Nine City firms have signed up to the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2017, agreeing to take practical action to tackle low literacy in the United Kingdom. The firms involved are Allen & Overy, Baker McKenzie, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, Bird & Bird, Clifford Chance, Norton Rose Fulbright, Pinsent Mason, Slaughter and May, and Travers Smith.

London-based law firm Hodge Jones & Allen (HJA) has partnered with the charity Pathway, a homeless healthcare service, to provide legal assistance to homeless patients as they seek accommodation after being discharged from hospital. 

Elizabeth Rimmer, chief executive of charity LawCare, has called for law firm partners and other senior figures to “take responsibility for protecting mental health at work”, following growing concerns about lawyers’ wellbeing.

Burges Salmon LLP is “thrilled to report” that all of the firm’s 24 qualifying trainees have accepted roles at the firm.

The government is in consultations to cut a further £220 million from criminal legal aid despite widespread opposition across the legal profession.

The Bar is considering whether to scrap a student aptitude test that removes fewer than 1% of candidates, after deciding that it is “not operating as an effective filter”.

Research published by the Law Society shows that although proposed changes to the legal aid financial eligibility test are positive, the impact of the cost of living crisis and rises in inflation will continue affecting those using legal aid in the justice system.

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City law firm Kingsley Napley LLP has announced a new enhanced ‘Time-off for Dependents’ policy, which surpasses the UK’s statutory obligations.

UK judges will now use preferred pronouns as a “common courtesy” in cases that involve transgender people.

Global disability network The Valuable 500 has reached its target to get 500 global businesses to add disability inclusion to their business leadership agenda, including several law firms.

A survey by Bolt Burdon Kemp revealed that 46% of the British public did not understand the legal aid system or how they can get legal support and 51% said there were too many barriers to legal aid funding.

City law firms and accountancy firms are updating their application guidelines to consider the use of AI, with some prohibiting the technology and others celebrating it.

The president of the Supreme Court and the chair of the Bar have both warned that cuts to legal aid must be reversed to some extent if the justice system is to function properly and the public are to be able to access their legal rights. 

A new report shows that two-thirds of junior lawyers want the right to refuse work for ethical reasons. However, the research, which was led by Dana Denis-Smith and published by Obelisk Support, found that this right is currently provided at only 18% of the respondents’ workplaces.

The Legal Services Board has launched an investigation into whether the Solicitors Regulation Authority is sufficiently independent – a move that will put further pressure on the Law Society, which remains the approved regulator of solicitors.

The United Nations’ (UN) expert on poverty and human rights has highlighted cuts to legal aid among the government policies causing “the systematic immiseration of millions across Great Britain”.

Sexual harassment and discrimination is still happening at the Bar, a wide-ranging survey of women barristers has found. 

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