The senior presiding judge for England and Wales, Lord Justice Edis, has delayed the sentencing of convicted criminals on bail due to overpopulation in prisons. As a longer term solution, the government plans to send prisoners overseas and build more prisons.

The hardest hit by both the pandemic and online revolution, the retail and consumer (R&C) sector is one of the most challenging to follow due to how rapidly it changes. For the same reason, the sector is one of the most exciting. 

Media is something that we, whether intentionally or unintentionally, engage with daily. From shuffling your Spotify playlist to waiting impatiently to skip past a YouTube ad – there are countless legal hurdles that players within the media industry must overcome to reach the public. But what does ‘media’ mean in this context? 

The search to find this year’s Future Legal Mind has gained momentum as the deadline for aspiring lawyers across the UK to put themselves forward for the award draws closer.

The government should rethink plans to scrap the Human Rights Act and replace it with a UK bill of rights, a cross-party parliamentary committee has warned.

As the UK awaits Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s update in today’s daily briefing on whether there will be any changes to the social distancing measures currently in place, here’s a short round-up of how the outbreak continues to affect the business and legal worlds, among other news.   

We’ll keep it short this week as many of you are completing vacation scheme or pupillage applications. Commercial awareness is a key attribute that you must demonstrate in your applications as recruiters want to see that you have a knowledge of what is going on in the business industry, and how key issues might affect the law and the businesses that operate within it.

If commercial awareness means keeping up with the latest commercial news stories affecting law firms and businesses, then there can be no more timely news than that of the Brexit mayhem currently taking place.

General counsel attendees discussed the benefits of hiring an in-house trainee solicitor at a recent roundtable discussion hosted at the Law Society.

William Allen is a solicitor in the private equity and transactions team. He outlines how his work experience prepared him for a career in law and the opportunities he’s got involved in so far at Ropes & Gray.

Maya Shah, early careers specialist at Ropes & Gray, outlines what the firm wants to see from candidates in their applications and at interview, as well how the firm is adopting the SQE and what candidates can expect from the vacation scheme. 

In this LCN Says, we speak to Rona Ankrah from Mayer Brown International LLP about building commercial awareness. Read this article for insights on how you can demonstrate commercial awareness in interviews, how Mayer Brown helps trainees to develop their commercial awareness and how Rona approaches learning about clients’ businesses.

The House of Lords constitution committee has launched an inquiry into the centuries-old office of lord chancellor, asking whether it is sufficiently independent of government and whether it should be held by a lawyer.

How are robotics and automation fated for the retail industry?

How is risk managed in M&A transactions?

What are the implications of an increase in litigation funding and what do investors need to consider?

The impact of the pandemic on how we view and think about work has proven to be long lasting. In the legal sector, MLA’s recent generation Z (gen Z) survey revealed that 69% of gen Z lawyers believed that the pandemic influenced what they value in an employer.

Aspiring lawyers have many decisions to make over the course of their journey into the profession, including where to train and the types of firm to apply to. Discover the benefits to training in a niche firm like Bolt Burdon Kemp LLP in this LCN Says.

Has the tide begun to turn on offshoring?