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.

Merry Christmas from the LawCareers.Net team! Here are five tips for what you can do over the Christmas period to improve your legal career. Plus some outtakes!

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.

International firms Herbert Smith Freehills and Hogan Lovells are moving to encourage more experienced women lawyers who are on extended career breaks to return to practice.

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.

How have the capital markets been affected by the current economic downturn?