Leading law firm Shoosmiths has announced a 100% trainee retention rate for its spring cohort of nine trainees, with the newly qualified solicitors based across the firm’s UK offices, including London and Manchester. 

The Criminal Bar Association last week voted to accept the deal offered by the Ministry of Justice to suspend legal aid cuts to Graduated Fee cases for a year.

Cardiff University has become the latest education provider to be authorised by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to deliver the vocational component of Bar training from September 2020.

The Access to Justice Foundation, which aids pro bono work, is running its third annual essay competition for law students

The solicitors’ profession is slowly becoming more diverse, while the number of students starting law degrees continues to rise, according to the Law Society’s latest annual statistics report.

The president of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has announced measures to diversify the roster of Supreme Court judges as upcoming retirements create vacancies over the next couple of years. 

Junior partners at City law firm Withers LLP are facing a cash call of up to £42,000, dependent on their seniority, in an attempt to make partners “participate more fully” in the business.  

A new programme to help young people access work experience in the legal sector has received support from some top firms, as well as the government’s skills minister, Matthew Hancock.

A legal offshoot has been launched by trade union United Voices of the World (UVW) in order to represent all workers in the legal sector. Legal Sectors Workers United (LSWU) claims to “organise workers in the legal sector, for the benefit and protection of the less privileged”.

BPP law school, in partnership with specialist bank Investec, has extended the features of its 'law loan' – a special bank loan that is only available to BPP students.

According to a report in theLaw Gazette, former Bar chairman Nick Green QC has claimed that the rise in paralegals is bringing down the cost of legal advice, as clients realise that paralegals can do many of the same tasks as solicitors and barristers for a fraction of the cost.

The new edition of The LawCareers.Net Handbook: The Training Contract & Pupillage Guide (formerly known as The Training Contract & Pupillage Handbook) is now available to readers.

A new online find-a-barrister service for businesses and members of the public has been launched.

The chair of Parliament’s justice select committee has called for fee-charging McKenzie Friends to be banned after the High Court ruled that an unqualified “legal adviser” was negligent in his handling of a clinical negligence case.

Three US law firms are among the top five earning legal practices for UK corporate work, researchers at The Lawyer reveal, stating that the figures demonstrate further “Americanisation” of the UK’s legal market.

Global law firm DLA Piper UK LLP has raised its London newly qualified (NQ) salaries by 18%, moving from £110,000 to £130,000. 

Applications are now open for LawCareersNetLIVE Virtual, which will take place on 1 and 2 December 2020.

The proposals published by the Legal Services Board following the Legal Education and Training Review have been heavily criticised by the City of London Law Society.