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Think for yourself

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

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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