A new study has proved that a wide range of experience gained in a variety of work-based environments helps would-be lawyers to develop the set of skills needed to be a successful legal professional.

A survey of 100 self-employed Black barristers found that 61% of respondents felt their relationships with solicitors had been affected by their race “or were uncertain as to whether they had been”.

How should parties to commercial lending contracts prepare for the discontinuance of LIBOR at the end of 2021?

The Junior Lawyers Division has called for a recommended trainee minimum salary, arguing that there will be a significant negative impact on diversity in the profession following the abolition of the mandatory minimum salary from 1 August 2014.

The Law Society has welcomed the removal of a five-year time limit on evidence of abuse from domestic violence victims. This rule has previously prevented victims from being able to obtain legal aid.

Is too much red tape preventing the UK drone industry from flying high?

Civil court users have described remote hearings taking place during the pandemic as “fragmented” and called for improvements.

We were overjoyed to be nominated for the one award that we all had our eyes on – ‘Best society for mooting’. Receiving news of the nomination, alongside the unexpected addition of a nomination for ‘Best law society president’, rendered me incapable of wiping the cheesiest smile off my face – I was practically glowing with pride for our society.

Whether it is EU-originated, domestic or a self-imposed industry code of conduct, regulation affects all aspects of civil life and commercial activity.

The Bar Council, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and the Law Society have issued guidelines to lawyers on how best to cope with the increasing number of people who represent themselves in court.

What will the repeal of the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 mean for property professionals?

Disruptive technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in our lives and the law. The introduction of AI into society has led the Government to release a much anticipated white paper addressing AI on 29 March 2023, ‘AI Regulation: A Pro-Innovation Approach’, which outlines the UK Government’s proposals to regulate AI.

The Remedies Directive (2007/66/EC): what are the options open to contractors for a contract awarded in breach of the rules and how can the contracting authority mitigate its risks?

The one-day London Law Fair - billed as an "open-access" fair - has opened for registration to all those who are interested in meeting "a range of organisations which are leading employers [and discovering] what they are looking for".

What has happened to the Office of Fair Trading and what is the Competition and Markets Authority?

I recently attended a Neurodiversity celebration event at Addleshaw Goddard to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week which ran from 13 to 19 March 2023. It was a fantastic opportunity for those in the legal sector who identify as neurodivergent, and for allies to come together as a community. 

In September, I wrote a blog detailing my expectations for the third year of my undergraduate law degree.  As I’m returning to university tomorrow, I thought it’d be beneficial to see how my expectations lived up to reality and outline my updated expectations for the second half of the year. 

Reed Smith has agreed to become the first law firm to place all of its work experience opportunities on www.GoThinkBig.co.uk, an initiative which aims to make thousands of diverse work experience opportunities available to anyone with access to the Internet.

Reed Smith has announced its move to a strengths-based assessment of its would-be trainees and vacation scheme students, becoming the first law firm to do so.

Ravi Pattani, partner at Reed Smith, explains what makes a successful application, the work of a corporate lawyer and how sector agnostics his matters are, and his advice for budding solicitors.