The Bar Council’s Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group has announced a series of new wellbeing podcasts, which are the latest in its efforts to provide online resources that aim to support the wellbeing and mental health of barristers, chambers staff and those who aspire to join the Bar.

With just one week to go until the general election, the majority of headlines are understandably focused on all things political.

Six leading law firms are set to attend the third annual OPEN event for disabled students who are interested in a career in commercial law.

Top London chambers One Pump Court is introducing mandatory “anti-oppression” training for all members.

In effect, the GDL replaces the law degree. Its content focuses on the seven foundations of legal knowledge that represent the basic knowledge requirements for the LPC. 

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has apologised for creating "confusion" over the number of training contracts there were in 2014.

Some solicitors and barristers have said they will refuse to take on new criminal cases in protest at the government’s decision to cut legal aid fees for criminal cases by a further 8.75%.

The winner of the LawCareers.Net and LittleLaw essay competition has been announced as Kendal Boyd for her essay on “What is the most important thing to you when choosing your future law firm?”.

The Bar Standards Board has decided to regulate advocacy-focused alternative business structures, legal disciplinary practices and barrister-only entities.

Lawyers have been seeking specialist support with their mental health since the UK’s lockdown began in March, according to recent figures.

National law firm Browne Jacobson LLP announced its partnership with O Shaped last week, a movement founded in 2019 that aims to drive “positive change” across the legal industry. 

Short and sweet this week; a handful of interesting business-driven news stories that you should know at least a small bit about.

City firm Fladgate LLP has introduced a voluntary scheme offering approximately 30 real estate lawyers the option to work a four-day work week from January to March this year.

In contrast to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's reported plans for England and Wales, the Law Society of Scotland has announced that the minimum pay for trainee solicitors in Scotland cannot go below the national minimum wage of £6.08 per hour.

The social mobility charity Aspiring Solicitors Foundation has secured a number of leading law firms and companies as founder members ahead of the foundation’s formal launch in January 2020.

The bodies representing solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives have pledged to “achieve gender equality in the senior ranks” by getting firms and chambers to sign up to specific gender targets.

The National Accident Helpline has launched the Future Legal Mind Award 2016, an essay competition open to undergraduate law and Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) students. 

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) has launched its inaugural National Awards to celebrate the best and the brightest among its members. Among other things, the awards will recognise those who have promoted access to the profession, shown leadership, and championed diversity and inclusion.

Getting into the spirit of the season, BPP Law School has launched a spooky new website aimed at encouraging students and others to share their scariest tales of interviews gone wrong and emails fired off in haste.