By Toni Rose, 11 March 2022 During the half-term holiday, I was on a virtual work placement at Hogan Lovells. I was very much delighted to have a Q&A session with three partners from the firm: Nathan Searle, who specialises in transactions and disputes as well as technology and telecoms; Fiona Bantock, who specialises in tax and incentives and Alex Kay who specialises in business restructuring and insolvency. What a stimulating and knowledgeable talk it was! A short introduction: Hogan Lovells is a Band 1, internationally renowned firm, with The Times commending them for their commercial dispute resolution to intellectual property departments and are “the intersection between businesses and government”. As for what the partners talked about, I was among the other Sutton Trust Pathways to Law (London Branch) candidates who asked some queries, here are the few things I have learnt from them: 1. Lawyers love to talk about what they do. Don’t feel discouraged to ask them any of your burning questions about the field! Everyone feels the same about networking. It can get quite daunting with the horrendous small talk but they generally ease once you know what you want to ask, though it depends on who you network with. For instance, Fiona networks within the firm as other departments liaise with similar clients, so bringing up topics in conversation that relate to their cases helps a lot. One overall tip they collectively agree on, is to ask open-ended questions but make them area specific. What they may (personally) find interesting could well be beneficial towards enriching knowledge on a department you particularly want to specialise in, or the process they underwent from entry-level to promotions; you may even be inspired by a professional and take similar steps in your career in law. All partners we talked to didn’t imagine themselves at where they are at in their career now, however, they are pleased to have found an area in law that interests them. 2. Create a wider stream of knowledge. Commercial awareness is key. Nathan commented on the importance of reading up on the news – you'll be surprised at how many cases are reported in a plethora of current affairs, albeit explicit or implicit. As a partner who works internationally, this is as simple as reading on BBC News and a varied catalogue of sources as some contain political bias. The work placement included a session on building commercial awareness, where we linked the Ukraine crisis to how this may affect Russian investors who are willing to invest in the UK, seeing as there has been a significant volume of Russian, or Russian-linked illicit finance. (Ukraine crisis: How much Russian money is there in the UK?, 2022). As a firm working with Russian clients, they may have to find the legality of assets consisting of stocks, real estate and cash. Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) and Account Freezing Orders (AFOs) put in place recently strongly influence the deterrents of white-collar crime from those who are at the face of foreign direct investment, and the contentious work Hogan Lovells may provide. 3. There is no cardboard cut-out of what a “Lawyer” looks like. I asked the question “What is a stereotype about Partners that isn’t true?”. Fiona stressed that not all partners are old white men in suits. Alex added on to state that previously, the stereotypes perpetuated from working at a law firm aren’t all that true anymore. The main reason for that is the increase in diversity & inclusive work they provide, finding talent for the field in all areas from BAME, LGBTQIA+ and people with health conditions and/or impairments. They have a whole department dedicated to D&I. The skills required are not restricted to just seniority, but to giving equal chances to associates and partners alike. Nathan concludes that becoming a solicitor at entry-level does not discriminate; this is exactly why there is a 50:50 split between those who train from a law background and a non-law background. The statement was very much true, as talking to trainees on my last day on the placement were examples of people who had degrees in Law, History and Biology.
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By Gabriella Dupratt, 25 Feb 2022
Hi everyone! This blog will help inform and prepare you for the A Level topic of Ethics (usually taught alongside philosophy and religious studies), and if you haven't already chosen it, perhaps this article will help you decide if this is the subject for you. So let's get straight to the basics of your ethics course; what the heck even is it?! Here I will inform you about all you need to know to be prepared for your first lesson. We will discuss what the subject is, what content is included and some helpful resources to aid you in revising said content along the way! As a beginner, you may hear the term ‘ethical law’ quite consistently and it may seem confusing at first. The concepts of legal law and ethical law may blur together because they sound as though they’re two of the same thing, but in actuality both pose very distinctly different concepts. Legal Laws are also called the ‘Lex’ which is a Latin word meaning ‘the letter of the law’ (the written statute law). These laws entail a system of rules set by the government that a nation must abide by or else they will be forced to face the consequences of their wrong actions. On the other hand we have Ethical Law; the Latin word for this is ‘Ius’, translating to ‘the principle of the law’ (the value of justice). The value of justice can be quite a subjective thing, which is why you're going to be studying a whole load of different scholars and theories that talk all about their own personal thoughts and values and, all in all, suggest a plethora of different ways of life. Meanwhile, Legal Laws carry a punishment as a consequence of not following them, ethics do not. Instead ethics is a mindset of morality and is a lot more malleable in contrast to statute law. Depending on where you are in the world, your culture, your religion, your upbringing etc, your moral principles may vary and that’s exactly what ethics is! Not only is it affected by one's surroundings but also creates them; your ethics determine your morality, lifestyle and who you are as a person right down to your everyday actions and decisions. Before you begin it's important to know what’s ahead of you. In your course you will explore different kinds of ethics ranging from metaethics, that teach you all about the general basis of ethics, right down to the core of so many ethical ideologies that stem from aretaic/virtue ethics. You will learn about ancient theologians as well as more modern ones such as; Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Augustine and C. S. Lewis! Some of these names may sound fairly recognisable now but over the duration of the course you will come to study them in great depth so, as a top tip of advice, I recommend you brush up on some of these scholars before your course starts just so that you’re prepared and the knowledge will stick more with you in the long-term. In fact, it's a smashing idea to pre-read before all of your lessons if you don't already! Now let's move onto the benefits of taking ethics. It's highly likely that if you've spoken to someone about taking this subject you will have received a somewhat negative response; “what will you do with ethics and philosophy?” or “how’s that going to get you a job in the long run?”. Well, now you’ll be able to reflect a valid response back at them with what I'm about to share with you. Taking this subject can provide you with some excellent transferable skills such as: confidence in debating, essay writing skills, the ability to consider and appreciate other alternative views and understanding the very groundwork of what society was built upon. These skills are valid and valued throughout many fields and will come in handy a lot more than you might originally think! Here is a link that will take you to a Prospects page of the career choices that doing an RS A Level can open up: What can I do with a theology and religious studies degree? | Prospects.ac.uk Lastly, I want to leave you with some incredibly helpful links and resources in order to ensure you're extracting the most accurate and worthwhile knowledge when doing revision and/or further reading. Here is a list of websites have been approved by the syllabus:
And as a little cherry on top, here is my studysmarter page where I upload revision material for religious studies, philosophy and ethics every so often: https://app.studysmarter.de/course-subjects?id=4722157&ref=ya2EZxTFbmuIdg7iMI1fZswEXyUoN1zp Thanks for reading! Happy studying <3 By Donat Szotak, 22 Feb 2022
Introduction Hi! I would just like to briefly introduce myself and provide you with a small insight of my experience in the hopes that some of you may find it relatable or useful. I am a BTEC student studying L3 General Engineering in College, with an AS Level Maths. However, I am also in distance learning with an External College, studying A-level Maths. With this blog post I hope to shed some light on different options you may be viable to choose depending on what stage you are in, in your academic life. Opinions of the UK educational system as a second-generation immigrant and fitting in being the new kid moving schools a handful of times, anything in between and further! If any of these topics is of interest to you and you would like to discuss, please comment! I would just like to mention this is my first blog, so excuse my novice tendencies - I hope to improve - any feedback is appreciated! I just want to make clear this is purely my student experience and should be taken with a grain of salt...as they say! Choosing your options during GCSE? You have several paths here, depending on your GCSE results. Let’s start with the scenario where you didn’t get the results that you would have wanted; you are able to contact your secondary school and re-sit anything you would like to. However, colleges (especially in my case) require you to pay for re-sitting anything higher than a pass in Maths or English. Regarding readers that sat higher GCSEs, I'm interested to see what options you guys had if you wanted to do re-sits. Now for a bit of motivation - I promise it is worth doing your re-sits straight away, otherwise it will be a lot more difficult during your course and you may be required to pay a fee which, if you were anything like me, you may not be financially stable enough to afford! Another path may be that you choose to go straight into the big wide world with a full-time job. Or perhaps you’re thinking of going to a college or starting A Levels instead, which brings me onto my next point. Thinking about the next two years of your life: A-levels So, now we finally come to your fresh options; for me I had 3 options (later finding out there are even more!). The common route after GCSE is A-levels, which are academic and widely known. Typically you pick 3 A-levels (sometimes even 4 and an EPQ (Extended project qualification, which I have not had personal experience with)). A-levels are recognised by universities as a standard route to get in. If I could go back, I would have chosen A-levels as they are more favoured than vocational qualifications, but also test more of your true understanding of the subject than a BTEC for example (at least with my Engineering aspirations). This is an exam-based qualification. Personally, I would choose Maths, Physics (Further Maths as well - if I were given the option) and to switch it up, I would take a humanitarian subject as I am quite keen on them and I believe it would be a nice segue from the more academically rigid subjects. I just want to add, Further Maths is not necessary but sought after to stand out in university applications particularly for STEM subjects, such as engineering. But it all depends on what you aspire to do later, finding that can be tricky but I would like to explore in future blogs on how to find what you enjoy academic-wise and what to do when it comes to picking your university… but that is still a while away so don't fret, it will be just fine when you get to it! IB (International Baccalaureate) This is also an internationally recognised qualification and, similar to A-levels, it keeps your options open (in contrast, within a BTEC you only have one subject). I have not had much experience with this qualification, but I have heard it is very challenging, and gives you a wide range of skills. You study 6 at standard level in your first year and I believe you study 3 at a higher level. This qualification allows you to choose from those 6 categories:
I would have personally considered this choice as well, depending on what you intend to study this is also a very interesting qualification! BTEC Extended Diploma This qualification prepares you for both the industry and University, but as mentioned before, it is vocational, with fewer academic aspects. For example, in engineering some universities require an A-level beside the BTEC which is already equivalent to 3 A-levels, or even two. The University of Edinburgh requires a BTEC and an A-level in Maths and Physics, altogether equivalent to 5 A-levels! If you are aiming for a deep understanding and hope to be well prepared for Engineering at university, you have the option of doing what I did, which was to lean towards distance learning and taking on another A-level although it is not free and can be a hassle. Alternatively, you could take an A-level after finishing your BTEC. This is also quite difficult as a lot of Sixth Forms do not take 18+ year old students (at least that’s the case in Cambridgeshire). So distance learning might be the last option, which means covering fees from exams to course materials. But I will cover these topics, suggest platforms for distance learning, and any other options that may be available to the best of my understanding and research in an upcoming blog! Please leave any feedback or what you would like me to explore, can be outside of academia! Until then, stay safe, stay in school, and don’t forget to have fun along the way! References: The Complete List of IB Courses and Classes (prepscholar.com) 2/14/2022 0 Comments the a-z of getting work experienceBy Aida, 15 Feb 2022 HOW THESE THINGS WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU APPROACH GETTING WORK EXPERIENCE What is work experience? Well to begin with it is an experience and you will leave with more than you entered with. It’s a wonderful method to learn about the company and the industry you’ll be working in; not only you will be able to get immediate answers to your questions, but you’ll also be able to make lifelong relationships/connections with people who may employ you in the future. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Remember that firms invest time and money into making this the greatest experience possible for you, so it’s critical that you get and make the most out of it. And if you don’t like the job, don’t worry, everyone will have a different experience to yours , this will help you realize what you do and don’t like and where to not look for a job in the future. Remember that nothing looks as easy as it seems. It is really important that you put time and effort into looking for opportunities. Be proactive as well, the more consistent you are , the more likely you are to find something better that you were hoping to find to begin with. And if you do get rejected - rejection is redirection and don’t give up on the first try! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIENCE IN BUSINESS There are a lot of work experience programmes out there, but they aren't always advertised or easy to find, which is why it's important to do some research at the start of the academic year and during the summer to sign up for websites or company career pages that will notify you when something opens up. One thing you should avoid is limiting your research to the most well-known work experience companies such as the BIG 4 and the magic law firm circle especially if this is your first time trying to find an opportunity. Mostly because they receive a large number of applications, making it extremely competitive, and they frequently close the application portal before the deadline. So, before you start looking for opportunities on the internet, why not tap into your network and contacts, such as friends and family members who may already be working in that field or know someone who is, or teachers? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If that doesn't work out, start connecting with people who work at the company you want to intern at or in the field on LinkedIN, send them a professional message greeting them and asking them relevant questions such as “how did you get into this position”, but make sure you have a clear idea of their job position and what they do first, you'll find all of that information on their profiles. You must also ensure that your LinkedIn profile is appealing. You want to attract the top professionals to join your team. You'll also want to be seen as someone who keeps up with the company's news, so follow them on Instagram and Twitter. I recommend contacting the company directly by phone or email to find the opportunity. With this , it is very important to email the right team and attach a cover letter that covers the following three key points:
The same thing goes for when you are contacting the company by telephone. If they say they have nothing at the moment, ask them when they are expecting to have something and call them back around that date, sometimes they take the initiative to get your name and phone number to contact you back. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WHERE TO START? One way to begin the process is to attend a webinar or insight events . In that case, Young Professionals should be your best friends. They helped thousands of students learn more about the industry they want to enter and helped them gain work experience in top companies. They host lots of events every week and all you need to do is sign up to their network, very quick and easy! Next thing, download LinkedIN. What are you waiting for? This will open up a whole new perspective on the work of work for you and it’s free! Other websites l recommend are: RateMyApprenticeships - they have a great research engine incorporated into their websites. Prospects - will give you an idea of the different careers out there. Work experience programmes Top business firms offering work experience this year Ernst & Young (EY) BIG 4 FIRM Smart Futures Programme HSBC BANK -WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT BANKING WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMMES ( Morgan stanley, Credit Suisse...) 2/14/2022 0 Comments The theranos trialBy Lorraine Tan, 14 Feb 2022 1. Introduction Elizabeth Holmes was the CEO of Theranos, which was valued at $9bn and was considered Silicon Valley’s most promising healthcare startup in the 2010s. However, in 2015, it was found that Theranos’ technology was unreliable and fake. The company’s involvement in multiple scandals led to its eventual bankruptcy and Holmes’ criminal convictions. 2. Background In 2004, Elizabeth Holmes, an engineering student, dropped out of Stanford to start her own healthcare company, Theranos. Citing her childhood fear of needles, she wanted to revolutionise the medical testing industry. She and her business partner, Mr Balwani, aimed to develop a patch that could test for the presence of multiple diseases, including different cancers and diabetes, with just a few drops of blood. Although her Stanford professors told her that her goal was scientifically impossible to achieve, she continued to engage in research, clinical testing and advertising for the patch. Holmes and Balwani soon realised that inventing the testing patch was unfeasible, so they attempted to develop other blood testing methods that did not require large needles and tubes, unfortunately without success. However, despite knowing about these problems, they refused to admit the failures of their product. Using false clinical data, Holmes boasted her “successes” externally in TedTalks, and to potential investors. She managed to attract high profile investors, such as Larry Ellison, Rupert Murdoch, Tim Draper and George Schultz, raising a total of $945 million on the promise of huge returns in the near future. 3. Development Holmes never resolved the technical issues in her products, but continued to falsify trial results. She claimed her tests were 95% accurate when they were only 65-80% accurate. In her presentations to potential investors, she explicitly announced that Theranos had formed partnerships with various big-name healthcare companies including Pfizer, which was untrue. She said Theranos “did not buy any analyzers from third parties”, which was also untrue. Theranos also signed deals with North America’s largest chain stores (Safeway and Walgreens), agreeing to provide cheap, quick and convenient blood testing at a medical space in each of their branches. The blood testing services Theranos offered were conducted using commercially available and unreliable machines that Holmes called “the Edison”. Eventually, in 2015, the Wall Street Journal, ex-employees of Theranos, doctors and patients who were mystified by the odd health data produced, uncovered the company’s lies and gave way to further investigation. 4. Charges In 2018, Theranos was dissolved, and Holmes was arrested on 11 criminal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 5. Requirements for wire fraud in the US (a) The defendant participated in a plan to defraud or obtain money by fraudulent pretences (b) The statements made were material (c) The defendant acted with the intent to defraud (d) The defendant used wire communication (electronic transmission e.g. emailing, calling) to carry out the scheme 6. Outcome In January 2022, Holmes was convicted on 3 counts of wire fraud and 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The jury did not question her belief that her technology and business would eventually succeed, but the good faith defence did not apply in this case, hence she was deemed guilty of defrauding investors. However, the jury found her not guilty of defrauding patients because they claimed there were too many intermediaries between Theranos and patients in order to link the fraudulent events beyond reasonable doubt. Holmes will remain free on bail until September this year. At the time of writing (January 2022), it is unclear how long her prison sentence will be. 7. References https://youtu.be/Wsd6WoKWW2g https://youtu.be/7SPY9098mQs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58336998 https://www.natlawreview.com/article/trial-recap-us-v-elizabeth-holmes-podcast Elizabeth Holmes pictured above.
2/1/2022 0 Comments An introduction to journey2lawHello and welcome to our blog: Journey2Law! Journey2Law is a platform founded by a student for students. Our founder, Basma El Hayani, is currently an Undergraduate Student studying International Politics and Sociology, keen to pursue a career in law and technology - 'legal tech'. Basma launched this initiative in hopes to inspire and help young students who do not have the opportunity to gain an insight into various careers. This initiative will provide students with work experience opportunities, events with top employers in their industry, competitions and much more. It’ll also be a place where they can increase their commercial awareness and read about the latest news, debates and affairs & that’s where the articles come in! We have a team of students interested in various careers including, law, technology, politics, business and engineering. They'll be sharing tips on how to secure top work experience and internship placements, current affairs and news as well as further career prospects. Journey2Law will also be hosting numerous events with law firms, chambers, technological companies and more, including, Clifford Chance, Travers Smith, IBM and Atos. This will give prospective students an insight into the sector and career they'd like to pursue. Our first event will soon go live, follow our Instagram: @journey2law_ for updates and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about our updates, competitions and more exclusive content! Thank you for all of the support on behalf of our Journey2Law team. Keep sharing and spreading our platform to your teachers, friends and family! Journey2Law INSTAGRAM: @journey2law_ |