

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...

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 2...

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...

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 s...

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 Morri...

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 photo...

Students have had a tough time during the pandemic, with many finding that online teaching doesn’t quite match the in-person experience and some disappointed with their universities’ responses to the COVID lockdowns. In law, a group of BPP University students have been particularly vocal with their complaints, publishing an open letter outlining their unhappiness with delivery of the Legal Practic...

Public speaking is a key part of everyday lawyer life – from simple team meetings to advising clients on conference calls. Meanwhile, as remote working continues to reshape the delivery of legal services, clear communication is important now more than ever. In this episode of The Legal Cheek Podcast, City lawyer Eloise Skinner offers tips and tricks to improve your public speaking skills.