Courses for aspiring lawyers - what would you like to see?

Scroll to see replies

My concern is that I think is that it won’t break BPP/UoLs grip. So far, from the conversations I have had very few prestigious unis are willing to incorporate SQE1 into their academic courses, particularly given pass rates from the universities will be made publicly available.

Enjoy the conference?

Reply 21

Perseverance

Original post by J-SP

Ummm honestly? No....

No wonder legal education and training is in the state it is (and that’s not just down to the SRA). Everyone just seemed to complain/moan (slight irony here as I am doing the same), there was a huge lack of diversity there (pretty much a room filled of middle aged, middle class, white people), and the big elephant in the room (SQE) wasn’t really addressed beyond people moaning about it. It also had a horrendous bias towards commercial law.

Although I didn’t sit in it, the Bar session seemed to cause a bit of a stir with what was said there.

I left early because I had enough.

Interesting - I was just talking to someone who attended the conference. He did a write-up on the different sessions, and notably said:

"A lot of people talk about the need for change in the industry but when it comes down to it, people don't really want it to happen because it may threaten what they have now. I got the impression, from sitting in that room and listening to senior legal figures mocking the SQE and the SRA within the safe confines of the echo chamber of the conference, that it didn't matter what changes were really submitted, if they were wholesale then they would find criticisms of it and paint it as bad"

I thought that was quite striking.

What happened in the Bar session (if you can share)?

Reply 22

Perseverance

Original post by J-SP

I’d be interested to know who wrote that! I agree with them.

The only person who really made me listen was the Head of Durham Law School because he was funny and engaging - but he benefitted from having an earlier session. I then had to listen for several other academics basically repeat the same thing over and over again but in a more boring format.

They also seemed to conveniently run out of time when everyone wanted to quiz the SRA (who were as vague as ever).

I wasn’t at the Bar session so can’t comment directly but apparently by the reaction of many as I was leaving, Steven Barrett came out with some comments that made people think they had turned up in some kind of satirical event.

He's a smart guy, about to start at one of the more infamous legal tech/AI companies going around at the moment! Funnily enough, I first met him on TSR.

He posted the full write-up on my site - happy to share if you want - although he is generally more positive about the event (just not so much the SQE squabbling).

I will say you've made me feel better about not being able to attend!

Reply 23

Perseverance

Original post by J-SP

I’ll have a look at your site and see his views. I think if you are tech minded you probably are someone who appreciated it more given the tech focus at times. I’ve made a few business contacts out of it, so for that it was probably worthwhile. But I could have easily just hung outside in the networking breaks to do that.

Just read it: I echo the comments on your site. Everyone knows there are fundamental flaws in the system at the moment and that actually recruiting diverse talent into law firm is tricky when you have existing standards/preferences/processes in place that you are unwilling to get rid of. The demands for change contradict certain attitudes and the inability to be more risk adverse/make compromises.

The SRA are royally screwing the whole SQE process up though so I do understand the frustrations of the audience and speakerS. I can’t see it being anywhere near ready for 2020 and the first apprentices should be able to take SQE1 by 2021.

Before Christmas, I was speaking to the senior partner in charge of social mobility at my old firm. She wanted opinions from trainees about how the firm could better recruit diverse talent. I remember struggling to explain what it’s like to enter the corporate world when you’ve come from a very different background, and how hard it is to overcome that feeling of being the odd one out.

I can see why it's hard for firms to take bigger steps; the decisions become a lot more uncertain, expensive and hard to justify to everyone else. That's especially true if you're a small voice championing a cause in a big law firm, and also if you're one law firm competing against a big pack.

I'd give a lot of credit to organisations like Aspiring Solicitors, SEO London and Rare for improving things. I just hope if they keep chipping away, law firms will start tackling the bigger issues.