In Part 2 of this special episode we are joined by Louise Carreras, Simon Reichwald, and Nigel Spencer, talent development experts in the legal sector.  The guests share their insights on how students and early career lawyers can best develop – and demonstrate – “commercial awareness”.  The team discuss what “commercial awareness” means in 2025, what employers are now looking for when you apply for a job, and the importance of building good habits to develop your readiness to succeed in the workplace.  Louise, Simon and Nigel talk about how employers are now wanting people to demonstrate “work readiness”, and describe the daily behaviours which will demonstrate this capability in a work environment.  Also discussed is how you can find examples of “work readiness” from your different previous experiences either whilst you are studying or in previous job roles.  Finally, Louise talks about how employers review job applications and what they are seeking in the different recruitment exercises they design, giving tips on how the succeed with your job applications – and then thrive once you begin a job.    Actions and resources for listeners:

·         Explore one of the free “job simulations” at Forage – to demonstrate you are commercial, and “work ready” for the organization you selected, what skills do you think you need to demonstrate?
·         Try one of the “Virtual Work Experience” programmes at Springpod – What did you learn about the organization? Did anything surprise you? What did you really like?
·         Check the blog “Is commercial awareness really that important?” from law firm Shoosmiths.  How many of the 5 tips listed there do you do already to develop your “commercial awareness”?  Which tip could you do more of in the next month?

 In Part 1 of this special episode we are joined by Louise Carreras, Simon Reichwald, and Nigel Spencer, talent development experts in the legal sector.  The guests share their insights on how students and early career lawyers can best develop – and demonstrate – “commercial awareness”.  The team discuss what “commercial awareness” means in 2025, what employers are now looking for when you apply for a job, and the importance of building good habits to develop your readiness to succeed in the workplace.  Louise, Simon and Nigel talk about how employers are now wanting people to demonstrate “work readiness”, and describe the daily behaviours which will demonstrate this capability in a work environment.  Also discussed is how you can find examples of “work readiness” from your different previous experiences either whilst you are studying or in previous job roles.  Finally, Louise talks about how employers review job applications and what they are seeking in the different recruitment exercises they design, giving tips on how the succeed with your job applications – and then thrive once you begin a job.   

Actions and resources for listeners:
 
·         Explore one of the free “job simulations” at Forage – to demonstrate you are commercial, and “work ready” for the organization you selected, what skills do you think you need to demonstrate?
·         Try one of the “Virtual Work Experience” programmes at Springpod – What did you learn about the organization? Did anything surprise you? What did you really like? 
·         Check the blog “Is commercial awareness really that important?” from law firm Shoosmiths.  How many of the 5 tips listed there do you do already to develop your “commercial awareness”?  Which tip could you do more of in the next month?

 In this special episode we are joined by Adam Allegri and Flavio Cultrera Muñoz, Legal Counsel in the In-House legal team at Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm.  The guests share their insights on how students can succeed best in their first workplace experiences.  We discuss how best to prepare, and then succeed in a first work role: questions you can ask, and the great daily habits and skills to build to help you to thrive in your first job.
 
Adam and Flavio talk about a range of areas to focus on: the importance of building networks, and making time for face-to-face meetings to learn from others.  We also explore the power of observing experienced colleagues around you – helping you to make the best choices in terms of your style of communication or contribute to meetings and calls.  How you “show up” on Day 1 is discussed, and there is a practical list of questions you should ask in advance of starting to maximise your chances of success.  The episode also explores challenges including how you can work effectively with multiple supervisors or master working in an open-plan working environment.   Lastly, Adam and Flavio share their thoughts on the critical point of being hungry to learn about the organisation you have joined, its values and purpose, and what drives its success – and never forgetting that above all you will succeed by building great relationships across different teams as you develop your role.
 
 Actions and resources for listeners:
·         After listening to the episode, explore the Gensler website – if you were starting a job there in two weeks’ time, what questions would you ask your “Buddy” or “Mentor” on Day 1?
·         Review this checklist of 13 tips: check the list before you start a role – and then after you begin your role, check it again to see how well you are doing on the key aspects, giving yourself a score out of 10!

Law students and trainee solicitors need to understand how AI interacts with legal practice.  This includes how it works, which tools are best for which tasks and the ethical implications. This episode explores all these issues and more!

Law students and trainees will need to be able to use different AI tools ethically, efficiently and competently.   Learning how to do this should start in Law School. 

In this episode Catriona Filmer from Field Fisher LLP and Jimin Park (QMUL on placement at Simmons and Simmons) go through the nuts and bolts of AI in legal practice and how it is being used ‘on the ground’. They break down this big and sometimes overwhelming topic into digestible discussion.  Lawyers are having to understand this new skill set to get the best out of AI and navigate this new world.  That doesn’t mean coding but does mean understanding the framework and crucially the ethical implications.  Also understanding how AI might impact different aspects of our legal profession from high street to city law firms.   

They discuss how AI works from tokens, predictive models and context windows.  From this it is easier to understand the advantages and disadvantages of different AI tools to legal practice.   

We always encourage listeners to undertake practical actions after listening to the episode.
Here are a few suggestions. 
-       Look at the free online courses / resources prepared by the Open University alongside law firms such as Field Fisher. https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/index.php?categoryid=2150&_gl=1*1kwmwvu*_gcl_au*MTA4MDE3Njk5Ny4xNzU1NDk3MjQ5   -       Test different AI models to see the inherent biases – analyse the information which is produced.  

This episode welcomes Karen Watton (QMUL) and Prof. Emily Allbon (City St Georges University) to talk us through what is meant by legal design and how it can benefit both law students and the public.

The law is for everyone but structures can make it hard for everyone to access the legal system. Legal design is an increasingly popular methodology, helping to improve the mindset and output that lawyers can give. 

In this episode Karen Watton (Queen Mary University of London) and Professor Emily Allbon (City St Georges University) explain the important role that legal design has in creating systems around the law that work for the end user.  This episode discusses the design thinking methodology, the skills students can gain from looking at things afresh and examining a legal scenario from the perspective of the end user.   

We always encourage listeners to undertake practical actions after listening to the episode. Here are a few suggestions. 
-        Learn to pay attention. One trick is to take an everyday object e.g. a biro lid and draw it 50 times.
-        Learn how to listen actively. Practice listening actively.
-        Look at an agreement you just made (e.g. an app or gym membership) and think about how helpful that was for you.  How could it be improved? 

Useful resources
 -        Law Bore https://lawbore.net/ - a website directory of law for undergraduate law students.
-        Home - Design the Law Nepal
-        Coltsfoot Vale - The Land Law Story Map – the land law story map.
-        Tl;dr - https://tldr.legal/home which includes an interactive map on Kyla’s Essay Journey.
-        The Brexit Comic Strip Brexit: The Comic Strip - tl;dr - The Less Textual Legal Gallery
-        Design in Legal Education - The Book - Design in Legal Education
-        THE LEGAL DESIGN BOOK – Doing Law In The 21st Century – featuring qLegal’s case study in the field work section.
-        Privacy Policy – Ambessa Play – A children’s privacy policy.
-        Expanding Legal Design at qLegal: From volunteering to curriculum - qLegal – A news story about qLegal’s legal design module at Queen Mary University of London.  

In this episode of ReImagine Law, we sit down with Peter Walsh and Pravina Pathmanathan from CMS to explore how one of the UK’s leading law firms is redefining the future of legal services through innovation and legal technology. Peter and Pravina bring fresh perspectives from outside the legal sector and share how their roles are reshaping a traditionally conservative industry—one idea, prototype, and insight at a time.

🧩 Topics Covered:

1. Getting Into Innovation in Law
Peter and Pravina share their unique career journeys—from consulting and energy to legal innovation—and what drew them to work in a sector poised for transformation.

2. What Innovation Looks Like at a Law Firm
Peter explains how CMS fosters a culture of experimentation within a traditionally risk-averse environment—using tools like Innovation Hours, hackathons, and client co-creation.

3. The Role of Legal Technology
Pravina breaks down the difference between legal tech and innovation, and how the firm leverages products like document automation, AI drafting tools, and client portals to enhance delivery.

4. Delivering Innovation and Tech in Practice
From managing complex stakeholder needs to ensuring legal compliance and data security, Pravina and Peter unpack how CMS integrates innovation and technology into everyday legal operations.

5. Enhancing Client Experience
Learn how CMS is helping clients future-proof their own services—improving speed, transparency, and self-service options to deliver more value and clarity in legal workflows.

🤖 Bonus Topic: The Role of AI in Legal Services

Peter and Pravina discuss the impact of Generative AI and how AI is shifting from a “nice to have” to an expectation across the profession.

 Check out the CMS Training Contract here:

https://cmsemergingtalent.com/programmes/england-wales-ni/training-contract/

In Part 2 of this special episode we are joined by Dr Georgina Tsagas, a UK Accredited Mediator and Consultant Solicitor in England & Wales, expert in company law and sustainability, based in London and working across Europe.  Dr Tsagas gives a fascinating insight into the use of “mediation” as an alternative legal route to settling disputes.  We discuss what mediation is (and isn’t), why clients use this dispute resolution method, the skills needed, and some practical examples of disputes where mediation has been used.
 
In Part 2 of this special episode we are joined by Dr Georgina Tsagas, founder of GT Mediation | Dispute Resolution and a UK Accredited Mediator and Consultant Solicitor in England & Wales, expert in company law and sustainability, based in London and working across Europe. 

We hear how mediation works practically, from evidence gathering to negotiation and closure, and also how “mediator advocates” can be involved in a mediation process (in addition to the mediators themselves).

The skills needed for mediation are explored, and Dr Tsagas offers advice on avenues that can help you build those skills and how to build a career path in this area, including how much experience is often needed to gain such roles. 

Finally, some practical examples are given of cases and types of disputes where mediation can be used successfully, ranging from family business disputes to high-stakes commercial negotiations or international conflicts 

 
Actions and resources for listeners:
 ·       Read the article ‘The Psychology of Resolution: The art of tackling 'Cognitive Dissonance' in the “Conflict No More” Newsletter by GT Mediation | Dispute Resolution.  Which skills as a lawyer do you think will be particularly key in this specific situation?
·       Think about the use of mediation discussed in the episode: research, and then make a list of key reasons why you think it is a particularly useful way to settle a Workplace Conflict dispute between a Manager and a Team Member? For an example of a Workplace Dispute Read ‘Work-Place Bullying: How to spot it, its connection to the S of ESG and what to do about it?’ in the “Conflict No More” Newsletter by GT Mediation | Dispute Resolution.  

In this special 2 part episode, we are joined by Dr Georgina Tsagas, a UK Accredited Mediator and Consultant Solicitor in England & Wales, expert in company law and sustainability, based in London and working across Europe.  Dr Tsagas gives a fascinating insight into the use of “mediation” as an alternative legal route to settling disputes.  We discuss what mediation is (and isn’t), why clients use this dispute resolution method, the skills needed, and some practical examples of disputes where mediation has been used.
 
In this special episode we are joined by Dr Georgina Tsagas, founder of GT Mediation | Dispute Resolution and a UK Accredited Mediator and Consultant Solicitor in England & Wales, expert in company law and sustainability, based in London and working across Europe.  Dr Tsagas gives a fascinating insight into the use of “mediation” as an alternative legal route to settling disputes. 

We discuss what mediation is (and isn’t), why clients use this dispute resolution method, the skills needed, and some practical examples of disputes where mediation has been used.  The episode also explains how mediation is different to other ways to settle disputes, such as arbitration and litigation, including how mediation is linked to the court process in different countries, or is separate from the courts. 

Dr Tsagas gives examples of how different jurisdictions have encouraged people to use mediation to settle disputes, and also explains the benefits, ranging from speed of settling a dispute, to confidentiality, and a route which offers greater flexibility than a formal court process.  We hear how mediation works practically, from evidence gathering to negotiation and closure, and also how “mediator advocates” can be involved in a mediation process (in addition to the mediators themselves). 

The skills needed for mediation are explored, and Dr Tsagas offers advice on avenues that can help you build those skills and how to build a career path in this area, including how much experience is often needed to gain such roles.   Finally, some practical examples are given of cases and types of disputes where mediation can be used successfully, ranging from family business disputes to high-stakes commercial negotiations or international conflicts. 

Actions and resources for listeners:

·       Read the article ‘The Psychology of Resolution: The art of tackling 'Cognitive Dissonance' in the “Conflict No More” Newsletter by GT Mediation | Dispute Resolution.  Which skills as a lawyer do you think will be particularly key in this specific situation?
·       Think about the use of mediation discussed in the episode: research, and then make a list of key reasons why you think it is a particularly useful way to settle a Workplace Conflict dispute between a Manager and a Team Member? For an example of a Workplace Dispute Read ‘Work-Place Bullying: How to spot it, its connection to the S of ESG and what to do about it?’ in the “Conflict No More” Newsletter by GT Mediation | Dispute Resolution.  

This episode welcomes Linden Thomas (University of Birmingham) and John Lunney (Law Society of Ireland) to talk us through Public Legal Education and how lawyers can have a big impact in helping the public to improve their legal literacy.
 
The public are all bound by the law but many individuals and groups do not know how the law impacts them and interacts with their every day life.  Public Legal Education seeks to help the public improve their knowledge of, and confidence with the law, rather than providing specific advice on a specific issue.   

This episode explores the detail of this important movement as well as delving into a subsection of public legal education – Street Law.   We always encourage listeners to undertake practical actions after listening to the episode.
 -        Look at the Moocs hosted by the Law Society of Ireland https://www.lawsociety.ie/mooc
-        Explore the Young Citizen’s website https://www.youngcitizens.org/

Useful resources
-        Definition of Public Legal Education on the Law Society Website. https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/campaigns/public-legal-education 
-        Dr Sean Arthur’s article: Street Law: Creating Tomorrow’s Citizens Today  https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/lewclr19&div=41&g_sent=1&casa_token=zXZmYC7dKX0AAAAA:EfE1sg9Rvwka1t0VlvUWz-okEwQjjMv-KNX2liZzIAFZlvR74Mzes39cjR1IT1mJvyvXx6vY&collection=journals
-        The Kids Aren’t Alright: The 4 Factors Driving a Dangerous Detachment from Democracy. https://www.ukonward.com/reports/the-kids-arent-alright-democracy/
-        Street Law Inc. https://streetlaw.org/  

In this special episode we are joined Savvas Skordellis, Trainee Solicitor at Deloitte Legal, who talks about how he developed in interests for technology and its application in legal practice.  Savvas speaks about how he sought out a degree and Masters course which would allow him to specialise in this area, and also the importance of finding opportunities to apply one’s learning in practice, both within a university context and in the workplace. 

Savvas also gives us an insight into his current role, explaining what it is like to be part of a legal team, and have a training contract, at Deloitte Legal, one of the “Big 4” global advisory firms.  Savvas tells us about his choice of degree programme at the University of South Wales as a very specific, practice-focused one combining both a LLB and the Legal Practice Course – and how he began to become very curious about the impact of technology on legal practice, leading him to undertake a part-time degree in Legal Technology. 

Savvas explains also, as part of this career journey so far, how helpful he has found it to seek out opportunities to apply his academic learning in practice: ranging from opportunities to work in the Legal Advice Centre of his university to studying the Masters part-time whilst working as a Legal Technologist at Addleshaw Goddard.  Finally, Savvas shares why he sought a role in the legal services team of one of the Big 4 advisory businesses, Deloitte, his learning in the role, and how the Training Contract is structured there.  The opportunity to continue to develop his experience in the use of legal technology products is also discussed, including the development of some tools for M&A Due Diligence, which have been recognised at the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards. 

Actions and resources for listeners:
·       Read this interview with a trainee lawyer at Deloitte Legal.  From both this interview, and the current podcast, what do you see as the key skills to succeed at the business?
·       Why do you think the “Big 4” global advisory businesses wanted to enter the legal services market?  Research articles online and think, if you were running the businesses, what would influence your decision?