Students from the QUB School of Law engaged this week with one of the major issues shaping the profession - the growing influence of artificial intelligence. On 3 March, Allstate hosted an insightful “Building Trustworthy AI in Law” panel in partnership with Women in Business NI, timed to build momentum ahead of International Women's Day. The discussion brought together experts from legal, risk, and technology backgrounds to explore the opportunities AI creates, the challenges organisations must manage, and the need for responsible innovation across the sector.
Allstate also showed strong support for our Law School by offering 10 student places, allocated on a first‑come, first‑served basis. This gave attendees the chance to hear directly from industry leaders about a rapidly evolving area of legal practice.
Recognising Proactive Students
One of the ten students who took advantage of this opportunity was penultimate year law student Martyna Szatan, who later shared her reflections on the experience:
“It was a fantastic event which my classmates and I thoroughly enjoyed and found very beneficial! Having recently completed several legal interviews, I've seen firsthand how strongly firms emphasise awareness of AI, which makes events like this genuinely invaluable for aspiring legal practitioners.”
A Challenge to the Wider Student Body
Martyna's initiative offers an important reminder for the wider student community. Opportunities such as employer events, skills workshops, pro bono projects, and practical legal experiences are available throughout the year, but they require students to take the initiative and engage.
Legal recruiters consistently look for candidates who show curiosity, commercial awareness and a commitment to developing their skills beyond the classroom. Attending employer‑led events not only builds understanding of emerging topics but also provides insight into the realities of modern business.
We are grateful to Allstate for supporting our students’ professional development through this event. The message for all students is clear: actively pursuing opportunities can significantly enhance your skills, awareness and future employability. Employers continue to emphasise that understanding emerging issues, such as AI, is becoming increasingly important for aspiring lawyers.
The School of Law extends sincere thanks to all students who attended Wednesday's event exploring careers in government legal service. We were honoured to host Ciara Murphy (Assistant Chief State Solicitor, Chief State Solicitor's Office, Ireland) and Caitriona Hargan (Senior Principal Legal Officer, Northern Ireland Civil Service - Departmental Solicitor's Office), who shared valuable insights into the practice of public law and constitutional advisory work across both jurisdictions. Chaired by Professor Gordon Anthony, the discussion offered students a fascinating glimpse into legal work at the centre of government.
We were particularly proud of the engagement our students showed throughout the event. Reflecting afterwards, Ciara Murphy commented:
“You must be very proud of the students - they seemed so engaged and raised really smart and thoughtful questions. A few of them even stopped Caitriona and me on our way out to say that they got a lot from our talks, which was very nice of them.”
Our School of Law is indeed very proud of the curiosity, professionalism and enthusiasm demonstrated by those who attended. We are also grateful to Deirdre Timoney, the School's Employability Officer, for her support in organising the event.
Pictured L–R: Deirdre Timoney (School of Law); Caitriona Hargan (NI Civil Service, Departmental Solicitor's Office); Ciara Murphy (Chief State Solicitor's Office, Ireland); and Professor Gordon Anthony (School of Law).
