Did you know you could train as a solicitor straight from school?

There are two different routes to becoming a solicitor –as a graduate and as an apprentice.

In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Annabel Twose, a second-year trainee, and Matt Dady, a first-year solicitor apprentice at Fieldfisher's London office, a European law firm with 25 offices in 13 countries.

Together they explore:

· Why they wanted to train as a solicitor

· The difference between training as a solicitor apprentice or as a graduate and why chose their route

· challenges encountered in their training

· A typical day and available support

· The area of law they want to practice once qualified

· Their top tips for working in a law firm

When she was 10 years old, Annabel was an avid reader and inspired by Alex Rider books wanted to be a spy. Matt wanted to work in the travel industry, as a captain of a cruise ship.

References and Resources

Fieldfisher London

CILEX episode

Legal Cheek

Corporate Law Academy

Grow Mentoring

The Bright Network.

Law Society and becoming a solicitor

Law Careers – a guide to apprenticeships

➡️ Call 999 in an emergency
➡️ Speak to an adult you trust
➡️ Or contact a confidential service like Childline: 0800 1111
➡️ If you're under 18 and want free, confidential advice, you can also call the NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at kidslaw@spark21.org, contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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See you soon in the next episode!

Research shows that smacking a child can be physically and emotionally damaging and it’s not an effective way to discipline them. In some parts of the UK, such as Scotland and Wales, smacking a child is against the law, even if you’re just visiting. But in England and Northern Ireland, the law is different - parents can still claim a defence of ‘reasonable punishment’.

In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Amy Packham, a criminal barrister, Deputy Head of Lamb Building chambers, and a part-time Crown Court judge.

Together, they explore:

· Why the law around smacking children is different in different parts of the UK

· Whether teachers or other adults are ever allowed to smack a child

· What the law means by ‘reasonable punishment’

· What happens if someone reports a parent for smacking their child

· How the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child fits into all of this

If a child tells you they are being hit or they don’t feel safe, it’s important to act:
➡️ Call 999 in an emergency
➡️ Speak to an adult you trust
➡️ Or contact a confidential service like Childline: 0800 1111
➡️ If you're under 18 and want free, confidential advice, you can also call the NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk

References and Resources

Find your local social care team through your local council.

NSPCC helpline (via phone, email or online form)

Kids Law Interview Why are Children’s Rights in Scotland the Strongest in the UK?

S.58 The Children Act 2004

NSPCC Survey 2024

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Report 2024

Children’s Commissioner for England

Article 19 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at kidslaw@spark21.org, contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

Please subscribe, rate, and share the podcast with your friends.
See you soon in the next episode!

WARNING: Adults might want to listen to this episode before listening with young children, as we mention the words self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders in the context of examples of harmful online content.

What are the legal implications for young people becoming influencers online? What happens if brands offer them sponsorship deals? These activities raise commercial, consent and ownership legal issues.

Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Steve Kuncewicz, Partner at Glaisyers Solicitors. Steve is an expert in the law that affects the creative, digital and marketing world and he joined the our hosts to talk about the main legal issues affecting children creators of online content in the UK including:

· General legal issues affecting online content creators

· Young people and contracts and sponsorship deals

· Social media platforms responsibilities and the Online Safety Act

· Challenges when parents involve their children in content creation

· Cases and laws in USA lto protect young online content creators

When Steve was 10 years old, he said he was geeky and still is! He wanted to be a writer and imagined he would be Batman!

References and Resources

Steve Kuncewicz

Child Content Creators: What Is Protecting Minors from Exploitation?

Teen Vogue article 2023: Influencer Parents and The Kids Who Had Their Childhood Made Into Content

UCLA Law Review

Child Influencers and Commercial Challenges

Kids Law podcasts on other related topics:

How can laws protect creative works?

How the ICO works to protect children online

How young people can be protected online NSPCC perspective

Does the law control when a child can work and get paid for it?

Online Safety Act - what is being done to keep children safe online

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at kidslaw@spark21.org, contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

Please subscribe, rate, and share the podcast with your friends.
See you soon in the next episode!