Junior Solicitor Summit 2026

This week The Law Society held its Junior Solicitor Summit 2026 at Chancery Lane. Last year the big question was whether AI would replace solicitors. This year the room had moved on. AI is part of the job now, so the real question was what makes a junior lawyer worth instructing when information is free. Below are the notes that stuck with me.

Careers Are Lived Forward

Ian Jeffery opened with a line I wrote down straight away:

Careers are lived forward but only understood backwards.

His point was that careers are far less linear than they used to be, and juniors are now expected to bring digital communication skills and emotional intelligence alongside the technical law. He also reminded us that you know yourself better than any career coach does. Help yourself, and help others on the way.

Speakers

• Ian Jeffery, chief executive, Law Society

The Human Advantage

Plenty of traditional junior tasks are being automated, yet the way you develop judgement hasn’t changed. What’s changing is the route there. The panel talked about using AI to interrogate your own work, or to simulate what the other side might argue, so you reach higher level thinking sooner.

Whatever tool you use, the output is yours.

The panel then asked a question every candidate should sit with. If people can already get information from AI for free, what do they come to a lawyer for? Their answer was certainty, a view on the merits, encouragement and someone who understands the situation in context.

A few practical habits:

• Get very good at asking questions, then interrogating the answers
• Work out what the client is actually hoping to achieve
• Before opening an AI tool, ask yourself why you’re using it
• Don’t outsource your brain
• Don’t underestimate how much senior lawyers want to learn from you

Speakers

• Chair: Harry Clark, associate, Reed Smith LLP and chair of the Law Society’s Junior Solicitors Network
• Shilpa Bhandarkar, founder, Wild Ducks Advisory
• Matthew Letts, founder and director, Codified Strategy
• Mia Leslie, policy adviser, technology law and digital transformation, The Law Society.

The Business Of Law

A law firm is a business. Clients need to instruct you and then pay you, and the firm has to bring in more than it costs to run. Commercial awareness starts there, and over time it builds your reputation and opens doors to promotion.

Every interaction, even a ten second conversation, gives you permission to follow up. Keep it genuine rather than a hard sell. Ask an open question and be kind.

On LinkedIn, posting helps if your post has a point. And is your profile actually up to date? Everyone brings the same training to the table, so you need to show how you’re different. I wrote more on this in last week’s issue on starting business development before you qualify.

To build commercial skills:

• Skip the lazy “what do you think about X” question
• Listen actively
• Do one thing each week that moves you forward

Speakers

• Heledd Wyn, solicitor and partner, private client, Rothley Law
• Mark Hamilton, chartered accountant and head of new business generation, Matheson LLP
• James Woodhouse, associate (energy and infrastructure), Matheson LLP and Junior Solicitors Network executive committee member
• Daniel George Peacock, senior associate and head of dispute resolution, Elliott James Legal

Influence And Collaboration

Anita compared two juniors. One listens to learn and is easy to work with. The other works alone behind a screen, overthinks and hesitates to ask questions. How you choose to show up makes the difference, even when that means pushing past your own discomfort.

Influence starts with self awareness. Know your working style and how you think. Focus on what you can control instead of comparing yourself to others, which is Stephen Covey’s circle of influence in practice. Then choose where to spend your energy, and make sure the people who make decisions can see your work.

Speakers

• Anita Gohil‑Thorp, coach and trainer to lawyers, Law Society Women Solicitors Network committee member

Own It, Fix It, Learn From It

The advice here was refreshingly direct. If something goes wrong, fix it. If an instruction is unclear, ask: what exactly are you asking me to do? Pick up the phone when email is slowing things down, and keep conflicts of interest on your radar.

Have the courage to say something, and never put your practising certificate at risk for anyone.

Speakers

• Pearl Moses, director and head of regulatory compliance, Setfords Solicitors
• Rebekah Sutcliffe, corporate and commercial associate, Morr & Co LLP and immediate past chair of the Junior Solicitors Network

Keynote From The Law Society president

Brett Dixon described AI as a talented research assistant you don’t quite trust. His advice was to keep being you and stay open to new technology.

He was asked what he’d like to see change with the SQE, now five years in. He acknowledged the feedback has been mixed, that the exam brings a lot of stress, and that the skills juniors need today are different.

On wellbeing, he talked about not being always on and about listening to people with disabilities when updating reasonable adjustment guidance. On leadership, he said it isn’t about telling people what to do. And don’t be afraid of big decisions. Getting one wrong is not the end of the world.

The Future Lawyer

Nobody wants to fill in a paper form. They just want the digital one to work. That was the starting point for the closing panel: AI is changing where lawyers add value, especially in disclosure, data and contracts.

The working day is more fragmented now, with tools like Harvey turning work around faster. One panelist noted it can take around approximately 23 minutes to refocus after switching tasks. Prompts are often shared with supervisors, so senior lawyers need to understand the tech too.

Using AI responsibly came down to personal accountability, plus checking and verifying everything. There was a good exchange on learning. Taking the long view to learn something properly is often worth it, but firms rarely give juniors that time, so many end up experimenting on their own.

Value came up again. Getting advice from AI is like a supermarket purchase, while buying from a person feels personal. The test is whether your client can see the value they got.

Juniors bring a fresh set of eyes. Ask why something is done a certain way, spot patterns and build templates the whole firm can reuse.

The Panel’s Takeaways:

• Plan how you’ll sustain your own learning
• Use habits to add a bit of structure
• Own what you’re doing
• Share your perspective, for example on LinkedIn

Speakers

• Brett Dixon, president, Law Society
• Tyler Dearson, head of BUK legal risk management and strategy, Barclays UK
• George Hannah, solicitor apprentice, Lewis Silkin LLP
• Cyrus Pocha, partner, Freshfields

Closing Remarks

Thorrun Govind, incoming chair of the Junior Solicitors Network, closed the day with my favourite line:

Technology is changing how we practise but not why we practise. Embrace the tool and question it. A sustainable career is a successful career. You don’t need anyone’s permission. Start now.

Speakers

Thorrun Govind, pharmacist and health lawyer, and incoming chair of the Junior Solicitors Network

Ready For next Year?

If you attended the Junior Solicitor Summit 2026, what were your key takeaways?

Read my takeaways from the Junior Solicitors Summit 2025.

Next year’s summit is on Friday 22 October 2027. Put it in your diary now.

Thank you to the team for putting on a fantastic event.

Bonus

The Law Society generously provided tours of their library.