Inspiring Future Lawyers at Alice Smith School

It was great to be invited to Alice Smith school to talk to the Grade 10 students about the study of Law at university!

When many people think of Law as a profession, they imagine the fiery confrontations of a courtroom drama - think 'The Good Wife', or 'Suits' (or even 'Rumpole of the Bailey' for those of you from the pre-Netflix age!)

Students who love to debate and argue, or who enjoy acting and performing, are automatically drawn to Litigation and Advocacy. But this is only one aspect of an extremely broad legal profession that has specialisations that can appeal to many diverse types of people. Students with strong analytical abilities and a commercial mindset may enjoy Corporate or Contract Law. Students with Mathematical or Scientific brains may excel at Intellectual Property Law or Tax Law. Students who value human relationships and emotional intelligence may find Family Law very enjoyable (although that part of the law can have its fiery confrontations too).

The Law is an amazingly diverse profession with a niche for all types of people.

That said, one of the most striking things about the Alice Smith students was the number who asked whether the study of Law can be a good foundation for people wanting to set up their own companies. The entrepreneurial mindset and technology focus of quite a few of the students seemed strong. For students who are thinking of running their own businesses one day, a Law degree can be a tremendously valuable foundation. As the founders of Uber and AirBnb have discovered, entrepreneurs will encounter many legal rules, regulations, obstacles and challenges as they develop their businesses, and having a good sense of the way the Law works can give them the confidence to navigate all of these legal complexities.