Meera Patel is a lawyer and business-strategy consultant working at the intersection of business law, innovation and policy. She advises international C-suite clients at this connect. Her work-to-date includes honing her skills at Latham & Watkins, being a founding-member of EY Law, a pioneering firm for multi-disciplinary legal solutions, and leading legal and regulatory Brexit insights for Deloitte UK. Her current focus is AI and digital regulatory, the future of business and law. Meera is the author of Get Into Law and below, you can see her answers to our quick-fire questions!

Can you say a little about your journey from school to university and university to training contract. Was it plain sailing? Were there any experiences that really changed your mindset or your career trajectory?

My journey was far from plain sailing. At school, I was advised that to apply to prestigious universities to study law I needed legal work experience – that moment lit a fire in me. I began writing letters to inspiring senior women in law. At 16, I landed my first work-shadowing placement at a city-firm – an opportunity that I am so incredibly grateful for – and that one step changed everything. It taught me that opportunities are not given—they’re created. This ethos is woven into Get Into Law: no matter where you start, you can achieve what you desire with the right mindset and tools.

Did you always know what type of lawyer you wanted to be?

No, and I encourage readers to stay open-minded—your journey will unfold as you discover more about yourself and this will become clear to you.

You were one of the first client-facing lawyers at Ernst and Young. Were you in-house before? Could you explain how the ‘Big Four’ accountancy firms started delivering legal services and what this meant for you. Who were the clients?

Joining EY in 2015 was a bold and entrepreneurial move. Coming from private practice at Latham & Watkins, I was drawn to EY’s innovative approach to integrating client-facing legal services with tax, finance, and strategy. It was an exciting opportunity to work within multidisciplinary teams, offering clients – ranging from FTSE 100 companies to early-stage startups – holistic and seamless solutions. I believed then, as I do now, that this integrated model was the future of legal services. The rapid growth of the Big Four in this space since that time has only reinforced how much clients value this approach from their advisors.

What made you decide to publish Get into Law?

Get Into Law’s purpose is to inspire and empower the next generation of legal professionals to fulfil their unique potential – I remember being a student with no roadmap and navigating this challenging path. This book is the guide I wish I had, encompassing my key learnings from student to lawyer.

You write on commercial awareness – what do you think is the biggest misconception about this skill, and how can students seek to develop their abilities in this area?

Perhaps that commercial awareness is about just knowing the headlines—it’s not. It’s about understanding why businesses make decisions and how lawyers can add value in that context. In my book I teach readers my personal three-step commercial awareness methodology. It’s about staying curious, connecting current events to legal frameworks, and engaging in conversations that demonstrate your awareness. It’s a skill you build with time and intention.

For new students, the idea of networking can be pretty terrifying (whether in person or online), do you have any tips to share on how they can improve their confidence in this and get the balance right between professionalism/friendliness?

Start by listening and showing genuine interest in others. Whether you’re online or in person, focus on meaningful conversations rather than trying to impress.

We know technology and AI is changing the landscape for us all, but it is an exciting/unnerving time for law students, not feeling wholly confident of what lies ahead in their profession. What products have excited you/made your job easier as a lawyer, and where do you think students should be gaining expertise?

Technology is reshaping legal practice – tools like AI-driven contract analysis, for example, are changing the way we work. Generative AI means that we’re seeing the development of systems that will take over some of the work of lawyers, and more interestingly, AI is now empowering non-experts (i.e potential clients) to do some of this initial work themselves. So my view is that tech skills are vital and the next generation of digital natives can learn these skills quickly – however, the human element—like empathy and strategic thinking – remains irreplaceable, and perhaps now at a premium.

Finally, as author of Get into Law, what skills do you think are most highly prized by law firms looking to recruit in the coming years?

Law firms today seek lawyers who are not only technically skilled but also commercially savvy, forward-thinking, and emotionally intelligent. The ability to collaborate effectively across cultures and disciplines has become equally essential. In Get Into Law, I guide readers to develop these essential skills together with self-leadership, empowering the reader to approach their career with confidence, creating their own distinctive path to success.

Many thanks to Meera for sparing the time to share her pointers with us…do go and look at her website and the book!