TLT Interview

Shown an ability to exceed expectations and do more than is the minimum required

Situation

As Student Director of the Tayside and Perthshire Law Project (TayPer), I noticed that many student volunteers were unable to meet Citizens Advice’s individual minimum hours quote due to academic commitments, or (as was typical at Abertay Uni) working alongside university. At TayPer, we had a small group of students (comparative to other universities) and TayPer is still a relatively young project, we did not have the funds nor bodies to open a law clinic dealing in representation. So we focused on, and became great at community engagement work.

Task

My goal was to allow our members to get experience of in-person legal support, without the financial burden on the project. With the added bonus of increase the project’s attractiveness to new members,

Action

I initiated and led negotiations with Citizens Advice to shift from their individual hour quotas to a project-wide minimum, which would allow our members to contribute flexibly.

Result

Our members engagement increased significantly, and last year (our first year in partnership with Citizens Advice) we received only positive feedback from our members. & it was a key part of our marketing to new members this year. This, alongside my other work resulted in me joining the project’s board after graduation.

Had to work out how to work with someone who had an opinion or approach that was different to yours and how you dealt with this to ensure a good outcome

Situation

During my Diploma in Legal Practice, I was part of a small group tasked with delivering a complex joint presentation. Early in the process, it became clear that my teammates had a different approach when it came to deadlines and communication. Following my dyslexia diagnosis in my undergrad, completing assignments a couple days early (where possible) became a key part of securing a grade for me. In comparisons, their responses to emails were slow, and contributions to the assignment even more so.

Task

I had to navigate the difference in work styles, without creating tension or allowing the project to stall. I had to ensure we had a polished, coherent presentation on time while maintaining a constructive and respectful team dynamic.

Action

In order to move us along, I proactively took ownership of the most substantial section of the project - a detailed business plan - recognising it as the task that required the most time and research. Once I had progressed significantly, I re-engaged the group and proposed tasks for them to complete, relating to our presentation (graded as a group on the business plan, and separately on the presentation). I outlined what I had completed and suggested they take on more contained tasks. It was key for me to frame this not as a criticisms (because in fairness, who am I to say my approach regarding deadlines was the correct one), but as a practical division based on timing.

I had to remind myself that not everyone works at the same pace, or communicates in the same way. I chose to trust that they would complete their assigned sections by the deadline, while staying available to assist if needed.

Result

the project was submitted on time, to a high standard, earning marks the whole group was happy with. additionally, the team remained positive & collaborative throughout.

Built professional relationships with people. Think about how this differs to making friends in a social situation

Situation

As the Student Director of TayPer, I identified an opportunity to expand our reach and impact by creating a relationship with, and partnering on event with Dundee University’s Pro-Bono Society. To do this I needed to build a relationship with the lead of their Pro-Bono Clinic, Rebecca Samaras - a well respected lecturer specifically brought in to build Dundee’s clinic, based on her prior success at Edinburgh University.

Task

My job here was to initiate and cultivate a professional parternship with Rebecca, and out 2 law projects. This required establishing my own and TayPer’s credibility, aligning our objectives and proposing an event that would have mutual benefit for both projects & our local community.

Action

In order to do this,

1. Before contacting Rebecca, I researched her professional background & the objectives of the new project to insure our priorities were aligned - happily they did, as they had a branch exclusively dedicated to community engagement (similar to our project)

2. Initiated contact formally through email, introducing myself & TayPer and requesting a meeting to discuss possible areas of alignement. I framed it as 2 project coming together to maximise their impact, aiming to overcome the possible assumption that the small size of the city would lead to competition between them.

3. In the meeting we immediately connected, and our conversation flowed easily. We were aligned in our goals, but still I wanted to impress the value of TayPer and a possible partnership with ourselves. This was different from creating a friendship, I wanted to create a positive relationship between ourselves, and also the 2 projects, but also I had a goal that would ensure the success of TayPer, it was not entirely altruistic. It was built strategically, with clear objectives & professional boundaries, on a foundation of shared goals & a belief in the possible beenfit to the community.

Result

We successfully co-hosted a public panel, with lawyers all connected to the local community about the benefits of pro-bono work on a community, in line with the theme of pro-bono week that year. Rebecca asked me to join the panel, alongside her representing the two law projects, which had the added benefit of allowing 2 student members to become the hosts, and it ran perfectly to a sizeable audience who will hopefully take this attitude into their professional careers.

Additionally, it enhanced TayPer’s profile, all of the panel became more aware of the work we did & we were exposed to local university students, some of whom then became members of our project. As a young project, their was valuable currency in being publicly seen with established lawyers, creating more credence in our own work.

Received constructive feedback, what did you do with the feedback

Situation

At Hidden Hearing, we conducted formal six-monthly performance reviews. In one such review, early into my four years with the company, my supervisor highlighted that whilst my consultations with clients was empathetic, they did not emphasise the client’s individual need for an appointment. This had resulted in a decrease in my appointment completion rate, negatively affecting my monthly commission and the possible sales by the audiologists.

Task

My new object was then to directly address the feedback to increase my appointment numbers, and enhance the ease of appointments for the audiologists.

Action

I asked for regular informal feedback in the following months, having my supervisor listen to my calls & suggest improvements on a weekly basis. I also asked to listen to the calls of the top performers in my department so I could see where their approaches differed from mine.

Result

In the 6 months following the initial review I increased my appointment completion rate by 30%, meeting the team average, since then my rate has continued to climb to where I am now one of the top performers on the team. This improved my next review, my own commission, and the completion rates of the audiologists appointments.

Commercial Awareness - Greenwashing. New Guidance & exisiting clients?

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a critical update to its Green Claims Code, explicitly extending legal liability for misleading environmental claims to every business in a supply chain—from raw material suppliers to final retailers.

Core Rule: Strict, chain-wide liability. Intent or ignorance is no defence. If a claim is misleading, any business involved in making or repeating it can be held responsible.

Who is Liable Now?

• Retailers & Brands: For claims on websites, packaging, or in marketing.

• Manufacturers & Suppliers: For claims on products or information provided downstream.

• Passive Repeaters: A retailer simply stocking a product with a false "eco" label is also "making" that claim.

Enforcement & Penalties:
The CMA now has direct powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024to:

• Issue substantial fines without going to court.

• Order redress payments to consumers.

• Mandate changes to business practices.

Business Impact:
Companies must implement robust verification processes for all green claims, secure contractual evidence-sharing with suppliers, and regularly audit marketing materials. Greenwashing is no longer just a reputational issue—it’s a direct financial and legal risk.

Exisitng Clients; Advised JD Sports Fashion PLC on their global international template franchise agreement for the roll out of franchises on a global basis.

• JD, from memory, sell shoes that advertise as eco friendly. The liability for this claim now extends beyond JD as a