Solicitors’ and criminal barristers’ representative bodies have called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to use his large Conservative majority in Parliament to address problems in the justice system.

The total number of training contracts on offer has decreased by 10.5% in the last year.

According to reports in The Lawyer and RollonFriday, the Law Central Applications Board will be replacing staggered LPC and GDL application dates with a single (as yet unknown) deadline.

A pupil barrister has won first prize in the Bar Council’s essay competition with a damning dissection of the legality of the UK government’s use of drones to kill people.

The Law Society’s annual Diversity Access Scheme is about to open for submissions, this year including 10 awards offering financial assistance and mentoring, plus one new award for a law centre worker that guarantees a training contract.

The Government Legal Department (GLD) has warned that its lawyers face serious capacity challenges as they work on Brexit, which will be additional to the full range of legal services that they already provide in all areas of government.

The London office of US firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has launched a training contract programme and vacation scheme, with a view to its first trainees starting in September 2015.

Approximately 75% of junior lawyers have said they wouldn’t join a firm “whose values didn’t match with their own, even if they were offering more money”, a recent survey published by Obelisk Support reveals.  

The Law Society invites people to join the legal profession march at this year's Pride London parade on Saturday 2 July.