Ali Wylie, a lecturer at The University of Law, offers his advice to those a seeking training contract
Ali Wylie is lecturer at The University of Law in Bloomsbury, London Having worked previously as a solicitor and as a careers consultant, he now teaches a wide range of courses, including the LLB, PgDL and SQE, and acts as a personal tutor to a cohort of students, providing one-to-one coaching and advice.
Ahead of the Applications Masterclass Ali will be delivering at the in-person workshops and networking evening in London on Friday 29 November, he sat down with Legal Cheek to give his advice on exams, applications and life as a solicitor.
Having worked as a solicitor yourself, what are the key skills that law students will need to succeed in this career?
There are many key skills law students should work towards developing. The skills required will of course change depending on the firm, the area of practice, the current climate etc. I would encourage students to research the future, accounting for the existence of artificial intelligence, which will vary the landscape of such skills and those expected of employees. Having conversed with employers, currently, I would say the key skills are: communication, teamwork, commercial acumen, resilience & adaptability. The Confederation of Business Industry further adds problem-solving, self-management, IT, and numeracy. I believe a lot of these skills can be learned except for creativity. Creativity is a very important skill for lawyers to have and it is one which is not easily replicated.
Furthermore, being organised and disciplined cannot be overstated. That, together with common sense and professionalism, as well as relationship building skills, will see you through. Finally, despite the obvious skills, having the right mindset & attitude is very important, so I would invite students to think about why they wish to be a lawyer and what kind of lawyer they wish to be. This will be their source of motivation & see them through the challenges they may face.
How can students go about developing these skills? How does the University of Law support them?
Once students have identified which skills they wish to harness, they ought to be proactive in pursuing opportunities to develop such skills & organised to make the time to do so. This can be done privately as well as through the range of resources on offer at the University of Law. Privately, I would encourage students to take up or pursue a hobby or sport they enjoy, and perhaps take a role in the club or society as a committee member such as captain, treasurer, president etc. I would also obtain a job as this will be an invaluable experience.
The University of Law provides a lot of support and opportunities for students to develop their skills. They run appointments to discuss the students’ career aspirations and set goals to help them achieve their objectives. Students can also get involved in pro bono opportunities during which they can work on real cases and develop their skills in interviewing, research, analysis, drafting etc. The University of Law also run a number of upskilling workshops as well as employer events throughout the year for which students are exposed to many opportunities for developing their skills and networking with various firms and professionals.
What would be your advice for students hoping to secure training contracts and qualify as solicitors?
Think about what area of practice appeals to them, and why. It is important to reflect on their interests, personality, and intended skillset, in deciding where their stronghold lies. Undergoing this process will help make their applications more focussed, efficient and effective. Once they have identified suitable firms, their next task would be to organise their time to allow for some good applications to be made. This not only includes training contracts, but for some firms they require attendance at open days and/or on vacation schemes. Some firms require trainees to have undergone a vacation scheme prior, and others even require attendance at an open day.
Pre-requisite formalities aside, these opportunities offer great exposure into what it’s like to be a lawyer and this will make for a more convincing training contract application. I would also suggest students be strategic, realistic, and concise in their choice of firms. It is much better to focus on writing a few very good applications than a large number of mediocre ones. On that note, their applications ought to be flawless, bearing in mind their writing is being assessed by recruiters as a future lawyer. Finally, never give up. Be resilient & remain positive.
How should students go about maintaining a work/life balance, particularly while balancing training contract applications with their studies?
The key is to be organised and prioritise your commitments to see what you can do without, what you can delegate, and what you should focus on, by assigning tasks in terms of their level of importance. It would be advisable for students to write out all of their commitments and allocate a timeframe in which to complete them whilst setting out SMART objectives. As a career professional, I often advise students to find a time in the day when they are most mentally agile and need to focus on their studies, often in the morning, and other times when they can unwind a bit more by working on their career, often in the evening. Of course, it will depend on whether the student is an early bird or a night owl.
Another key tip is to limit procrastination, as it is not your friend. Yes, it is everywhere, but it is important to be disciplined to avoid any distractions whilst working on a task to maximise productivity. The overall message is to map out your tasks and time using good planning and organisation skills and exercising a good work ethic when doing the tasks, whilst working efficiently and effectively.
What motivated your move over into legal education? What are the best things about teaching law?
I come from a family of scholars and academics and so became instantly aware of the profession of teaching. I have always relished parting knowledge and feel satisfaction in shaping learning and in a way that is creative, challenging, and exciting, and this is what drove my move into legal education. In law, there is not always a clear-cut answer. Students are encouraged to think logically, vertically, and laterally, in solving a problem. This leads to all sorts of questions, arguments, and answers, and this is what keeps legal education exciting. The fact that the law regularly changes keep it cutting edge. The best bit about teaching law is seeing students’ learning develop, and their fondness of the subject grow.
Teaching law requires an abundance of skills — and this is what keeps it challenging & exciting. Aside from the obvious skills of planning, organisation, research, and analysis, it calls for being articulate and communicating complex information in a simplified manner and to a wide audience, and so you have to be adaptable and creative in your teaching practice, with the passion to keep it exciting. As a reflective profession, there is always scope to better yourself in every way.
How has your legal experienced influenced your teaching?
My legal employment has given me highly valuable lived experience. I often interject real- life experiences that I have encountered in practice, to classroom teaching, so students can understand why what I am teaching them is relevant, and how it can be used in their professional pursuits. Doing so in an inspiring and entertaining way, helps students learn and it develops their understanding of the profession, which in turn helps them write more convincing job applications, addressing the reason for their motivations to becoming a lawyer. Discussing real events that took place in practice also helps muster students’ curiosity and interest in the legal profession. Oftentimes students value such anecdotes because not only are they thought-provoking, but they also help them see the bigger picture.
I would say that my time in practice has harnessed in me the importance of communicating in a way that appeals to the end user. In terms of my own values, professionalism, reliability and integrity underpin every one of them. I always keep my word and take punctuality very seriously. These values may have influenced my own practice as I always emphasise the importance of class attendance and the perception of employers in terms of punctuality.
What is the most challenging aspect of the courses you lecture in? What advice would you give to students to overcome these challenges effectively?
I would probably say it is the volume of information that students have to get to grips with. This is why it is important that students become organised early on and invest time in planning their activities. It is equally important to take the time to do all of the reading and complete tasks that were expected of you, and do so efficiently. Often the law is rather intricate, and students need to be careful about how they interpret rules, legislation, and case law. Misreading or downplaying a word from statute can completely alter the answer they may have provided, and so students should appreciate the significance of wording and that every word is included for a reason, otherwise it wouldn’t be.
There are many pieces of legislation and lengthy cases and so it is about keeping on top of it. Business law in particular builds on prior knowledge. The concept covered in the first week and carried across into the third and fourth and so on. Therefore, students should devote time to each lecture and workshop and not fall behind in terms of the work nor their understanding of key concepts, or it could lead to an unsurmountable hurdle.
How does the University of Law give their students the best chance of success in their exams? How can students make the most of this?
The University of Law has dedicated a lot of resources to help students succeed. These include: an effective teaching model, comprehensive and structured lectures, engaging workshops, revision software tools, student guides, personal tutor support, academic coach support, mock exams practice, library support services which embodies offering upskilling workshops on researching, and a study skills department who provide further support to students. The university stands out as a legal education provider because most of our lecturers come from industry and so by invoking this practical experience into learning, students are able to connect the dots, and better understand why their learning matters, and how their learning will be of use in the world of practice.
The University of Law invests heavily in teaching and learning, which includes student resources enabling them to undergo extensive revision questions & exams practice. The feedback is comprehensive to enable students to recognise any gaps in their knowledge and understanding, and to better their performance in the final exams. The courses are well-structured with lectures and workshops that build on each other with the use of interactive exercises and lots of classroom-based activities. This helps develop their employability skills such as communication, teamwork, and presentation etc.
What advice would you give to your younger self when you were studying for your legal qualifications?
I would advise to invest more time in exploring different careers options as well as areas of practice. It is useful to spend time engaging with the Careers & Employment service at university and attending employer-led events. Often such professionals have a lot of knowledge and experience, and it can make all the difference. In my own practice I helped many students secure training contracts and so I would advise my younger self to seek more support and not employ the mindset that I have to do everything on my own.
Furthermore, I would spend some more time networking and getting involved in a wider range of sports and societies than pursuing a few religiously. By exposing myself to more activities and different circles of people, I will both widen and strengthen my network. There is an old say ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’. In my circles I have the seen the gravitas of knowing the right people in opening up doors of possibility, not least with employment matters. A positive byproduct of such networking efforts is that it will widen my cultural awareness and understanding of various traditions, values, norms, and customs, the world over.
Ali Wylie will be speaking at ‘In-person workshops and networking in London 2024 — with Forsters, Fried Frank, Mayer Brown and ULaw’, on Friday 29 November. Apply now to attend.
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