Law firms are now able to choose the regulator that is most appropriate for them following the establishment of ILEX Professional Standards as an alternative to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Students will be able to study the Legal Practice Course at UEA’s law school in Norwich from September 2019 following a new partnership with The University of Law.

Norwich-based firm Leathes Prior is planning the first football-related alternative business structure (ABS).

The University of Law and the University of Reading have formed a new partnership to provide postgraduate legal training courses.

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. 

Barking and Dagenham Council has become the first council to take on solicitor apprentices in-house.

Hillyer McKeown, along with two other law firms, is offering a legal apprenticeship scheme to those who are seeking an alternative route to qualification as a solicitor without going to university.

Banana puns aside, this week has highlighted the importance of secure and functional IT systems with both TSB and Dixons Carphone facing the financial and administrative repercussions of failing to secure their customer's data, or provide working online services for their customers. There's more on this, plus Burberry's burning clothes ban, and the energy bill price cap, in this week's commercial news round-up.

A recent survey of working hours reveals that trainees and junior lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis LLP work on average for more than 14-hours a day. This is the third year in a row the firm has sat at the top of the table for working hours.

Across England and Wales more than half a million people are unable to access legal aid in the housing and community care sectors, according to campaigners. Without access to legal help advice, many areas are left in a so-called ‘advice desert’.

Baker McKenzie has become the latest firm to reinstate newly qualified (NQ) lawyers’ salaries to pre-pandemic levels, after a reduction of 3% last June. Meanwhile, Irwin Mitchell is expecting to open its 15 offices at 50% capacity from 21 June.