Solicitor's Diaries - part 2
We continue our mini series with part 2 where Yasmin Khan-Guns shares her reflections on Skills & Employability
What skills do you consider most critical for students and graduates entering today’s job market?
From my perspective as a family lawyer and someone who has hired people and who has worked with lots of juniors, I would pick:
- Written communication.
Clear, concise, accurate writing is essential. How you write is how people judge your thinking. I learnt that people don’t like flowery long-winded answers like they teach you in university.
- Emotional intelligence.
Particularly in family law, you deal with people at the worst moments of their lives. Being able to listen, show empathy, pick up on what is not being said and regulate your own reactions is crucial.
- Organisation and reliability.
Meeting deadlines, keeping on top of tasks, following up without being chased – those basics are really important.
- Curiosity and the ability to learn quickly.
Law and business both change constantly. You do not need to know everything, but you do need to show that you can pick things up, ask questions and improve.
- Digital literacy and self-marketing.
Understanding how to use technology, social media and online platforms to present yourself, share your work and build a network is becoming non-negotiable. Being able to market yourself and your ideas (professionally) – through Instagram, LinkedIn or writing – is a huge advantage.
- Resilience.
You will get things wrong. You will face rejection. The skill is not avoiding failure; it is recovering quickly, learning from it and continuing.
How can students best demonstrate their value to potential employers, especially when lacking direct experience?
You do not need a training contract on your CV to show value. You can:
- Use non-legal jobs properly.
Supermarket or retail work, hospitality, tutoring, admin roles – all of these show you can deal with difficult people, handle pressure and take responsibility. The key is to explain those transferable skills in your applications and interviews.
- Volunteer strategically.
Citizens Advice, pro bono clinics, helplines, student law clinics and charity roles show commitment and give you real client interaction experience.
- Create something.
Start a legal Instagram, blog or LinkedIn series sharing short posts about a particular area of law, case summaries or application tips. That shows initiative, consistency and substantive interest.
- Bring ideas to interviews.
I used to turn up to interviews with mind-maps I had drawn in advance: ways the firm could improve their Google reviews, social media, website or marketing. That showed that I had thought about their business rather than just myself.
- Show evidence of growth.
Talk about something you have improved at over the last year – time management, public speaking, writing. Employers like to see that you can self-reflect and then act on that
What advice do you have for students seeking to develop leadership and networking skills while at university?
I did not do anything impressive at university in terms of leadership or networking. I did not sit on any committees or societies. My focus was on getting good grades and earning money through part-time work.
That said, if I were a student now, I would:
- Take on small leadership roles.
This does not have to mean being President of something. It could be organising a revision group, leading a pro bono project, or coordinating an event for a society. Leadership is about taking responsibility and getting things done.
- Use social media as a networking tool.
I really recommend creating a legal Instagram or a professional LinkedIn profile. Follow lawyers and firms you are interested in, comment thoughtfully on their posts, share your own reflections on events, and slowly build a community.
- Practise low-stakes networking.
Networking is just talking to people. Start with what feels less intimidating: chatting to a speaker after a Zoom event, sending a short thank-you message on LinkedIn, or asking a question in the Q&A box. You do not need to “work the room” to be networking.
- Use university structures.
Careers events, employability workshops, mooting, client interviewing competitions – these all develop confidence and leadership in an environment where you are allowed to be learning.
The main thing is to reframe leadership and networking as skills you can grow in small, consistent ways rather than something only extroverts can do.
How important is digital literacy and familiarity with AI or new technologies in your field?
Extremely important – and becoming more so every year.
I use AI and my firm’s version of ChatGPT every single day. It is like having a junior paralegal sitting next to me:
- It helps me draft letters, emails and witness statements.
- It can summarise long documents so I can see the wood for the trees.
- It helps me generate first drafts of articles, blogs or social media posts which I then edit.
On top of AI, being digitally literate means:
- Being comfortable working remotely and using online case management systems.
- Knowing how to present yourself professionally online – via email, LinkedIn, Instagram and so on.
- Being able to adapt quickly when firms introduce new software or processes.
The students and junior lawyers who will do well in the next ten years will not be the ones who fear AI, but the ones who learn to use it as a tool and then layer their judgment, empathy and ethics on top.
