A new planning and public law mentoring scheme for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups at the Bar was launched this week.

After five months of strikes, criminal barristers in England and Wales voted to end strike action on Monday 10 October, accepting a government pay rise of 15% on legal aid fees.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has stepped up its scrutiny of how law firms manage client money, with new figures highlighting accounting breaches as a leading cause of firm closures.

A day later than usual, our latest round-up of the commercial news stories that any aspiring lawyer should be up to speed with shows that the world does not pause in the run-up to the Xmas holidays – if anything, momentous events are accelerating while many of us wind down before hopefully enjoying some time off. This week we focus on the ambitions and problems of two media giants, upcoming industrial action in yet another sector, and the very real clashes between profit drivers and ethics in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has indicated in a letter to the chair of the Justice Select Committee that he would allow choice of solicitor to continue and would consider the Law Society's suggested alternative model to price competitive tendering.

LawCareers.Net is delighted to announce the launch of the Student Law Society Awards 2018. 

Dozens of barristers’ chambers are refusing to take on new defence work in protest at the crisis in the justice system created by the government’s cuts and reforms, the latest being changes to the Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme.

The Bar Standards Board has launched its consultation paper on the future training of barristers, and has invited all those with a view on the matter to express their views by 23 December.

The justice system will have to absorb further budget cuts over the next five years, meaning that the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) budget in 2023 will be half what it was in 2010 when the Conservatives came to power, centre-left think tank the Resolution Foundation has warned.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) published proposals as part of a consultation to redirect interest earned on lawyers’ client accounts into the MOJ’s budget. Law Society of England and Wales President Mark Evans criticised the plan, stating: "Firms will close, fees will rise and clients will be impacted if the MoJ goes ahead with the proposal.”

The Bar Standards Board is exploring the possibility of enabling students to take extra exam resits in order to be called to the Bar.

I’m interested in a career in criminal law, but I’m not sure how I’d feel defending a client who I knew was guilty of a serious crime such as murder. Should I consider a different area of law?

Allen & Overy LLP and Travers Smith LLP have revealed a new partnership with LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex) charity GiveOut to launch a new LGBTQI Legal Aid Fund.

The University of Law and Hill Dickinson LLP have entered an exclusive partnership to deliver a brand-new graduate solicitor apprenticeship programme, which will replace the firm’s traditional trainee model. 

Sam Townend KC, the new chair of the Bar Council, has called the “need for significant investment” in the criminal and family justice systems “urgent”. 

If you’re deciding whether to go to university after leaving school or start your career as a lawyer straight away with an apprenticeship, The Law Apprenticeships Guide can help. Don’t worry if you don’t know much about the legal profession or apprenticeships; this guide is designed to give you the information you need before you choose your next step.