With CityLawLIVE happening tomorrow, and the LC.N team scurrying around trying to connect would-be City lawyers with actual City lawyers, we’re rounding up our commercial news a day early this week.

Applications are now open for places on the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme, which provides financial support for the Legal Practice Course (LPC), as well as access to work experience opportunities and mentoring.

The pay war between law firms continues this month, with newly qualified lawyer salaries at Ropes & Gray increasing to £147,000, plus bonuses.

The government has announced a 5% budget increase for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and an extra £80 million for the Crown Prosecution Service, but lawyers see the increases as nowhere near sufficient to deal with problems in the justice system.

Bond Dickinson confirmed last week that it will trial a legal apprenticeship scheme for school leavers in its Plymouth office.

The University of Law has appointed Tony King, currently director of the Clifford Chance academy, as a specialist adviser and visiting professor.

Judges, QCs, junior barristers and solicitor advocates have come out in support of an anti-bullying campaign initiated by five barristers.

Nottingham Law School is to offer would-be barristers the chance to combine an LLM with the BPTC, all as part of a one-year course.

BPP Law School is increasing its course fees by 5% for September 2012’s intake of wannabe lawyers.

Queen Mary, University of London has announced the launch of a new flexible, English-language LLM in Paris.

March newly qualified retention rates at the top 30 UK law firms are up by an average of 10% - a good sign that there's new life in the legal recruitment market after the economic downturn.

The Bar Council has revamped its online careers section to make it more useful for students and anyone else hoping to join the barristers’ profession.

Students from Notre Dame Sixth Form College developed key analytical and public speaking skills at a recent mock trial run by BPP Law School in Leeds.

Commercial awareness – it’s important. Read these stories to improve the level of yours.

The Law Society has launched its 2017-18 mentoring scheme, designed to support solicitors from under-represented groups to progress their careers and improve diversity within the profession.

Wellbeing at the Bar has improved, according to new data published by the Bar Council. 

Sheridans, a media law firm based in London, has confirmed that it will accept the digital currency Bitcoin as payment for its services.

Save Justice UK is asking as many people as possible to sign postcards protesting against the government's plans to cut legal aid, before delivering them to deputy prime minister Nick Clegg in an attention grabbing media stunt.

A range of law firms have announced plans to give their staff bonus payments due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Several City firms are set to expand their offerings and strengthen existing teams by opening offices in Europe.

The news comes after the UK officially left the EU at midnight on 31 December 2020.