In the final episode of Let's Talk Law, we are joined by current King's Law student, Fran Clark, and Adam Kayani (Barrister and Director of Leducate) to celebrate the power of volunteering and the far-reaching benefits it brings to those giving up their time and, most importantly, beneficiaries.

We learn about Leducate, an educational charity that aims to promote an understanding of everyday legal rights among secondary school-aged students in England and Wales. The charity believes that empowering young people with knowledge of their legal rights and responsibilities in day-to-day situations can change their future and enable them to become thriving members of society.

And last, but by no means least, as editor of Leducate's online publication Leducate Explains, Fran discusses why she is committed to volunteering, the skills and knowledge she is learning as a consequence, and why fellow students should consider getting involved with charities. Fran also tells us what she has learned from being a loyal listener of the Let's Talk Law podcast!

In episode 12, we speak with Roshiny Panchalingam who studied Law at King's and graduated in 2012. After a short stint within a government organisation and an international publishing company, Roshiny went on to study the LPC at the University of Law. She completed a six-seat training contract at Squire Patton Boggs, undertaking an international secondment in Brussels and a client secondment at top British beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury, qualifying as a commercial solicitor in 2018. After some more time spent in private practice, Roshiny made the move in-house to online retailer Net-A-Porter and most recently has joined the globally-renowned luxury retailer Selfridges where she practices as a general commercial legal counsel.

We hear about Roshiny's student experience, how she made her work experience relevant to her goal to pursue a legal career, the realities of dealing with disappointments in assessment processes, and developing a career in-house within the Retail sector.

In episode 11, we speak with Jade Williams-Adedeji who graduated from King's in 2001 and is now a partner and head of the Real Estate team at Sidley Austin LLP. Jade's practice covers all aspects of commercial real estate investment, mainly for private equity investors and lenders. Last year, Jade was awarded the “Real Estate Lawyer of the Year” award at the Women in Business Law EMEA Awards. In addition, Jade is recognised as a “Next Generation Partner” for Commercial Property: Investment in The Legal 500 UK 2023.

In a wide ranging interview, we discuss Jade's practice, what partners expect from successful interview candidates, her dedication to pro bono work, and her role as a Peer Supporter at LawCare, the mental wellbeing charity for the legal community.

In episode 10, we speak with Neel Rokad, an assistant advocate in the Barristers team at Browne Jacobson.  Neel was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in March 2022.  In addition to his legal experience, Neel draws on a broad professional background, having worked in management consultancy and the Department for Exiting the European Union before obtaining an MSc in Mental Health, Ethics & Law at King’s College London. Neel studied for his LLB at the University of Exeter.

We talk about Neel's ambitions to become a barrister, the benefits he has derived from his prior work experience, and how important it is to pursue your passions and the path which energises you.

In episode 9, we speak with Karolina Wasikowska who studied the LLB at King’s College London, graduating in 2017.  After her Law degree, Karolina pursued an LLM in Entertainment Law at the University of Westminster.  In autumn 2020, after being made redundant from her previous job, Karolina was offered an internship at an immigration law firm. This position brought her into the world of immigration and has been a direct result of her current job as a Senior Associate at Vialto Partners, a global mobility services firm. 

We hear about Karolina's student experience, including her involvement with the KCL Sherlock Society!  We also discuss the realities of job hunting and how this often leads to feelings of anxiety.  Finally, we talk about having a different perspective and the importance of accepting that everyone has their own path in their professional life.

In episode 8, we speak with Nicola Solomou who graduated from King’s with a LLB in 2014, which included an Erasmus year in Sweden.  Nicola completed her Training Contract at Trowers & Hamlins LLP, where she qualified as a solicitor in the Tax and Private Wealth department.  After two years as a solicitor, Nicola pursued an MSc in Comparative Criminal  Justice at Leiden University.  In 2021, she founded Silverpen Careers, an education and career consultancy with global outreach.  In addition to running Silverpen, Nicola is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Law.

In a wide ranging discussion, we talk about Nicola's legal career, her international trainee secondments in Bahrain and Dubai, and becoming a trusted legal advisor.  We also hear about Nicola's motivation for establishing Silverpen, and how she believes that identifying and owning your skill set can lead to more opportunities.  

In episode 7, we speak with Rachel Tong, a future trainee at Clifford Chance.  Rachel grew up in Hong Kong and moved to London in 2019. She has a degree in Politics and graduated from King’s in 2022. During her time at King’s, Rachel was the co-president of the Lawyers Without Borders Student Division and the president of the Streetlaw Society. She also co-founded the Environmental Law and Regulation Society at King’s in her final year.  

Rachel is currently studying for the PgDL at the University of Law and will start her training contract in August 2024.  She has recently founded the Buddy Up Initiative to help students attain advice from lawyers.   We discuss Rachel's experience of her time at King's, her proactive approach to hunting out relevant work experience for her chosen profession, and the importance of making things happen for yourself.

In episode 6, we talk to Eleanor Tack who graduated from King's with a degree in International Relations.  In 2022, Eleanor graduated from BPP University with a Distinction in the Post Graduate Diploma in Law, funded by a Queen Mother Scholarship from Middle Temple. Eleanor currently sits as a Judicial Assistant to Justice Theron at the Constitutional Court of South Africa and intends to return to the UK to pursue a career at the Bar, building a practice focusing on public law.  

During her time at King's, Eleanor launched a series of events focusing on diversity and inclusion at the Bar in her role as Vice President of the KCL Bar & Mooting Society. It is through this work that Eleanor met Mass Ndow-Njie and joined a group of young barristers in launching Bridging the Bar in August 2020, charity which works to diversify the legal profession. As Head of Marshalling on the Executive Committee, Eleanor secured and developed the first Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court internship programmes. In 2022 Eleanor spearheaded the first BTB Academy in her interim role of Programmes Coordinator.   

We discuss Eleanor's role at Bridging the Bar as well as her career aspirations to become a barrister.  We also discuss having courage over confidence, and the importance of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

In episode 5, we speak with Liz Barrett who studied Law at King’s College London as a mature student, graduating in 2019.  Prior to this she had a protracted period of illness which curtailed her life, including her education and career – but since her recovery in 2014 she gained the necessary qualifications to attend university and undertook various work experiences including vacation schemes and several mini-pupillages. 

Liz qualified as a solicitor in 2022 at Mishcon de Reya LLP into their Family team, having trained at the firm. Liz regularly mentors those both inside and outside her firm and is an active part of her firm's Social Mobility Committee. She is a keen advocate for those with untapped potential from under-represented backgrounds reaching their version of success – and founded a blog with this aim in mind – Silks And The City; providing advice from everything from applications to wellbeing. 

We talk about Liz's mission to give the "voiceless a voice", what being a Family law expert is all about, and the importance of testing and growing your own skills.

In episode 4, we speak with Zoe Sinclair, the Founder of Employees Matter which is the leading provider of seminars, workshops and webinars promoting and inspiring a healthy and happy alliance between living and working. Born of a passion to support employees in the context of work/life balance, Employees Matter was launched to help the corporate world help their employees to get that balance right. Prior to that Zoe studied History at King's College London and then worked at the BBC in the factual entertainment department making television programmes for 10 years. In 2017 Zoe set up This Can Happen, aiming to empower workplace mental health specifically.

In a wide ranging interview, we discuss life at King's, the realities of working within the media, and Zoe's passion for wellbeing and mental health.  We also talk about the efforts being made by employers, including the legal sector, to support their employees in order that they can thrive.