The Legal Cheek team discuss NQ salaries, retention rates, financial results and a petition to reform the SQE — listen now

The Legal Cheek Podcast returns this week as publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss this week’s biggest legal news stories as firms have released financial results, trainee retention rates and some have further boosted salaries for newly qualified lawyers.

This week we kick off by discussing the NQ salary rises that firms have announced so far this summer. We dig into what this tells us about how the UK legal industry is performing and how the growing presence of US firms in London impacts these figures. We also address the concept of “salary bunching” as associates complain that their pay hasn’t risen in line with that of NQs.

We ask whether the continual rise in NQ pay may be having an affect of the amount of qualifying trainees that firms keep on, examining some anecdotal reports from our readers that retention rates may be dropping. We discuss the figures which firms have released so far and what they tell us about the NQ market this year.

Finally, we touch on a student-led petition to reform the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE) which has garnered attention from mainstream media outlets as well as from former Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Is this an example of Gen Z snowflake culture (as Braverman suggests) or valid criticism of a flawed set of exams?

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek team discuss AI and the future of legal jobs — listen now

The Legal Cheek Podcast returns this week as publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss two stories that have made the legal news in recent weeks.

In this week’s episode, we dig into the unorthodox tactics of Thomas Isaacs — the aspiring barrister who went viral on LinkedIn for taking his job search back to basics. Is this a brilliant new strategy to get noticed in an increasingly competitive job market? And what is this first-class AI and computer science graduate doing becoming a lawyer in the first place?

We also discuss the news that the “Godfather of AI”, Geoffrey Hinton, told the Diary of a CEO podcast that AI could spell trouble for paralegals, asking how often these sorts of predictions really come true. Is the legal market as vulnerable to AI replacement as is often made out?

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek team explore conflicting advice on AI in the legal profession — listen now

The Legal Cheek podcast returns this week as writers Lydia Fontes and Angus Simpson dig into the issue of AI and lawyers — covering the excitement from tech enthusiasts as well as the growing number of horror stories and cautionary tales told by sceptics. We chat through these mixed messages and ask whether law students should embrace AI and, if so, how?

From the Master of the Rolls’ feeling that judges and lawyers should embrace AI to the Bar Council’s more cautious approach, to embarrassing examples of AI-driven gaffes around the world, artificial intelligence is rarely out of the legal news. We discuss how this barrage of information can be perplexing for aspiring lawyers and share our experience of using this technology and our expectations of how it will shape our careers.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek team ask how law firms should react to Trump’s hostile executive orders — listen now

The Legal Cheek podcast returns this week as publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes dig into Trump’s attacks on the legal profession and what they mean for Big Law firms in the US and around the world. Tune in to hear the discussion.

From promising millions of dollars in free legal services to tweaking DEI policies, we discuss how firms have reacted to the US administration’s attacks and cover the backlash faced by those capitulating to the President’s demands. We also focus on how a crackdown on DEI programmes will affect recruitment at some of the world’s largest law firms and whether law students will think twice before training with the firms striking deals with the President.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek team contemplate using AI for law applications — listen now

Following the news that the Bar Council have banned the use of ChatGPT, DeepSeek and similar tools in pupillage applications, we take a look at these tools and ask, how useful are they really?

This week, Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss the Bar Council’s decision to ban AI in applications. We take a look at some of the potential reasons behind this decision, comparing it to the much more liberal attitude of solicitors firms. We also talk about our own experiments with these AI tools and discuss how useful they are for drafting applications.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek team discuss Simmons’ new and improved £96k NQ pay in Bristol — listen now

What motivates aspiring lawyers as they choose where to start their careers? How much does money matter?

This week, Legal Cheek editor Thomas Connelly and writers Sophie Dillon and Lydia Fontes discuss the news that Simmons & Simmons are raising their Bristol NQ salary to £96k, setting a record for regional junior pay. We explore how the salary increase will affect the Bristol legal market and what it means for those pursuing training contracts.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek team discuss junior lawyers’ worst working days — listen now

Junior lawyers around the country are under pressure to justify their hefty paycheques with a whole lot of hard graft. Before you embark on your career in corporate law, this is what you need to know about law firm working hours…

This week, publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss a recent article on Legal Cheek on the toughest work weeks junior lawyers report having worked. We explain hours targets, bonuses, client expectations and the culture that encourages these crazy work schedules.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek podcast asks how law students should be using the platform — listen now

How much should students and aspiring lawyers be sharing on LinkedIn? Is it important to build your personal brand? What is it appropriate to be posting?

Publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss the recent Legal Cheek article on a law graduate who vented their frustration on LinkedIn after having been rejected from a paralegal role. We talk about the risks of using the social media platform in this way as well as discussing the different ways aspiring lawyers use LinkedIn.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Legal Cheek team discusses the big legal news stories of last week — listen now

The Legal Cheek podcast returns this week as publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss three stories which have made the legal press this week. We break down the facts and explain why these stories matter to the legal industry, keeping you up to date on the issues lawyers are talking about.

This week’s episode covers the charges of professional misconduct brought against Dr Charlotte Proudman by the Bar Standards Board and how this feminist barrister came out on top. Next up, we discuss the findings against Jo Sidhu KC by the Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service for “inappropriate and unwanted” behaviour. Lastly, we talk about the hefty earnings racked up by some junior barristers which have made headlines this week, explaining what these numbers mean and comparing them to the salaries of their solicitor counterparts at top-paying firms.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Sky-high salaries for newly qualified solicitors, problems with the SQE and £44 billion turnover for the UK’s legal services sector — listen now

The Legal Cheek podcast returns this week as publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes discuss three key issues which have been in the news this week and are affecting law students and firms. We summarise the key facts and how these stories fit into the larger picture of the legal industry today. Tune in to stay up to date as you approach applications for vacation schemes and training contracts.

This week’s episode covers an article published on Legal Cheek by former magic circle dealmaker Alan Paul in which he urges aspiring lawyers to look beyond salary when choosing a career. We cover the points made in this article as well as the discussion sparked in the comments section. Next up is the news that the SQE will be subject to an independent review assessing whether it is achieving its stated aims. Finally, we discuss the strong growth of the UK’s legal services sector which has hit £44 billion turnover.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Potential funding cuts to solicitor apprenticeships, transatlantic mergers, and the criminal bar exodus — listen now

Being switched on to developments in the legal world is a key attribute students will need as they approach applications for training contracts and pupillages. Keeping on top of these stories can sometimes feel overwhelming — especially if you don’t know where to look or what to focus on.

In this episode of the Legal Cheek podcast, publisher Alex Aldridge and writer Lydia Fontes sit down to discuss three key news stories that are affecting the legal market, breaking down the key facts and how these stories fit into the bigger issues that firms and chambers will be dealing with.

We cover the funding changes that might affect solicitor apprenticeships, discussing the benefits and challenges of this route in to law and how the government’s funding decision could affect firms running apprenticeship programmes. Next up is Herbert Smith Freehills’ merger with US-based firm Kramer Levin, explaining how this move fits in to a larger picture of UK firms looking to expand their presence in the US. Finally, we finish up with a discussion on why barristers are leaving the criminal bar and how the profession could become more sustainable.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

How big law firms evolved into what they are today

Legal Cheek’s four-part podcast series about the recent history of corporate law, beginning in 1978 and continuing up to the present day, is now complete, with the final episode going live this week.

The series features a quartet of hour-long chats between legendary former Allen & Overy dealmaker Alan Paul and Legal Cheek founder and managing director Alex Aldridge — in which Alex asks Alan to recall his career and reflect on how corporate law has changed.

It’s a must-listen for aspiring commercial lawyers and anyone interested to understand the world of City law better.

Listen to the series below on Spotify

• The 1980s
• The 1990s
• The 2000s
• The 2010s up until today

This series is also available on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Podcast: Former Magic Circle dealmaker Alan Paul looks back on the chaos that ensued in the following years

The historic financial crash of 2008 was nothing short of a disaster. That’s according to former Allen & Overy partner, Alan Paul, who joined us for the latest instalment in Legal Cheek’s legal histories podcast.

In conversation with Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge, Paul explores many of the factors that led to the crash, which culminated in the bankruptcy of financial services giant Lehman Brothers, and discusses how it all went so wrong.

Paul, a well-respected City dealmaker at the time, also recalls the knock-on effect for him, his clients and the wider legal industry, with swathes of the workforce considered for redundancies and training positions decimated.

This is a standalone podcast, but if you enjoyed it make sure to check out our previous episodes where Alan and Alex remember corporate law in the 1980s and 90s.

You can listen to the podcast in full on Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts.