Wherever you wind up doing your training contract, understanding the way what’s happening around the world relates to the law is important. So important, in fact, that the phrase ‘commercial awareness’ is probably something you’ll grow pretty sick of hearing. But wrapping your head around the legal aspects of current events is something that every aspiring lawyer will need to learn how to do, and at international firms like White & Case, it’s more important than ever. In this podcast, we sit down with trainees at the firm to find out more about how to broaden your perspective, and, most importantly, how to show it off to recruiters.

This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

In a Chambers Student podcast special for International Women’s Day, barrister Abimbola Johnson shares her experiences of life at the Bar with Chambers Student’s Chelsey Stanborough. They discuss the ups and downs of barrister life, her experiences as a working mother, and what has motivated her throughout her professional life (including her move from criminal law to public inquiry and inquest work). Chelsey and Abimbola also delve into the importance of diversity within the courtroom and how the conversation around representation has changed in Abimbola’s decade at the Bar. And finally, Abimbola provides great nuggets of wisdom into getting prepared for the trials and tribulations of barrister life!

In the 2020-21 season, the RFU reported that there was an average of 22.2 concussions per 1,000 hours of game play in professional rugby, the highest since records started in 2002. While rugby organisations have taken steps to reduce the risk of head injuries, research suggests that players are at a high risk of sustaining multiple sub concussive impacts, and the long-term health implications that come as a result. Now, 225 former professional rugby union players have launched legal proceedings against World Rugby, the WRU and the RFU for failing to adequately protect players from these risks.

This week, Chambers Student's Taiwo Oshodi looks into Exxon Mobil's challenge to the EU's windfall tax on energy firms, and the implications of the case for energy lawyers.

Chambers Student's Chelsey Stanborough speaks with trainees from Womble Bond Dickinson up and down the country about what’s it like training to be a lawyer outside of London. The full-service firm has seven offices nationwide (plus ties in the US). Chelsey speaks to Kiera Dodds in Newcastle, George Laidlaw in Southampton, Olivia Matano in Bristol and Josh Coleman in Leeds. This trainee-led discussion focuses on their experiences working in regional offices, firm culture, and lifestyle in the different cities.

This podcast is part of the Exploring the Regions article series on our website.

In this week's Memo, Taiwo Oshodi looks at the implications of the UK government's move to challenge Scotland's gender recognition bill.

Chambers Student catches up with three BPP students to get their reflections on SQE2 and the SQE as a whole. They share their experiences of the exams and prep course, dig into the biggest differences between SQE1 and SQE2, and share their top tips for success.

Whether it’s shaking off the ‘trainee’ badge for a while, getting a better understanding of a client’s business or building your network as a lawyer, there are plenty of good reasons to consider a client secondment as a part of your training contract. In this podcast, Isaac Hickford speaks to Olivia Watson and Louise Clarke, two former client secondees and now associates at Addleshaw Goddard, to find out more about their experience.

Olivia Watson – Associate, Finance (Edinburgh)

In this episode, we explore the ways in which applicants can utilise their ‘differences’ to stand out during applications and interviews. We’re joined by Rosie Buckley and Natalie Chalmers from Dentons’ Early Careers team, and trainee solicitors Amanda Kingsley and Fattah Abdulattif who each shed some light on the application process, including how to start thinking about what your differences may be, how to best showcase these in your applications, and Amanda and Fattah’s tried-and-tested techniques.

In this Memo podcast special, we outline the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX, highlight the key findings from its bankruptcy filing, and reflect on what impact this may have on crypto market regulation.