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16 May 2019 / Rabina Ahmed , Dr Tunde Okewale
Issue: 7840 / Categories: Features , Profession , Training & education
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Your background is an asset—make the most of it

Aspiring BAME students should play to their strengths to stand out from the crowd, say Rabina Ahmed & Dr Tunde Okewale

There’s a perception that in law, as in other professions, the background you come from matters. And that’s right, it does. But these days that can mean many different things. It’s not simply about belonging or not feeling you belong to a certain group, it’s about what you can bring to the table.

So, if your heritage means you can speak more than one language, that’s a selling point, particularly as law firms look to attract global clients. In the same way, your cultural or religious understanding will be an advantage when it comes to cementing client relationships.

Law is not only about technical expertise, it also relies on excellent interpersonal skills, and as globalisation gathers pace, more and more it requires understanding of and sensitivity to different beliefs and customs. Clients are placing great emphasis on law firms that reflect their ideals and philosophy—firms

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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