The public now have the chance to choose their favourite ideas from the British Library’s Magna Carta: My Digital Rights project, which marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and the 25th anniversary of the web by asking young people to think about how the issues of freedom and control associated with Magna Carta apply to the digital age.

Global law firm Kennedys has launched an alternative route for aspiring lawyers to qualify as solicitors, which enables UK graduates to begin earning immediately.  

For the second year running, Shoosmiths has grabbed the top spot in the Black Solicitors Network's annual diversity league table.

Eleven interns have started their six-week paid internship at the Law Society of England and Wales, as it continues to participate in the #10000BlackInterns initiative. 

Large firms are misusing the apprenticeship levy to fund traditional graduate training, Law Society Council member James Kitching has said in a recent column for the Law Gazette.   

Herbert Smith Freehills has launched its first ever Community Engagement Awards, designed to showcase the best social projects led by students in India. 

While acknowledging calls for greater flexibility in the provision of legal training, the Law Society has insisted that the rigorous standards of the current system must be maintained in its response to the latest discussion paper from the Legal Education and Training Review.

Social mobility charity The Aspiring Solicitors Foundation has announced the addition of partners and associates from leading law firms to its board of trustees and new advisory board.

National firm Irwin Mitchell LLP has significantly expanded its presence in the North East following the acquisition of family practice Silk Family Law, meaning it now has one of the largest family teams in the UK.

Bradford law courts to be one of the first in England to be heated with renewable energy. The courts will be connected to the city’s new eco network, after signing a 20-year deal with Bradford Energy Network. The Combined Court Centre and the Magistrates’ Court are set to save 8,000 tonnes of carbon as a result of the new heat network, which is on track to open in 2026.

Career-changers interested in a career in the legal profession will be interested to know that The College of Law in Birmingham is holding a series of events, called Switch to Law, aimed at people without a law degree who want to become lawyers.

The SRA has launched a second consultation, running until 9 January 2017, on its proposed Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), the single assessment for would-be solicitors. 

The disparity between law conversion and Legal Practice Course and law pass rates at different law schools has become even more extreme, according to a report by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Kaplan has been appointed to run the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam, but students, law firms and academics have still received no information on what the assessment will cost.

Slater & Gordon, the Australian practice credited as the world’s first listed law firm, has agreed to acquire PI specialists Russell Jones & Walker for £53.8 million in a landmark transaction for the legal world.

Leading national firm Penningtons Manches and shipping specialist Thomas Cooper have agreed to merge, the firms have announced.

The Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has asked his shadow justice team to “immediately” review the government’s cuts to legal aid.

Magic circle firm Clifford Chance has attacked proposals by the Labour Party to create a broad financial transaction tax (FTT) by extending stamp duty – a policy also known as the ‘Robin Hood tax’.