Amid much controversy, and to the profound disappointment of many in the profession, the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill has received royal assent.

The government has asked victims of the Windrush scandal to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in return for fast-tracking their compensation claims, in the latest high-profile example of the controversial practice.

Why did people get so upset about the levels of UK corporation tax paid by Amazon, Starbucks and others, and what is being done about it?

To outsource or not to outsource? That is the (commercial) question

Earlier this month the Conveyancing Association (CA) announced the launch of its new Paralegal Course, provided via its online training portal, The Conveyancing Academy. The course has been designed to provide delegates with a basic knowledge of property law and the procedures associated with straightforward conveyancing transactions.

Leicester-based Premier Property Lawyers (PPL) - one of the largest conveyancing firms in the country - has made history by becoming the first to register as an alternative business structure (ABS) after new rules came into force.

While aspiring lawyers are not expected to know everything about the law, you are expected to demonstrate commercial acumen at each stage of the application process. Don’t let yourself down by ignoring this factor. Get started today by reading our short round-up of some of the week’s stories below.

Philip Whitehead, an associate in Cooley (UK) LLP’s corporate and capital markets team, speaks about the recruitment process, how he gained relevant experience and what a typical day might involve in this Meet the Lawyer profile.

Rachael Driscoll, legal talent coordinator at Cooley, discusses the highlights of her role, common mistakes that come up in applications, the value of taking a pause when writing applications before sending them and the importance of being yourself.

Cooley has announced that it is offering all partners and staff £45,000 for fertility treatment as part of its new ‘family forming’ perk.

The Cooley UK Diversity Fellowship is a unique opportunity for students who demonstrate a commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion to gain valuable insights about a career in law with Cooley, with the opportunity to participate in Cooley’s summer programme a year sooner than students are typically eligible to participate.

In this post, I will talk about some of the ways that I address my own unhealthy coping mechanisms to improve my performance. 

What are a commercial landlord’s options when a tenant goes bust?

Who is responsible for preventing online copyright infringement?

Here’s the brutal truth: there are far more hopeful lawyers than there are training contracts. As the pandemic continues and economic recovery remains only on the horizon, firms are likely to remain cautious with their plans for growth over the next few years, meaning that they are unlikely to scale up the number of training contracts they offer. For aspiring lawyers such as yourselves, this is not exactly the most joyous news. So how can you cope with this rejection?

Is copyright law stifling creativity in the music sector?

Commercial policy and copyright: what is protected in computer programs?

Will the proposals of the Review of Intellectual Property and Growth overcomplicate matters?