Students enjoyed a packed lunchtime session for this week’s Futures Friday as David Byrne (Pole 1989–1997) returned to school to speak about his career in corporate law. The event, hosted by the pupil-led Law Society, offered a valuable behind‑the‑scenes look at the realities of the legal profession and the many routes available to aspiring solicitors.

David outlined his journey from studying Economics, Maths and French at A‑level through to reading Law at the University of Bristol. He spoke about the different pathways into the profession, including postgraduate qualifications, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, apprenticeships, and law conversion options for non‑law graduates.

Students were particularly interested in David’s insight into the structure of a training contract, including rotations through litigation, property, corporate and construction law and his reflections on the pace and intensity of corporate legal work, especially within mergers and acquisitions.

David also offered a glimpse into life working "in‑house," sharing his experience at National Grid and later stepping into the role of General Counsel. He provided an overview of today’s legal landscape, highlighting the scale of the industry, with around 5,000 trainees a year and a growing number of roles available outside traditional law firms.

Our FUTURES team works hard to produce a varied programme of FUTURES Friday Seminars, designed to appeal to a broad range of pupils. We have a programme of FUTURES Friday Seminars, and so if you are interested in taking part, Mrs Chillcott would be grateful to hear from you: ChillcottR@SolSch.org.uk. There is no need to be an experienced public speaker, or particularly senior in your organisation, as what we are looking for is a taster of ‘real life’ within various sectors.