The Legal Cheek Podcast

Legal Cheek
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

Legal news, law firm insights and events. Weekly podcast about the big issues affecting the legal sector and beyond, featuring Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge, editor Tom Connelly and writers Julia Szaniszlo and Ryan Scott, as well as special guests. The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible.

  1. 2d ago

    What to expect on the SQE — from someone who’s passed it

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ As the new SQE intake approaches, so do the inevitable nerves about what lies ahead. Legal Cheek writers Nadia Ismail and Ryan Scott sit down to discuss what students can expect from SQE1, with Nadia sharing her experience of preparing for and sitting the assessment. How do you manage the sheer volume of content? What does studying for SQE1 actually look like week to week? And what should you expect from the exam itself? We talk study techniques, practice questions, mock scores, last-minute revision, exam-day stamina and the advice Nadia would give to anyone feeling anxious about getting started. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📣 Meet 50+ leading law firms at our September Virtual Law Fair on Wednesday 2 September (2-5pm)!! Sign up now: ⁠https://www.legalcheek.com/fair/the-legal-cheek-uk-virtual-law-fair-series/

  2. Aug 4

    How to secure a training contract this application cycle

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ As the autumn approaches, so does the 2026-27 training contract application cycle. Legal Cheek publisher, Alex Aldridge, and writer, Lydia Fontes, share the tips and tricks that will give you the best chance at securing an elusive training contract this year. How many firms should you apply to? When should you start applying? What does commercial awareness actually mean and how do you acquire it? We have the answer to all these questions and more! We talk playing the graduate recruitment game, standing out in applications, understanding how law firms work to give you the edge in your applications this year. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📣 Meet 50+ leading law firms at our September Virtual Law Fair on Wednesday 2 September (2-5pm)!! Sign up now: https://www.legalcheek.com/fair/the-legal-cheek-uk-virtual-law-fair-series/

  3. Jul 30

    Is the CPS a good place to start your career as a trainee lawyer?

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have just expanded their trainee solicitor numbers by 50% from 80 places to 120. The pay is some way off global law firm levels, and the office will no doubt be less slick than the City’s glass and steel palaces, but many future lawyers may find the opportunity enticing – particularly at a time when AI is threatening to eat into graduate jobs. Legal Cheek’s Alex Aldridge and Julia Szaniszlo weigh the pros and cons of starting your career with the CPS vs a conventional law firm training contract. In particular, they consider how the CPS would be perceived on rookie lawyers' CVs and whether the experience could be used as a launchpad to a City firm.

  4. Jul 22

    What the lawyer picks in Andy Burnham's Cabinet tell us about the way he will govern

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ Andy Burnham’s newly announced Cabinet features three lawyers, a former trainee solicitor who didn’t finish his training contract and a non-lawyer who’s been given the role of Lord Chancellor (aka Secretary of State for Justice). What do their backgrounds tell us about the way the new Prime Minister will govern? Legal Cheek editor Tom Connelly and publisher Alex Aldridge draw upon their experiences covering the legal market in depth over the last decade and beyond to answer this question. They consider how Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and new Attorney General Ellie Reeves both started out at the same chambers as rookie barristers. And they delve into the controversy around new Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who previously claimed to be a solicitor despite never actually qualifying. The pair also explore why the Lord Chancellor job – traditionally the preserve of legal professionals – has gone to a non-lawyer.

  5. Jul 17

    From lawyer to plasterer?! Why do so many quit law?

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ Over the years, Legal Cheek has reported on dozens of ex-lawyers who have left the profession for something completely different -- heading into the arts, opening restaurants, moving into content creation and, in one case, becoming a clown?! But this week, a story in The Times about former legal director Richard Wetherell leaving his career as a personal injury lawyer to become a lime plasterer got us thinking about why lawyers walk away from a profession that is so often associated with prestige, security and high salaries. Legal Cheek’s Ryan Scott and Tom Connelly are back to discuss Wetherell’s unusual career change, alongside other examples of lawyers who have quit law to run an independent publishing house, set up their own bakeries, become classical painters and pivot into lawtech. They also explore the bigger questions behind these career changes: why do some lawyers leave law after spending years trying to get in? Is it burnout, work-life balance, a lack of fulfilment, or the pull of doing something more creative and meaningful? And, on the flip side, the pair consider why ex-lawyers are often well placed to succeed in other fields — from their work ethic and dedication to their ability to perform under pressure and win over clients. Ultimately, this week’s episode asks whether leaving law should really be seen as walking away from success, or simply redefining what success looks like.

  6. Jul 10

    Why Prince Harry’s lawfare was a BIG MISTAKE

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ It's been well reported in the UK media that Prince Harry has been waging war on Britain's press establishment in a series of protracted legal battles fought out in the High Court and beyond. Whilst he's had a few victories along the way, namely a settlement in 2025 against the Sun's publishers, News Group Newspapers, and a win against Mirror Group Newspapers in 2023, his latest action against the press (or as he puts it “slay the dragon”!) has been unsuccessful. In 2022, Harry, alongside seven fellow claimants, accused the Associated Newspapers Ltd, publishers of the Daily Mail, the Mail Online, and Mail on Sunday, of “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information-gathering”. Four years and an eleven-week High Court trial later, all 97 allegations were dismissed by Mr Justice Nicklins, who found that the claimants failed to prove any unlawful conduct on the part of ANL. What's more, this ordeal has reportedly racked up legal costs of £50 million! Given everything at stake, is litigation really effective enough at holding the press - or anyone- accountable to outweigh the costs of such a lengthy, expensive process? Alex Aldridge and Julia Szaniszlo are back to discuss the nuances of this story, what the true cost of litigation can be, who really wins and loses in the process, and why, ultimately, it can be a very costly mistake.

  7. Jul 7

    Better together? The hidden headaches of mega mergers

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ Law firm mergers are often presented as a neat equation: bigger platform, bigger clients, bigger profits. But behind the slick press releases and carefully worded announcements, the reality of combining two major firms is usually far more complicated. And with Winston Taylor going live on 1 June, Ashurst Perkins Coie launching on 29 June, and Hogan Lovells Cadwalader following on 1 July, mega mergers are again dominating the legal headlines. These are some of the biggest law firm tie-ups in history — but what actually happens when (as the Spice Girls would say) two become one? Legal Cheek’s Julia Szaniszlo and Ryan Scott are back to unpack the hidden challenges behind the merger hype. From partner politics and pay structures to client conflicts, office overlaps, tech headaches, rebrands, redundancies and culture clashes, this week’s episode asks whether law firm mergers really create stronger firms — or whether “better together” is sometimes easier said than done.

  8. Jun 30

    How did Keir Starmer become a top barrister when he was so bad as Prime Minister?

    The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ Stereotypes are rarely fair or accurate. However, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the stereotype of a barrister (charismatic, well-spoken, intelligent beyond compare) is an accurate one. For professionals who spend their lives advocating before judges and juries in high-stakes public fora, you'd think that would make them some of the most capable leaders imaginable. However, Keir Starmer (in the eyes of the British public, at the very least) seems to have dodged that particular reputation. In fact, given his high-profile legal roles, why is it that his tenure as prime minister has been marred by ridicule over his communication style and public presentation? Whilst not here to comment on the particularities of his politics, Alex Aldridge and Julia Szaniszlo are back to discuss what it really means to be a barrister, whether the above stereotypes ring true, and why it is that so many barristers seem to end up in politics.

See All (61)

About

Legal news, law firm insights and events. Weekly podcast about the big issues affecting the legal sector and beyond, featuring Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge, editor Tom Connelly and writers Julia Szaniszlo and Ryan Scott, as well as special guests. The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible.

Information

  • Creator
    Legal Cheek
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Legal Cheek
  • Show Website
    The Legal Cheek Podcast

You Might Also Like