Tomorrow’s lawyers - essential tools for a successful career in law

David Patient is a Durham University alumnus and former firmwide managing partner of Travers Smith LLP from 2015 to 2021. He currently acts as a senior adviser at Travers Smith, chair of the Law School Alumni Association Executive Committee, and sits on the Council of the Law Society of England and Wales. 

The talk was organised by the Law School’s first Professor in Practice Philip Bennett as part of its Employability Course, with the assistance of the student Non-Law Into Law Society led by its President, Imogen Cole who chaired the talk.

In his talk David covered topics such as the importance of human skills and resilience in a tech driven world, top tips for acquiring commercial awareness, and how ethical considerations increasingly impact reputation, client selection, and culture. Of particular note were David’s insights on navigating a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world.

The Law School was represented by Yuxin Li who hosted a dinner after the talk to thank David and Imogen, and to give Media Officer and member of the Non-Law Into Law Society, Megan Le, and two first-year Law undergraduates, James Shilton and Richard Hao, the opportunity to talk in more detail with David.

The organisation of the talk was another example of the cooperative efforts between the Law School, its Law-related Societies, and Durham University students with an interest in a career in Law in the running of the Employability Course. 

More about the Employability Course

More about the Durham Law School Alumni Association