Phyllida Roberts, Deputy Programme Director for Law Conversion courses at ULaw, shares top tips to aspiring lawyers who are going through the application cycle
“You should be prepared for anything and everything. Have an open mind.” It is the kind of advice that is easy to dismiss as vague encouragement, but for Phyllida Roberts, Deputy Programme Director for Law Conversion courses at The University of Law (ULaw), it reflects something genuinely important about how aspiring lawyers should approach the profession. Whether you are a non-law graduate contemplating a conversion course, a penultimate-year student preparing your first training contract application or a career changer wondering how your previous experience translates, Phyllida has a clear message. “The fundamentals matter more than you think, and the foundations are more within reach than they might appear.”
Her first point is a reassuring one for those who feel they are starting from behind. Employers will not be looking for legal knowledge straight away. What they want, she says, is a transferable skill set, including enthusiasm, teamwork and problem solving. Non-law graduates in particular can fall into the trap of thinking their background counts against them, when in reality it often does the opposite. “A degree in history, languages or sciences can demonstrate analytical rigour, communication skills and the ability to construct an argument, all qualities that law firms actively seek,” she says.
On training contract applications, her answer to what separates successful candidates is immediate: “Research!” Firms spot generic applications quickly, so students need to tailor their background and motivations carefully. “That means understanding what a firm actually does, who its clients are and what distinguishes it from its competitors, rather than simply lifting a line from the website’s ‘about’ page,” Phyllida tells us. “If your genuine interest lies in criminal law, a Magic Circle law firm will of course be the wrong target.” Knowing your own motivations and matching them to the right organisation is, Phyllida suggests, “one of the most important and most overlooked aspects of the application process”. Attention to detail, a clear structure and an error-free application remain basic but essential markers of potential.
She is also keen to stress that students should not become fixated on formal legal work experience alone. “Any workplace setting is really important,” she says, “whether that means a placement year, teaching abroad or another role that demonstrates resilience and initiative”. Career changers should frame previous experience in terms that will resonate with recruiters, such as analytical skills, problem solving and public speaking. “Firms want rounded candidates, and hobbies, extracurriculars and outside achievements can all help to demonstrate leadership, ambition and perseverance.”
Commercial awareness, another major buzzword, is something Phyllida frames in practical terms. “Law firms are businesses as well,” she says. “That means being efficient with time, turning up prepared and meeting deadlines, but also thinking strategically about a client’s position rather than treating every legal issue as an abstract exam problem.” Clients, she adds, want to understand the risks, the costs and the commercial implications of a decision, not just whether something is legally permissible. “Read a broadsheet, follow legal news, and think about how changes in tax or interest rates might affect the clients a firm advises. That kind of awareness is what sets candidates apart.”
The same approach applies to AI. “Don’t be frightened of it,” Phyllida says. Used well, it can help with summarising complex documents, managing material and producing a first draft. But there is a clear caveat. “Use it to the extent that it helps. Just remember it’s a tool to assist your work, not a replacement.” Whatever technology can do, lawyers will still need the cognitive and critical skills to check that any output is accurate and reflects current legal practice. “For students, that means treating AI as a starting point rather than a finishing line”.
When the conversation turns to next week’s Legal Cheek’s Summer Virtual Vacation Scheme and Law Fair in partnership with ULaw, Phyllida is direct about what the online format demands. “Students sometimes assume that the usual rules of professional conduct apply less rigidly online, but the basics still matter,” she stresses. “Log in on time, keep your camera on and mute your microphone when you are not speaking. First impressions in a virtual room are formed just as quickly as in person, and small lapses in attention or punctuality are noticed”.
Beyond the practicalities, she is keen to challenge a common misconception about how to make an impression. “It’s not the person that says the most that is the one that gets noticed,” she says. “Careful listening, sensible use of the raise-hand function, active note-taking and picking up on non-verbal cues all carry weight in a virtual setting”. The goal, she says, is to show firms that you are engaged, thoughtful and easy to work with, qualities that are just as visible on a screen as they are in a room. “No task is a small task, and every interaction counts, particularly when you are behind a screen.”
Once the scheme ends, Phyllida is clear that the work is not over. “Don’t let the experience harden into a bland line on the CV,” she says. Thank the organisers and graduate recruitment team, complete any feedback forms and think seriously about whether the firm feels like a good fit. “If it does, keep in touch and ask sensible questions, but make sure they are not questions already answered on the firm’s graduate recruitment page.”
It is advice she can give with some authority, having navigated her own winding path through the profession. A former commercial litigator turned legal educator, she studied modern languages before converting to law, a route that is well-trodden but can still feel daunting from the outside. She trained and practised in London, qualified into commercial litigation, moved to Leeds, and eventually stepped into legal education while looking for better work-life balance with a young family. A long-standing interest in teaching made the switch feel natural. “I believe law and teaching are well aligned because both involve explaining difficult concepts to others.”
As the conversation turns to the pressures of the profession more broadly, Phyllida returns to qualities that will sound familiar to most lawyers: “professionalism, courtesy and reliability”. Yet she is also clear that aspiring lawyers need to “guard against an always-online culture”. In such a demanding profession, she says “the ability to switch off genuinely matters”.
Her advice for students trying to juggle intense study, applications and financial pressure is honest about its limits. “It is the million-dollar question,” she admits. But her answer is grounded in manageable habits. “Break the day into chunks, build breaks into your schedule and actually take them”. One particularly practical suggestion stands out: “Get outside and walk around the block to clear your head. Just as importantly, raise concerns early. Asking for support is empowering rather than weak”.
To close, she left one thought for students. “Just be yourself. And never be afraid to ask questions.”
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