The latest reporting from magic circle firm Linklaters LLP indicates that its gender and ethnicity pay gaps have narrowed from 2020, despite remaining far from where its wants or needs to be, according to senior partner Aedamar Comiskey. 

Close to 60% of women lawyers have experienced inappropriate gender-based comments from male colleagues or know other women who have, according to research by the First 100 Years Project.

Two firms have stepped up their contributions to making law a more gender-equal profession, with Freshfields banning “Dear sirs” as a way to begin communications and Latham & Watkins launching a breastmilk delivery programme for its travelling lawyers. 

What beliefs are covered under the Equality Act 2010 and how does the Forstater case impact employers?

Nearly 80% of UK employers have a gender pay gap that favours men in 2022-2023.  

What are the gender pay gap reporting requirements and what will they mean for employers?

The gender pay gap for partners and employees at Freshfields has reduced to 57.2% according to figures published at the end of March 2020.

The gender pay gap has widened, with female lawyers earning roughly a third less than their male colleagues, a Law Society study of 2012 pay levels has revealed.

Without a little prompting, we can all let good intentions slide – especially so when it comes to the sort of preparatory work that requires long-term commitment. Developing your commercial awareness is one such example; it’s not enough to read the FT on the way to your training contract interview. You have to put in hours well in advance of that, so where better to start than with another collection of the week’s most interesting business news stories?

It’s of the utmost important that aspiring lawyers avoid seeing the legal industry as an isolated bubble away from the business and political world.

Law on the high street has changed following the Legal Services Act 2007. 

Despite the efforts to move the legal business model towards alternatives, the billable hour remains the predominant model of law firms globally. However, with the arrival of Generative AI (GenAI), the legal business model is beginning to be challenged.

By using AI, am I breaching client confidentiality?

While AI has been a nebulous topic for decades, especially in the last 12 months, there’s been enormous growth in “generative AI”.

Can a business prevent online purchases by consumers in other EEA member states?

What is the impact of geopolitical events on commodity markets and how do commodity traders manage the impact of geopolitical events?

Why is the Legal Services Act such a big deal?

A new academic year is beginning and with it a new round of work experience, training contract and pupillage opportunities. LawCareers.Net has lots of tips on how to work your way into a legal career, including information on self-analysis, research, virtual law fairs and where to access support.