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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/ Fewer than half of UK bar students secure pupillage within five years of starting their training. With fees rising and success rates varying widely between course providers, should aspiring barristers think twice before enrolling? This week on the Legal Cheek podcast, editor Tom Connelly sits down with writer Saul Agar-Ward, recent Bar Course graduate and future pupil barrister, to unpack the Bar Standards Board’s latest bar training report. How much does your choice of provider, or your degree classification, shape your chances? Is average tuition of £17,600 a sensible investment given the odds? And is it smarter to secure pupillage before signing up for the course at all? In this episode, we look at the competition for pupillage and the role of providers. We also cover the BSB’s plans for a full review of the bar training system, and the potential changes we would like to see.

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/ When it comes to pursuing a legal career, there's no one-size-fits-all approach, with personal interests, strengths and ambitions all playing a part in the decision. Legal Cheek writers Nadia Ismail, a future trainee solicitor, and Saul Agar-Ward, a future pupil barrister, sit down to explore the solicitor and barrister routes, sharing their own journeys into law and what ultimately drew them towards their respective careers. From collaborative, client-facing work in law firms to the independence and advocacy associated with the Bar, what are the key differences between the two professions? What are the advantages and challenges of each route, and how can aspiring lawyers work out which path best suits their interests, personalities and preferred ways of working? We discuss our experiences of studying law, navigating the qualification process and deciding between the two professions, alongside the realities of each career, the importance of gaining practical experience and the factors students should consider before making their choice.

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 battle for junior legal talent is pushing NQ salaries to new heights. Legal Cheek writer Nadia Ismail sits down with Legal Cheek editor Tom Connelly to unpack the latest findings from the 2027 Firms Most List, looking at what newly qualified solicitors are earning across more than 110 of the UK’s leading law firms. With average NQ pay now sitting at around £119,000, 50 firms increasing salaries since last year and 64 firms paying their London NQs at least six figures, what does the data tell us about the battle for junior legal talent? And with US firms continuing to dominate the very top of the table, how wide is the gap becoming across the market? We discuss the firms leading the pay table, the rise of six-figure NQ salaries, the growing divide between US and UK firms, London versus regional pay, whether bigger salaries inevitably mean bigger expectations, and what continued investment in junior lawyers might tell us amid all the talk of AI and automation.

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/ Big salaries may grab the headlines, but what does life as a junior lawyer actually look like day to day? Legal Cheek writer Nadia Ismail sits down with Legal Cheek founder Alex Aldridge to unpack the findings from Legal Cheek’s latest Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey, drawing on more than 2,000 anonymous responses from juniors across 110+ law firms. How closely are pay and working hours linked? Are late nights simply part of the bargain at the highest-paying firms? And how different can life look at firms where juniors are typically logging off much earlier? We discuss the trade-off between salary and work-life balance, the variation in working patterns across the legal market, and what aspiring lawyers should think about when deciding what they want from a future firm.

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 SRA has announced changes to SQE1, cutting the number of questions from 360 to 340 after candidate feedback that the assessment can feel rushed and pressurised. Legal Cheek writer Nadia Ismail sits down with editor Tom Connelly to discuss the changes, drawing on Nadia’s own experience of preparing for and sitting SQE1 before the new format was introduced. Did the exam feel rushed? Will 20 fewer questions really make much difference? And should the SRA go further, including allowing candidates to sit and pay for FLK1 and FLK2 separately? They discuss exam-day pressure, the sheer volume of content candidates are expected to learn, the financial burden of the SQE and whether greater flexibility could make the route to qualification more manageable without lowering standards.

The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thatcher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible: https://ukearlycareers.stblaw.com/ Training contract numbers across 100 Legal Cheek Most List firms have fallen by 2% this year, but what is really driving this decline, and why is it not as dramatic as we may have expected? In this episode, Legal Cheek founder and publisher Alex Aldridge sits down with events co-ordinator Hannah Thompson to dissect the latest figures and what they mean for future lawyers. Everyone is talking about AI as a disruptive force in the graduate recruitment market but is its influence being overstated? To what extent is the rapid growth of solicitor apprenticeships behind the 2% decrease? And how do these figures fit into the wider graduate jobs market? Together, they discuss the trends behind the data and why the outlook for aspiring solicitors may be brighter than headlines suggest.

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/ Starting the PGDL this September? Here's everything you'll need to know! Legal Cheek writer and PGDL graduate Lydia Fontes sits down with events co-ordinator Molly Jamieson to talk all things law conversion -- from what your weeks will look like as a PGDL student, to the best strategies for staying on top of the (copious!) reading. Molly, who will be embarking on her conversion this September, discusses her anxieties about starting the course as well as what she's most looking forward to. The pair talk about what makes law conversions different to an undergraduate degree and share study schedules and revision techniques that will give you the best chance of success.

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/ Should you start the SQE if you do not have a training contract lined up? Legal Cheek writer Nadia Ismail sits down with events coordinator Hannah Thompson to discuss her experience of self funding the SQE before securing a training contract, from why she decided to start straight after university to the realities of balancing studying with applications, interviews and assessment centres. How much should the financial commitment factor into the decision? Does completing the SQE make any difference when applying for training contracts? And what other routes to qualification are available if you do not have a TC? We discuss the pressures of taking the SQE without a training contract, qualifying work experience, the traditional training contract route and the circumstances in which self funding might, or might not, be the right choice.

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/ Last year 3,912 aspiring barristers applied for pupillage. Only 287 got it. Entry to the bar has never been more competitive, so what can aspiring barristers do to improve their odds? Applying for pupillage takes more than a strong CV: candidates need knowledge, grit, and a healthy dose of luck. So, what should first-time applicants (or those going again) bear in mind? Legal Cheek’s Lydia Fontes is joined by fellow LC writer and future pupil barrister Saul Agar-Ward, who talks through his own path to pupillage: what worked, what didn’t, and the advice he’d give to anyone else taking the plunge. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 📣 Meet 40 top chambers at our Virtual Pupillage Fair on Thursday 8 October (2-5pm)! Sign up now: https://www.legalcheek.com/fair/the-legal-cheek-virtual-pupillage-fair-series/

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/

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/

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.

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.

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.

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.