Andrew Powell

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Joanna Hughes.

Joanna is the creator of Joanna Hughes Solicitor Apprenticeships and Advisor to the City Century career creating collaboration of 50+ City of London law firms which identifies, attracts, recruits, onboards, educates, networks, develops and qualifies significant numbers of talented and committed solicitor apprentices.

Joanna and Sally discuss why Solicitor Apprenticeships are an attractive route into the law for employees and employers alike, and why Joanna is so passionate about them.

Joanna shares insights into ways that the legal profession can be diversified, and the different forms diversity can take. Plus Joanna shares her top tips for those starting out in the legal profession.

This episode is supported by Joanna Hughes Solicitor Apprenticeships. Find out more about their work here. You can also find out more about City Century here.

You can now support Talking Law on Patreon. Donate £3 a month to support the podcast.

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with The Rt Hon Victoria Prentis.   Victoria has served as Attorney General for England and Wales since 2022.  She is also a Government Minister, and the MP for Banbury.  

Sally and Victoria discuss the day to day role of Attorney General and what that entails.  

Victoria also shares insights into how the crossover between law and politics in her career came about.  They discuss the importance of increasing diversity when it comes to government legal careers; what’s been achieved so far and what more needs to be done. 

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Lisa Abrahams & Emma Wilson. 

Lisa and Emma both work in insurance at ARAG, which provides legal insurance products on a global scale. 

Lisa and Emma both discuss how they came to their careers via alternative routes, and stress that it’s never too late to start. They also discuss the improvements they’ve seen in diversity in their roles. 

Emma shares the role that ARAG has played in some high-profile medical negligence cases in the UK.

This episode is supported by ARAG, click here to learn more about their work.

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Sarah Foster. 

Sarah is a Partner in Restructuring at Addleshaw Goddard, where she provides advice on all aspects of restructuring; including business support, turnaround and insolvency. 

Sarah shares her journey from studying history and history of art at university, through to taking a conversion course and training in the firm. They also discuss Addleshaw Goddard’s approach to encouraging diversity in their law careers, including their apprenticeships; the Flourish network for female solicitors and their latest initiative, working with young people in schools.  

This episode is supported by Addleshaw Goddard. Find out more about their work here.

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Susanna McGibbon

Susanna McGibbon is His Majesty’s Procurator General, the Treasury Solicitor and the Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department, or GLD.  She is the most senior civil servant who gives legal advice to the government of the day. 

Susanna and Sally discuss the important distinction that whilst she and the GLD act in their client’s best interests, they are politically impartial.  

They reflect on Susanna’s passion for ensuring that the Government of the day is advised by people who live and work all over the country.  It’s vitally important to Susanna that the Government is advised by people who reflect the society that they serve.  

Susanna also shares with Sally why her most significant case was actually a defeat, when the High Court ruled that MPs must be given a vote on whether to trigger Article 50.
 
Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Michael Mansfield KC

Michael was called to the Bar in 1967. In 1984, he established Tooks Chambers and became Queen's Counsel in 1989. He has represented defendants in criminal trials, appeals and inquiries in some of the most controversial legal cases the country has seen, particularly where issues of Civil Liberty have arisen.

Sally and Michael discuss some of the high-profile cases Michael has worked on, including Stephen Lawrence and the Grenfell Inquiry. 

He also shares his experience of chairing inquiries for mistreated groups and providing equal opportunities for black practitioners. 

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Nicola Williams. 

Nicola is the author of the hit novels Without Prejudice and Until Proven Innocent. She’s also a part-time Crown Court Judge and one of the 100 most influential black people in the UK.

Nicola shares with Sally her journey to the bar, and how the skills she learnt there took her to the Cayman Islands.

Nicola shares her insights into the life of a legal professional, as she tried to balance her career as a part-time Crown Court Judge and as an author. 

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Nik White.

Nik has been the Managing Partner of Brabners since 2018. With a background in commercial law, he has devoted his working career to the firm, having joined as a trainee solicitor in 1995. 

Brabners is a leading independent law firm which helps private, public and third-sector organisations, as well as private individuals.  They recently worked on the now infamous “Wagatha Christie” case for their client Colleen Rooney.   Sally discovers what it was like to work on such a high profile case, with so much media attention. 

Brabners have a focus on sustainability, not just in the environment but in the workplace too. Sally hears about their work to encourage employees back to the office post-pandemic and also about the “Brabners Bog”, a peat bog they’ve invested in to help tackle carbon emissions. 

Nik describes himself as an “accidental lawyer”. He and Sally discuss his journey to become Managing Partner; the skills and values he has carried with him and why he’s never moved on to another firm. 

This episode is supported by Brabners. Find out more about their work here.

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Lord Jonathan Sumption

Lord Sumption is a former senior judge who sat on the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Sally and Lord Sumption reflect on his career, the cases he enacted on as a barrister, including the Abramovich case, and why Lord Sumption once said it will take 50 years to achieve true equality at the bar. Sally and Lord Sumption also discuss the 2019 prorogation case, although he did not act on this case he shares his perspective.

During the pandemic Lord Sumption spoke out against the lockdowns when asked to comment by the BBC programme “The World at One”. He explains to Sally the reasoning behind his views and where he believes the government went wrong.

A former academic, Lord Sumption has authored several books and specialises in history. Sally speaks to him about his life outside of his work and his passion for the arts.
 

This episode is supported by Salford Business School. Find out more about their work here.

Presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni

Sally Penni MBE is Talking Law with Dr Shaun Wallace and Tom Lyas

Dr Shaun Wallace is a Barrister at Great James Street Chambers and is also well known to the public as a celebrity quizzer. He was the first black man to win Mastermind and is now a permanent staple on ITV’s The Chase.

Dr Wallace tells Sally about how he’s been driven to be a lawyer since the age of 11, but he hasn’t always been regarded as intelligent. Dr Wallace shares how you should never rest on your laurels, as each new milestone is “the starting line to a new challenge.”

Tom Lyas is the Head of Resourcing at Browne Jacobson. He passionately believes that diverse hiring leads to the best talent. Tom shares with Sally how the work he’s done in DEI at Browne Jacobson has taken the firm from one success to another.

Tom also gives applicants some lucrative tips when applying for positions. 

This episode is supported by Browne Jacobson. Find out more about their work here.

Talking Law is presented by Sally Penni MBE, barrister at law at Kenworthy’s Chambers Manchester and founder and chair of Women in the Law UK. Follow Sally on Twitter @SallyPenni1 and Instagram @sjsallypenni