A career in law can seem daunting and arduous when first starting out. Join aspiring lawyer Ellie as she discusses the extensive world of law with legal professionals.
With one clear mission - to inspire, educate, and empower - Law Talks strives to bridge the gap for those who may lack direct access to professional connections.
Our monthly episodes delve into enlightening conversations with professionals in the legal field, aiming to demystify the complexities of law and provide valuable insights to help listeners understand what it takes to thrive in this field.
Law Talks is a podcast for aspiring lawyers, by aspiring lawyers. Whether you’re just starting to consider a career in law or you’re well on your way, listen in.
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Applying for Bar Course Scholarships with Esther Jopling
In this episode of Law Talks, Ellie is joined by Esther Jopling, a current Bar student at City Law School and UCL first-class law graduate, who received a Middle Temple Bar Course Scholarship. They discuss how applicants first hear about Inn scholarships, choosing an Inn based on application and interview format (including Middle Temple’s lack of a paper sift), and how to approach the written application by reviewing questions early and identifying gaps. Esther shares how she drew on volunteering and work experience, advises mapping evidence to the criteria (academics, motivation for the Bar, advocacy, and personal attributes), and suggests alternatives when mooting or mini-pupillages are hard to obtain. They also cover interview preparation through networking, question lists, legal news awareness, mock interviews, and what the 15-minute panel interview is like, including a current legal knowledge question.
00:00 Episode Introduction
00:54 Sponsor Message
01:31 Esther Background
02:55 Why Family Law
03:44 Finding Scholarships
06:04 Written Application Tips
07:26 Experience To Highlight
12:02 Interview Preparation
17:22 Interview Day Breakdown
21:43 What Helped Most
24:43 Final Takeaways
26:18 Closing Thanks
This episode is sponsored by LawPods (https://lawpods.com/), a podcast marketing agency that services some of the biggest brands in law.
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Want to feature on Law Talks? We're always happy to hear from legal professionals keen to share their insights and experiences with our listeners.Contact us (mailto:ellieandkatie@lawtalks.co.uk).
Our intro music is adapted from 'Sprightly' by GarageBand Apple Loop and 'Sprightly Remix (https://soundcloud.com/prizedpixul-14/sprightly-remix)' by Adamo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
25 Aug 2026
Neha Dhaun on Competition & Consumer Law: From Slaughter and May to the CMA, Sainsbury’s, and Superwomen of Colour
Neha Dhaun shares her career journey from a training contract at Slaughter and May to competition and consumer law roles at the Competition and Markets Authority and now in-house at Sainsbury’s. She explains what competition and consumer law involve, how her interests developed at university, and the key differences between working in private practice, at a regulator, and in-house. Neha also discusses founding Superwomen of Colour to support and connect women of colour across law and regulation. The organisation spotlights role models and runs quarterly “Coffee Connects” mutual mentoring, panel events featuring women of colour speakers, and an annual networking event. At the end of the episode, Neha closes with advice for aspiring lawyers on purpose, skills development, and resilience.
00:14 Neha’s Career Journey
04:48 Why Competition Law
07:16 Choosing a Specialism
09:31 Firm vs Regulator vs In-house
16:42 Life at Slaughter and May
21:24 Working at the CMA
26:32 In-house at Sainsbury’s
29:45 Superwomen of Colour Mission
34:05 Launching the Community
36:32 Advice for Aspiring Lawyers
Superwoman of Colour (https://superwomenofcolour.com/)
This episode is sponsored by LawPods (https://lawpods.com/), a podcast marketing agency that services some of the biggest brands in law.
Enjoying Law Talks? Sign up for our Linked In Newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7190825418638123010), and follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lawtalkspodcast) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@lawtalkspodcast) to receive all our latest news.
Want to read the episode transcription? Sign up (https://www.linkedin.com/company/lawtalkspodcast/) to receive our monthly episode transcriptions.
Want to feature on Law Talks? We're always happy to hear from legal professionals keen to share their insights and experiences with our listeners.Contact us (mailto:ellieandkatie@lawtalks.co.uk).
Our intro music is adapted from 'Sprightly' by GarageBand Apple Loop and 'Sprightly Remix (https://soundcloud.com/prizedpixul-14/sprightly-remix)' by Adamo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
28 Jul 2026
Oxford Senior Status Law: Joshua Cobler on LNAT, Interviews, International Considerations and Career Planning
Oxford Senior Status Law: Joshua Cobler on LNAT, Interviews, International Considerations and Career Planning
Joshua Cobler describes his roundabout route into law from the US, studying anthropology and then a master’s in European politics before completing Oxford’s senior status law degree at Harris Manchester College. He explains the UCAS application process, differences between UK and US personal statements, and the pressure of preparing for the LNAT.
Joshua shares interview experiences, stressing the importance of talking through reasoning and considering both sides of an argument. He reflects on being thrown into tort and contract at the start of senior status and advises building interest, reading quality news like the Financial Times, and maintaining balance. He discusses overseas-student issues including degree length for US qualification, visas, and missing UK political context. Joshua outlines his new role in risk and compliance at Fox Williams, covering AML/KYC onboarding and complaint investigations, and advises aspiring lawyers to treat law as a business and engage earlier with careers planning.
00:00 Career Journey Into Law
01:54 Applying For Senior Status
04:12 LNAT Stress And Prep
06:00 Personal Statement Advice
07:58 Oxford Interview Breakdown
15:17 Starting The Degree
18:22 Preparing Before October
22:04 International Student Considerations
32:54 Advice For Aspiring Lawyers
This episode is sponsored by LawPods (https://lawpods.com/), a podcast marketing agency that services some of the biggest brands in law.
Enjoying Law Talks? Sign up for our Linked In Newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7190825418638123010), and follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lawtalkspodcast) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@lawtalkspodcast) to receive all our latest news.
Want to read the episode transcription? Sign up (https://www.linkedin.com/company/lawtalkspodcast/) to receive our monthly episode transcriptions.
Want to feature on Law Talks? We're always happy to hear from legal professionals keen to share their insights and experiences with our listeners.Contact us (mailto:ellieandkatie@lawtalks.co.uk).
Our intro music is adapted from 'Sprightly' by GarageBand Apple Loop and 'Sprightly Remix (https://soundcloud.com/prizedpixul-14/sprightly-remix)' by Adamo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
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4.7 / 5
95 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100
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Quality
47
Social presence
94
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
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