The pace of change in the legal profession means that lawyers joining the profession need to address core skills around technology and process that simply weren’t relevant even ten years ago. At the same time, some commercial capabilities are more important than ever, particularly in a fee-crunched environment where clients are demanding more for less.
We gathered a panel of experts to offer advice to students embarking on a career in the legal world, with John Watkins, Director of Employability, University of Law; Marie Scott, Partner, Nabarro; Cameron Stocks, Pupil barrister, Hardwicke; and Paul Cannons, Careers Consultant, BPP University. They discussed the enduring importance of communication skills, the impact of direct access on the Bar, the effect of the trend towards legal process management and more.
The legal industry refuses to stand still, and alongside these core skills, aspiring lawyers must be aware of the ways in which the sector is changing. Our panel, including myself, Charles Christian of Legal IT Insider, Matthew Whalley, Director, Legal Risk, EY, and Jimmy Vestbirk, of Legal Geek and F-Lex, discussed how the legal industry is evolving, and how you can adapt to it. Might working in a law centre help you to learn how to distill which area of your legal training an issue concerns? What can you learn from in-house lawyers, whose budget constraints give them a focused and business-oriented approach to individual matters? Check out these videos to learn more about how you can prepare yourself for the rigours of a changing profession.
