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08 September 2011 / Bryan Greetham
Issue: 7480 / Categories: Features , Training & education , Profession
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Think for yourself

Bryan Greetham emphasises the importance of encouraging original thought through legal training

The most valuable assets in any law firm are its intellectual assets: the imagination and thinking skills of its employees. For this reason successful firms work hard to recruit graduates who can think for themselves; who can generate original ideas, challenge received opinions, analyse complex arguments, think conceptually and play devil’s advocate. But over recent years finding these graduates has become increasingly difficult.

Critical thinking

Beneath the superficial gloss of every university’s proud boast that it prepares law students to be innovative, creative thinkers, the picture appears quite different. Recently, a young law teacher at a UK university was told by his course leader to change his teaching style. His students had complained. Apparently, he had been asking them “to think too hard”, rather than “simply giving them the answers”.

Competition for students

As more universities compete for students, each one knows that to attract applicants it must be able to show that its graduates achieve consistently higher grades

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott bolsters housebuilder expertise in Birmingham

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Firm adds former Simmons Simmons patent head to engineering and tech team

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

Freeths strengthens its voice in national disputes with ACTAPS committee appointment

NEWS
Some employment law controversies never disappear—they merely lie dormant
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming legal practice, but its successful adoption depends as much on culture as technology
The fallout from Lord Mandelson’s appointment and dismissal as UK ambassador to Washington raises profound questions about constitutional governance, accountability and political appointments
Pastries may be in the firing line while kebabs escape scrutiny, but the reality is far more nuanced
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dillon highlights a central tension in modern public law: rights may be recognised without being fully realised
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