SQE Journey

Junior Solicitor Summit 2025

ByPradip Khakhar

This week The Law Society held their Junior Solicitor Summit 2025. The day offered valuable learning opportunities and sparked thought provoking discussions. Below are some quick thoughts that stuck out.

Create relationships

Akil started the morning with a captivating story about a broken down car and his interaction with the driver. His energy is contagious, Akil showed us how to build relationships not collect contacts, and how to cultivate trust, offer value, and maintain genuine interactions. 

Speakers

  • Chair: Rebekah Sutcliffe, Junior Solicitor Network Advisory Committee (JSN) Chair/National Junior Lawyers Division (NJLD) Chair, Solicitor, Morr & Co LLP
  • Akil Hunte, Founding Chair, NRG Lawyers

Create your profile

Robert and Mark shared the importance of the attention economy. However, it’s not “just” putting up a profile on LinkedIn, you need to be strategic in what you post. What is your Topic of Influence?

Speakers

  • Robert Hanna, Founder & CEO, KC Partners
  • Mark Hamilton, Chartered Accountant and Head of New Business Generation , Matheson LLP

Difficult career conversations

Mary shared techniques to approach and effectively deal with tricky topics and navigating difficult conversations, for example, workload discussions, salary and contract negotiations, and promotion opportunities with partners, senior management and HR.

Mary’s interactive session allowed attendees to think through different scenarios and prep for a difficult conversation.

A few questions to consider from Mary’s template include:

  1. Intention and purpose
    • What is the goal of the conversation?
    • What outcome are you aiming to achieve for you and for them?

Speakers

  • Mary Bonsor, CEO and Co-Founder, Flex Legal
  • Chair: Katy Boyle, JSN member and Graduate Solicitor Apprentice, Loughborough University

Financial well being

Carla shared updates on the Financial well-being survey conducted over the last year by Wealthbrite.

Speakers

  • Carla Hoppe, Founder and CEO, Wealthbrite Ltd
Junior Solicitor Summit 2025 learnings

The future of legal

This was a very interesting conversation between the panelists. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken over the headlines. However, the panelist shared a view that resonates. AI will augment legal professionals but won’t replace solicitors.

Solicitors will continue to handle essential skills like client management and strategy that AI can’t replicate. Technology will reshape how solicitors work, but it will never fully automate their role.

Speakers

  • William Peake, Global Managing Partner, Harney Westwood & Riegels (UK) LLP
  • Catie Sheret, General Counsel, Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  • Daniel George Peacock, Senior Associate and Head of Department, Samuel Phillips Law
  • Mark Evans, President, The Law Society
  • Philip Young, Co-founder and CEO , Garfield AI

If you attended The Law Society Junior Solicitor Summit 2025 what were your key takeaways?

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