Prominent barrister Michael Mansfield QC has argued against imposing a limit on the number of Bar Professional Training Course places.

Diversity, equal opportunity and the end of the ‘old boys network’ remain a long way off in the legal profession, a study by the Sutton Trust and PRIME showing that three quarters of judges and 71% of Queen’s Counsel (QC) barristers were privately educated has revealed. 

Responding to the latest coronavirus update, The University of Law has suspended face-to-face teaching and postponed assessments for a month, with thousands of law students affected. Learning and teaching will be moved online where possible.

Magic circle law firms Allen & Overy, Freshfields and Linklaters have announced their partner promotions for 2021, with some positive signs that the firms are working to rebalance their male-dominated partnerships.

Many law firms, in-house legal departments and other organisations including the Government Legal Department have become the founding signatories of the Law Society’s Pro Bono Charter. 

As universities plan to hike tuition fees, some firms are to review the financial assistance on offer to their future trainees.

Linklaters, RPC and Taylor Wessing have revealed high trainee retention rates as we emerge from covid-19-induced lockdowns. 

Top law firms have announced their autumn retention rates, following the lead of Shearman & Sterling which revealed in June that it would keep on 11 of its 12 NQs.

Six leading law firms are set to attend the third annual OPEN event for disabled students who are interested in a career in commercial law.

Kaim Todner, an eminent London criminal defence firm, is to close this month.

Six magic circle sets of chambers have collaborated to create a mentoring scheme for aspiring barristers from underrepresented groups, including women, people with ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people and those with disabilities.

UK businesses, including law firms, are to be ranked on their openness to talent from all backgrounds in a joint initiative by the Social Mobility Foundation and Social Mobility Commission. 

Weightmans and Mace & Jones have announced they are to merge, creating a UK top 50 firm with a combined fee income of £75 million.

Tooks Chambers - the set of Michael Mansfield QC - has decided to begin the process of dissolution as the "direct result of the government's legal aid policies".

This week we witnessed Joe Biden’s inauguration at the US Capitol, as he was sworn in as the 46th US president and Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice-president. Read on for this week’s summaries of a selection of news stories from the business and legal worlds.

Mmm, chocolate! Very soon, one of our most recognisable and iconic chocolates is going to have a slight identity change.

How will the Court of Appeal’s ruling that sleep-in care workers are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage impact employers in the care sector?

‘To moot or not to moot?’ is the question asked by law students at various stages of their legal education. From first years on the LLB to those undertaking the Graduate Diploma in Law, chances are you will have heard of mooting competitions or societies. If you’re anything like me, you will have also felt a shiver of intimidation whenever the topic is even brought up. For those who have yet to participate, a good starting point is to outline exactly what a moot is.

Since the pandemic, there’s been a sudden urge for students to apply to study a legal master’s. Although this includes those looking to study non-law-related master’s, aspiring lawyers are commonly torn between whether to complete a master’s or not. Many question a master’s applicability in the legal profession and if it will improve their chances of gaining a pupillage or training contract.