The Law Society has published its Annual Statistical Report for 2013, which has confirmed that the number of training contracts on offer has increased up to 5,302 following the decline of previous years.

The University of Exeter and international law firm Reed Smith have combined forces to create a new four-year LLB degree that will incorporate a year-long placement at Reed Smith’s London office.

The second Law Society free public debate of 2012 will focus on intellectual property and ambush marketing, which are both hot topics this year as a result of the European football championships (Euro 2012) and the impending London Olympic Games.

The most recent Queen’s Counsel appointments have been announced by the independent selection panel, as it confirms the strongest promotion round for three years.

As law students will be keenly aware, January marks the onset of application deadlines for many vacation schemes and work placements.

A legal advice line providing advice to women who have experienced sexual harassment at work has been launched by Harry Potter star and women’s rights activist Emma Watson. The free service will be run by the legal charity Rights of Women and is backed by Time’s Up UK and managed by Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls.

Law firms signed for more than 380,000 square feet of office space in the third quarter, which is 52% higher than a year ago, according to property consultancy Knight Frank. This recent increase in demand is largely down to US firms’ expansions.

HM Judiciary is advertising 21 fixed-term 10-month posts for full-time judicial assistants to the Court of Appeal’s civil division. 

A report commissioned by the Bar Standards Board has concluded that access to justice would be damaged if the Bar's 'cab rank' rule is abolished.

City law firms Travers Smith LLP and Ashurst LLP have both revealed increases to the salaries of their newly qualified (NQ) solicitors. 

With the biggest vac scheme deadline of the year looming (31 January), now’s the time to get your head back in the game, commercial-awareness-wise. You may find yourself being quizzed on your knowledge of economic affairs in vac scheme interviews, so it pays to be prepared. Here’s a selection from the past week to get you started.

Legal aid lawyers have been called a “dying breed” after research by the Junior Lawyers Division found that only 4% of young lawyers are interested in working in legal aid.

UK-based law firm Browne Jacobson LLP has been named the ‘National (British) Winners of the Equity Trailblazer’ at the National British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) Business Awards.  

Allen & Overy LLP and Shearman & Sterling LLP have announced the first 40 partner promotions for A&O Shearman, with women making up 42% of promotions across both firms. 

Want to get a handle on what’s happening in the commercial world and how it might affect your clients of the future? Read this collection of stories from the past couple of weeks to get a glimpse.

Magic circle giant Linklaters is to offer its lawyers the opportunity to work fewer hours for a lower salary – but the scheme remains a pilot in four of the firm’s German offices for now. 

A bit more variety this week, but the headlines are still dominated by all things Brexit, as you would expect only two weeks down the line. Read on for a selection of Brexit, and other commercially driven, stories.

In a bid to encourage equality across the business, leading private wealth and real estate firm Boodle Hatfield LLP has announced its new equal opportunity parental leave policy. 

Members of the legal profession celebrated International Women’s Day yesterday, highlighting the achievements of women on social media. This year’s theme, #BreakTheBias, is about living in “a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.” 

The body representing junior lawyers has called for greater scrutiny of decisions made by the legal profession’s ‘super regulator’ after the Solicitors Qualifying Exam was approved amid widespread criticism.