Background
I’ve worked on several iterations of the website over the years – from it’s early days back in 2011ish when it was marketed as Buzz Feed for lawyers, through to the present day where it offers a wide variety of resources for student and trainee lawyers.
Where we are now
The latest version of legalcheek.com was built in 2017 on class WordPress. At the heart of the site is the news section, updated daily with stories, opinion pieces, and features. The site also includes several other sections, as outlined below.
Careers
The Careers section is one of Legal Cheek’s most visited areas, helping students explore law firms, chambers, and universities and understand different routes into the profession.
Panel Events
Legal Cheek hosts regular virtual and in-person panel sessions featuring lawyers, trainees, and recruiters from top firms and chambers. Events utilise custom post types and ACF. They disappear off the upcoming events page once the event has passed but remain accessible for reference.
Law Fairs
Legal Cheek Fairs attract thousands of students and dozens of employers each year. Each fair series has it’s own dedicated microsite-style landing page showcasing participating firms and information about the fair. Fairs utilise custom post types and ACF to display schedules, firm logos and further information.
Virtual Vacation Schemes
Legal Cheek’s virtual vacation schemes give students insight into life as a lawyer across practice areas, with dedicated landing pages highlighting participating firms and scheme details. They use a setup similar to fairs, with custom post types and ACF to display schedules, sponsors, and firm logos.
Feature
Most Lists
The “Most Lists” allow students to compare law firms, chambers, and solicitor apprenticeships on everything from salaries to office vibes.
I developed this using Custom post types and Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). Each firm is a post in the backend. This means when a firm’s details are updated, that change automatically syncs across the entire site. This approach ensures the data is always accurate and saves the editorial team hours of manual updates.
For the back end I built a structured dashboard using ACF to enter firm’s data. This allows the editorial team to concentrate on entering the data while the code calculates rankings and renders the interactive tables on the front end.
Feature
Key Deadlines Calendar
The Key Deadlines Calendar is one of the most important tools for Legal Cheek’s audience, tracking time-sensitive applications for vacation schemes and training contracts.
I developed this using Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and custom PHP code. When a deadline passes, the system automatically hide the entry, keeping the interface clean and relevant for students without requiring constant manual oversight from the editorial team.
Beyond the main site
In addition to the main legalcheek.com website, I have also developed several sub-sites for them, including:
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Future Lawyers Hub
Future Lawyers Hub connects students and graduates with leading law firms and chambers. It’s a gateway for free virtual events, law fairs and vacation schemes organised in partnership with leading legal brands.
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STEM Future Lawyers
STEM Future Lawyers is a network for science, technology, engineering & maths students and graduates who are interested in pursuing a career in the law.
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Legal Cheek Hub
Legal Cheek Hub is the recruitment and event site of Legal Cheek, showcasing jobs, work experience and other opportunities.
