Ryanair’s bouncing cheques aside, this week’s commercial news round-up is largely American focused: from Trump’s continued trade war with China to the stock market milestone. And in case you were missing your Brexit update, the Law Society has warned of a £3 billion loss from the legal sector if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Step this way for your weekly dose of business news.

Elite law firms could be pressured to return to a full five days in the office as larger fee-paying clients crack the whip on their own staff.  

It’s a big week for LawCareers.Net as we head off to Manchester for LawCareersNetLIVE. As we’re fully immersing ourselves in event organisation mode, this week’s round-up is a short one. But don’t worry, we’re still covering all the top stories.  

Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett has authorised 65 retired judges, half of whom are in their 70s, to oversee cases in an attempt to reduce the backlog of 63,000 cases. 

Manchester-based firm Browne Jacobson has extended its mentoring scheme with Manchester Metropolitan University’s law school, which aims to improve access to careers in the legal profession for students from less-privileged backgrounds. 

The consequences of the general election earlier this month could monumentally change the country’s economic course as set by politicians before the poll, despite the fact that the same government looks set to return to power (albeit only with the help of its friends in the Democratic Unionist Party). However, this week’s headlines also report some gloomy fallout from another national vote – that of last year’s referendum on EU membership. 

A UN envoy appointed to report on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK has criticised the government’s cuts to legal aid, which have deprived poor and disabled people of their rights.

Taylor Wessing’s UK arm and international firm Winston & Strawn LLP have confirmed that they’re currently in merger discussions. If finalised, the merger could create the latest transatlantic force with over 1,300 lawyers and revenues of around $1.63 billion – placing this new firm within the top 40 in the Global 200.

This weekly round-up is designed to help you develop your commercial awareness by being informed about the issues affecting the world of law and business. Let’s get started.

A team of first-year undergraduates from the University of Manchester have won Norton Rose Fulbright and McLaren Mercedes’ ‘great partnership challenge’, which gives contestants a chance to win a week’s work experience at Norton Rose Fulbright and a trip to the McLaren Technology Centre.

Speakers at LawtechUK advocated for AI use, arguing that it could improve access to justice, both by increasing the capacity to solve issues outside of court and making changes within the court to judges’ processes.

The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) 2025 diversity of the judiciary report revealed that progress on improving diversity has been mixed. While findings showed that the number of judges from ethnic minority backgrounds gradually increased from 2015, the proportion of Black judges showed no improvement.

Manchester Law School, part of Manchester Metropolitan University, has accepted the first students onto its alternative training route.

National firm Irwin Mitchell is offering free 20-minute consultations to domestic abuse victims until the coronavirus crisis ends. According to the Law Gazette, the firm said it feels “duty bound” to support domestic abuse victims as UK lockdown continues in a bid to slow down the spread of the pandemic.

National Accident Helpline has announced 10 aspiring lawyers as finalists in its annual award scheme, Future Legal Mind Award 2021.

Eleven interns have started their six-week paid internship at the Law Society of England and Wales, as it continues to participate in the #10000BlackInterns initiative. 

While acknowledging calls for greater flexibility in the provision of legal training, the Law Society has insisted that the rigorous standards of the current system must be maintained in its response to the latest discussion paper from the Legal Education and Training Review.