The legal aid cuts are a false economy, an appeal court judge has said in the wake of trials being help up by litigants in person who, understandably, are struggling to represent themselves adequately without the help of trained lawyers.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced that it will reconsider the scope of its proposed training reforms, which could have seen the traditional training contract - or “period of workplace training” - abolished.

A majority of the public would support a ban on long-term unpaid internships and measures to stop internships being given out informally, such as to the children of employees, a study by the Social Mobility Commission suggests. 

The Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society has attacked a move by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to amend its minimum wage consultation, which could see trainees earning as little as £2.60 an hour.

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) let down disabled candidates in the way that it conducted Summer 2020’s Bar course exams, in which breaks were prohibited and technical problems saw a quarter of candidates unable to complete their exams, an independent review has found.

National firm Irwin Mitchell LLP has significantly expanded its presence in the North East following the acquisition of family practice Silk Family Law, meaning it now has one of the largest family teams in the UK.

Conservative MP Chris Grayling has replaced Ken Clarke as the country's justice secretary, following a reshuffle by Prime Minister David Cameron on 4 September.

The co-chair of the Legal Education and Training Review has warned that the review commissioned in 2010 may not report its findings until 2013.

Journalist Frances Gibb has launched a new video podcast series in partnership with The University of Law which will see several former Lord Chief Justices open up about their careers at the top of the justice system.              

Withers & Rogers, based in London, has launched a new graduate recruitment programme.

Chartered legal executives are now able to apply for additional practice rights in the areas of immigration services and criminal, civil and family litigation.

International firm Eversheds has announced that it will be running the Combined Study Training Contract from August 2012.

The government has announced plans to implement a ‘good Samaritans law’ to protect people who take action in emergencies or volunteer for the public good from the threat of being sued.

As pressure continues to mount on the legal sector regarding the diversity of its workforce, Herbert Smith has announced that it will commence piloting unconscious bias training for its partners on 30 May.

New research from the Social Mobility Foundation has revealed that those from working-class origins earn on average 13.05% less than their middle and upper-class peers.

You’re probably all slaving away over your vacation scheme applications and that is as it should be. However, don’t forget that if you do secure an interview, you will be expected to know something about the business world. Keep abreast of what’s going on with our weekly digest.

An “overdose of testosterone” is driving talented women barristers to leave the Bar, leading barrister Lord Pannick QC has warned.

The value of the UK legal services market shrank last year for the first time since 2005, while Brexit leaves the future uncertain, a new report has revealed. 

The government has rejected the Legal Service Board's recommendation that the interests of the public would be best served by making will writing subject to regulation

There’s a bit of an oily theme this week, with news of American crude, talks of a merger between two of the industry’s giants, and a spat over mayonnaise (which, incidentally, is full of oil).