Tuesday 16 July, 4pm to 6pm, taking place virtually

Join us on the afternoon of Tuesday 16 July for a virtual student event on artificial intelligence (AI) and the law, run in partnership with The University of Law (ULaw).

We’ll be hearing from lawyers at three leading firms, A&O Shearman, Macfarlanes and Osborne Clarke, about how the boom in generative AI is reshaping the commercial environment for their clients – and the types of legal work this is generating.

They’ll also discuss internal initiatives they are pioneering that apply the power of AI to data-heavy aspects of legal practice like document review. Joining them will be a legal tech specialist from The University of Law, to provide a perspective on how students need to be thinking about AI as they prepare for the new training contract application cycle.

The speakers

• Amy Ricketts, solutions analyst at A&O Shearman
• Thomas Gawada, legal technology and innovation officer at Macfarlanes
• John Buyers, partner and head of artificial intelligence at Osborne Clarke
• Patrick Grant, ULTRA project director at The University of Law

After an hour-long panel discussion chaired by one of the Legal Cheek team, there will be virtual networking with the speakers, members of the firms’ graduate recruitment teams, as well as ULaw’s employability team (for postgraduate students looking to further develop their knowledge of legal tech, this is a great opportunity to find out more about ULaw’s MSc in Legal Technology, LLM in Data Protection and Intellectual Property, and the Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate in Legal Technology).

Apply to attend. You’ll be asked to submit two questions for the speakers.

Thursday 18 July, 4pm to 5pm, taking place virtually

Join us on the afternoon of Thursday 18 July for a series of virtual short talks, delivered in partnership with COMBAR, The Commercial Bar Association.

We’ll be joined by COMBAR members and practising barristers who will be providing students with their top tips for pupillage applications to commercial sets, as well as sharing anecdotes and insights into their personal experience accessing a career at the Bar.

The speakers will also explore COMBAR’s mentoring scheme, which pairs individuals from groups who are under-represented at the Bar with practitioners from COMBAR member sets, and how the scheme can help you to secure a commercial pupillage. The short talks will be followed by an audience Q&A.

Apply to attend. You’ll be asked to submit two questions for the speakers.

Wednesday 31 July, 4pm to 6pm, taking place virtually

Embarking on the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route is an exciting yet challenging endeavour. In the context of worrying headlines about the regime, and with so many prep course options available, finding the right approach and knowing when to start your preparation can be overwhelming.

Join us on the afternoon of Wednesday 31 July for a virtual student event in partnership with The College of Legal Practice, where we’ll delve into the various factors you need to consider before choosing your SQE preparation journey, including your legal knowledge, budget and timeline.

We’ll be joined by expert speakers from the College, including Head of Curriculum Jane Waddell, alongside Courtney Wilbor and Nayla Chowdhury, who have both prepared for and sat the exams, to share their first-hand experience and top tips to help you navigate this crucial decision-making process.

After a panel discussion from 4pm to 5pm, there will be virtual networking with the speakers and other SQE experts from The College of Legal Practice for follow-up questions and further careers advice.

Apply to attend. You’ll be asked to submit two questions for the speakers.