A limited number of new routes to qualify as a barrister are going to be introduced, perhaps as early as 2018-19, the Bar Standards Board has revealed.

Multinational law firm Dentons – recognised with Menopause Friendly Accreditation in 2024 – continues to build on menopause awareness in the workplace with a MenoVest™ simulator event in collaboration with award-winning agency Over The Bloody Moon.

Global law firm DWF has published its annual UK gender pay gap report, including information on the impact of the firm’s initial public offering on its gender pay and bonus gaps.

This post recounts the tale of Goldilocks, a mischievous little girl who gets herself into trouble with a family of bears by breaking into their house. What some see as nothing more than a children’s story is actually an overview of the legal system.

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.

The widespread unavailability of legal aid is putting people’s human rights at risk, MPs have warned in report published by the justice select committee.

Criminal barristers are voting on whether to stage a one-day walk-out as their dispute with the Ministry of Justice over fees continues.

Independent law firm Farrer & Co LLP has revealed that 36 employees have now been trained as mental health first aiders and will be offering support to colleagues who have mental health concerns. 

It feels like we’ve been saying it a lot recently, but it really has been an unprecedented week in British history, with stories such as the fall of Thomas Cook (see below for more) almost immediately overshadowed by the Supreme Court’s ruling that Boris Johnson’s recent prorogation of Parliament is unlawful.

It’s a week in which the UK finally left the EU, fears about the deadly coronavirus spread across the globe and Donald Trump was acquitted in his impeachment trial.

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”. 

Social mobility advocates, a new group of barristers from across England and Wales, have joined the Bar Council’s award-winning social mobility campaign – #IAmTheBar.

National law firm Foot Anstey LLP has expanded it parental leave policy to include six months full parental leave to employees of all genders – “a vital step towards achieving greater equality in caregiving responsibilities”.

Beyond Compliance Limited and Clerksroom launched an anonymous survey last month, which aims to acquire details from prospective pupils regarding their experiences, and offer them the chance to share their thoughts on the training and qualifying processes at the Bar, as well as the current challenges surrounding pupillage. 

Metro Bank has become one of the first in-house legal teams in the financial services sector to support aspiring solicitors through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination on their way to qualification.

Wigs have been worn by the legal profession in court since the late 17th Century as barristers were viewed as being part of the middle-class society.

The Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) discussions about reforming barrister training should be made more urgent by its latest statistics report, which shows that over 60% of those who complete the prohibitively expensive Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) never go on to secure pupillage.