Speed Mooting Podcast - Training tomorrow's lawyers, today!

Three years of lectures, seminars, and case law and somehow no one tells you how a real case actually works.
In this episode, John (criminal barrister) and Hayley (commercial solicitor) go through the biggest gaps between law school and legal practice: the advocacy skills universities rarely teach, the soft skills and client care that catch junior lawyers off guard, and why being confident on the phone will take you further than you think.
They also answer a listener question that comes up more than almost any other: can you become a barrister or solicitor if you're shy or introverted? The answer might surprise you.
Plus — upcoming Speed Mooting events including the Northern Pupillage Fair on 5th September, a free Skeleton Arguments workshop, and an online advocacy bootcamp focused on bail applications and plea in mitigation.
Send your questions to info@speedmooting.com or DM us on any platform.

In this Ask Speed Squad special, John and Hayley answer your questions on three of the most common challenges facing aspiring lawyers:
🎙️ I've applied for 30 training contracts and had no interviews — what should I do?
🎙️ Should candidates be upfront about weaknesses in a legal interview?
🎙️ I failed a module — is my legal career over?
Practical, honest advice for law students, bar course and LPC/SQE students, and anyone applying for training contracts or pupillage.
Got a question? Email info@speedmooting.com or DM us on social.
#AskSpeedSquad #LegalCareers #TrainingContract #Pupillage #LawStudent

Nobody teaches you this in law school — but it might matter more than anything you studied. In episode 120, John and Hayley break down what it actually means to be a client-friendly lawyer: how to read the room with different clients, how the best lawyers handle costs transparency, and how to manage expectations before they become complaints. These are the skills that get you recommended, retained, and remembered.
Then in Ask Speed Squad: an honest conversation about what's really changed in the profession since they qualified — AI, flexible working, the courts going digital, and what senior lawyers are quietly saying about the juniors coming through right now. Plus one legal myth the public just won't let go of.
Whether you're still chasing your training contract or pupillage, or you're a junior finding your feet in practice — this episode is worth your hour.
Send questions for Ask Speed Squad to info@speedmooting.com or DM us on socials.

What does life really look like after the Bar Course?

In this episode of Conversations with Counsel, John Dove speaks to Alvaro Gutierrez Calero about navigating the challenging period between being called to the Bar and securing pupillage. From working as a legal consultant and solicitor's agent to representing clients in the Employment Tribunal, Alvaro shares how he has continued to develop his advocacy and legal skills while pursuing a career at the Bar.

The conversation explores resilience, practical advocacy experience, multilingualism in legal practice and why every step of the journey can help shape your future career.

An honest and encouraging episode for anyone considering a career at the Bar or looking for ways to strengthen their legal experience.

Criminal barrister John and commercial solicitor Hayley discuss professional ethics in law, why integrity is non-negotiable, what the SRA and BSB mean in practice, and what really happens when lawyers get it wrong.

Also: their ongoing beef with estate agents (unregulated, unreachable, and somehow in charge of the biggest purchase of your life!!)

Plus: barrister vs solicitor envy, career changes into law at 30 or 40, and the hardest parts of running your own business.

Essential listening for law students, aspiring barristers and trainee solicitors.

📩 info@speedmooting.com | @speedmooting