"Do better": Solicitor Chris Adiolé inspires William Ford pupils to be the best version of themselves.
"Do better. Be the best version of yourself." Not compared to anyone else. Compared to who you were yesterday.
That was the message Chris Adiolé brought to William Ford this week. Chris is a Director at Penerley Solicitors, working across the UK and internationally, and he came in to share his career in law with our children through our pupil-led radio station and in collective worship, linked to our school vision of being successful.
During the session, one of the children asked who had inspired Chris to go into law. His answer was his dad. It's a powerful reminder to every parent of the impact our words and encouragement can have on our children, sometimes in ways we never fully see.
The children found out what life as a solicitor actually looks like. They heard about the different types of cases Chris has been involved in, what a courtroom feels like from the inside, and one of the big ethical questions at the heart of law: what does it mean to represent someone you don't believe to be innocent? Chris handled that question with real care, explaining that fairness in sentencing matters for both sides, and that everyone has the right to be represented. It was the kind of honest, grown-up conversation that our children rise to every time.
On skills, his message was clear. Law demands the ability to communicate well, to argue a point clearly and at times forcibly, and to find solutions to problems. But it demands something else just as much: the ability to listen. To your client, to the judge, to the other side. That discipline, he said, runs through everything.
We already have children coming to tell us they want to be solicitors. Chris, you know what you've done.
We are very grateful to Chris for giving his time so generously and speaking with such openness and enthusiasm.