It’s a busy time of year for everyone: LawCareersNetLIVE is just around the corner, universities have been holding their virtual law fairs and aspiring lawyers have application deadlines for vac schemes or training contracts looming. Developing your commercial awareness for these applications and any interviews you might have will be crucial to your success. Start now by reading this week’s commercial news round-up.

One of the crucial skills that all lawyers – aspiring and qualified – must have is good commercial awareness. While you aren’t expected to know everything about the law, you are expected to understand commercial issues that effect law firms as businesses and their clients. When you are reading the news, select a few stories that really interest you and follow them as they progress – this is one way that you can develop your commercial awareness and impress recruiters during your application and interview. Read LCN’s summaries of some of the week’s biggest stories to get you started.

Why is using social media such a challenge for pharmaceutical companies?

What changes does phase one of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 have on the private rented sector? 

“Material errors” in previous rulings on whether a plumber working for Pimlico Plumbers should have ‘worker’ rather than ‘self-employed’ status mean that the case is now to be heard in the Supreme Court, with the outcome set to have far-reaching implications for the gig economy.

Pinsent Masons is embracing the spirit of National Pro Bono Week by taking part in Micro-Tyco, a charitable business challenge that gives teams £1 of seed capital which they must transform within the month of November into as much money as possible.

International firm Pinsent Masons has expanded its training relationship with the University of Law to include programmes for its paralegals and legal apprentices.

UK top 50 firm Pinsent Masons has revealed its latest partner promotions, which have enabled the firm to meet its target of women making up at least 25% of its partners by 2018. 

Pinsent Masons has been named the UK’s most inclusive employer by LGBT-rights charity Stonewall, while Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) and Baker McKenzie are the other law firms to rank in the top 10 in Stonewall’s top 100 employers index for 2019.

Where will PISCES fit in UK capital markets framework and what challenges does it seek to address?

Plan International is an international development charity working mostly with children to end child poverty.

Plans to reform barrister training could see solicitors and academics being exempted from doing a traditional pupillage, but the Bar Council has reacted with fury at the proposals.