The proportion of women and BAME people who make up the solicitors’ profession has increased in the last decade, the latest annual statistics report from the Law Society shows.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is once again considering whether to abolish the minimum annual salary for trainee solicitors.

Nineteen leading law firms have signed up to ‘the social mobility pledge’, an initiative aimed at tackling the depressing lack of upward social mobility in British society.

BARBRI Global and the O Shaped Lawyer have joined forces to ensure that BARBRI’s content goes further than just preparing candidates for the two-part Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) to incorporate essential human and business skills. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has predicted that the UK will sit among the worst performing economies of the rich world in 2023, second only to Russia.

The president of the Supreme Court and the chair of the Bar have both warned that cuts to legal aid must be reversed to some extent if the justice system is to function properly and the public are to be able to access their legal rights. 

There has been a recent increase in barristers’ chambers and law firms introducing mentoring for aspiring lawyers from underrepresented groups to boost diversity and inclusion.

Application season is upon us and part of your preparation should be developing your commercial awareness – namely, an interest in the business world and how the issues that affect clients will also affect and shape the advice that you, as their lawyer, will give. There’s also every chance you’ll be asked to comment on something topical in an interview, so best to be prepared! For a selection of this week’s most interesting commercial news stories, read on:

The United Nations’ (UN) expert on poverty and human rights has highlighted cuts to legal aid among the government policies causing “the systematic immiseration of millions across Great Britain”.

London-based law firm Hodge Jones & Allen (HJA) has partnered with the charity Pathway, a homeless healthcare service, to provide legal assistance to homeless patients as they seek accommodation after being discharged from hospital. 

Burges Salmon LLP is “thrilled to report” that all of the firm’s 24 qualifying trainees have accepted roles at the firm.

Top national firm Shoosmiths has announced a new partnership with Aspiring Solicitors, an organisation which works to improve diversity in the legal profession by helping talented candidates from less-privileged backgrounds to improve their skills and access opportunities. 

The annual LawWorks & Attorney General Student Awards were held recently, in the elegant surrounds of the House of Commons, to recognise the outstanding pro bono achievements of students and law school staff throughout the United Kingdom.

Does my physics degree make me more suited to a niche practice area such as patent law?

Magic circle firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has revealed new “ambitious” global diversity targets with all “key global leadership functions” set to have ethnic diversity and at least 40% women and 40% men by 2023.

The Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund, which is backed by 18 major law firms, has secured funding for its first cohort of social welfare legal workers to begin their journey to qualifying as solicitors via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

News of the Sainsbury’s and Asda merger has sent shockwaves through the supermarket sector this week. Designed to fight the pre-eminence of the giant Tesco, as well as helping to see off the Lidl/Aldi success stories, the merger would create a company with 330,000 staff and an annual revenue of around £51 billion. Both supermarkets have vowed that no jobs will be lost, nor stores closed, but MPs have raised concerned about the negative effect on suppliers. For other commercial news, read on.

The prestigious LawWorks and Attorney General Student Awards has opened for nominations.