As law students will be keenly aware, January marks the onset of application deadlines for many vacation schemes and work placements.

The legal mental health charity LawCare has reported has reported that calls to its helpline have increased by 11% on last year.

Cambridge University has topped the Guardian's league table of law faculties in the United Kingdom, with a perfect score - 100 out of 100.

The government is investigating concerns about the quality and accountability of decisions made by algorithms, including the risk that automated decision-making software used by police forces could emulate human biases such as racial prejudice.

What is AI’s role in the future of inventions?

In July 2024, Waterstones was criticised for dismissing Tilly Fitzgerald, a bookseller and book influencer, who told author Christina Dalcher on X (formally Twitter) that she was “going to throw away her books” in response to Dalcher’s gender-critical beliefs.

How might blockchain influence real estate transactions?

Facial recognition technology recognises an individual's identity by examining images of their face. It’s easy to think of the advantages, such as aiding law enforcement to track down suspects when the photos of their faces from surveillance cameras are provided.

I passed the Legal Practice Course two years ago and have been working as a paralegal. With no training contract in sight, can I become a chartered legal executive and go on to qualify as a solicitor that way?

I want to be a barrister but it seems more financially secure to train at a City law firm and more likely that I’d be able to secure a training contract, compared to pupillage. Can I train as a solicitor and re-qualify as a barrister in the future?

Is it possible for solicitors to have a good work/life balance? If I start a family, are there part-time or term-time options? 

As a first year, what should your mentality be towards work experience? The mere fact that you’re reading this article is already a good start. However, it is paramount to understand that there is no need to be desperately seeking every opportunity. The common mistake among first years is to apply for as many insight schemes as possible and hope for the best.