As National Apprenticeship Week 2018 launches, Browne Jacobson – one of the profession’s earliest adopters of legal apprenticeships – has announced plans to add to its stable of apprenticeship programmes. Over 100 new positions will be offered across the firm’s various offices in two new schemes, with a commitment to invest 100% of its apprenticeship levy into the new programmes.

The flurry of riot-related prosecutions following violent disorder across parts of the UK in recent weeks will cause further delays in other cases, the head of the criminal justice inspectorate has warned.

Economists’ ideal market – known as ‘perfect competition’ – would operate something like a large town square full of fruit and vegetable stalls. Prices would be clearly visible to consumers and one stall’s products would be very similar to the next, making it unlikely that one seller would set a higher price than their neighbour.

UK judges will now use preferred pronouns as a “common courtesy” in cases that involve transgender people.

Chief executive of the Legal Services Board (LSB), Matthew Hill, talked about diversity during a plenary session at the Law Society’s Junior Solicitors Network summit, stating that diversity at partnership level at the biggest law firms “ought to be a national scandal”.

A woman who alleges that she was raped and sexually assaulted by her ex-husband has been left alone in court without legal representation or support to face her alleged abuser, in another distressing example of the crisis in the justice system caused by cuts to legal aid funding.  

The government has given ground to striking barristers with an offer of £15 million to address the crisis in the criminal justice system.

Law centres have been granted permission to challenge the Ministry of Justice in the High Court over changes to housing possession court duty schemes, which provide on-the-day advice and advocacy services to people facing eviction.

The vast majority of barristers are opposed to withdrawing the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights in favour of creating a separate UK bill of rights, a survey commissioned by the Times has found.

The Law Society has conducted its most comprehensive ever study into the legal services market, presenting a detailed analysis of the global and UK legal markets.

An innovative partnership between leading law firms, barristers’ chambers and the University of Manchester is developing the field of lawtech with plans to introduce a new, specialist qualification that sets the skills standard for lawyers working with legal technology.

The ethical considerations of being a barrister are not being taught to Bar students because so much learning time is devoted to preparing for the “massive memory test” that is their exams, according to a senior lecturer and former barrister. 

The senior presiding judge for England and Wales, Lord Justice Edis, has delayed the sentencing of convicted criminals on bail due to overpopulation in prisons. As a longer term solution, the government plans to send prisoners overseas and build more prisons.

The UK government is due to announce millions in extra funding for lawyers to represent asylum seekers in order to clear a backlog of appeals.

Plans to stop McKenzie Friends from being able to recover fees from members of the public following successful court action have received the support of the Law Society and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

Newcastle upon Tyne has emerged as the best UK city for legal professionals, while London ranks as the worst, according to new research from Witan Solicitors. The study analysed salary data, job availability and affordability metrics from the Office for National Statistics to assess where lawyers can achieve the greatest financial stability and quality of life.  

The big story this week has been the spectacular collapse of Carillion, and the fallout from its compulsory liquidation. The construction and facilities company hasn’t just put its private sector building projects in jeopardy – it also had many public sector contacts which now need fulfilling. For this and other big business news, look no further.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has stated that solicitors will need to pay an increase of 7% on practising fees to finance a £10 million hike in its annual budget.

It’s worth mentioning that a legal career is competitive and expensive.