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.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that it still intends to stop allowing soldiers injured while serving in the armed forces to pursue complaints through the courts, following speculation that the plans may have been dropped over the summer. 

Leading law firms Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Shearman & Sterling have joined the legal client list of Rare, the specialist graduate diversity recruitment company.

Legal education provider BARBRI has launched its 12-week Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) SQE2 preparation course. 

In an unprecedented day of action, hundreds of barristers and solicitors have marched on Westminster today, railing against Chris Grayling's recent confirmation that £215 million will be shaved from the criminal legal aid bill.

The Ministry of Justice has revealed that the crown court backlog hit a new high of 67,573 between October and December 2023. 

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has stepped tentatively into the debate around legal aid to highlight concern about the number of people now facing their legal problems without advice or support.

Things have come to a pretty pass when you look to commercial news for some light relief from the terrifying political news that keeps bursting onto our screens with ever-more alarming headlines. However, as that is the situation in which we find ourselves, soothe your anxiety with this selection of relatively-stress-free business stories.

The justice secretary Michael Gove has abandoned a controversial new bidding scheme for legal aid contracts and suspended a further 8.75% fee cut for duty criminal solicitors who represent people suspected of crimes in police stations and magistrates courts.

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.

What are the implications of Hurricane Katrina for the insurance industry?

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.

We know that it’s less than a week until the big training contract deadline of the year (31 July, in case you weren’t sure) and you’re probably furiously working away on the last few applications. To help, cast your eye over this week’s selection of business news.

More and more employees are being diagnosed with stress and are bringing claims against their employers. What steps should employers take to avoid being held legally liable for such claims?

A recent study has revealed that 37% of legal professionals worked on their days off last year, a figure predicted to rise to 50% in 2023.  

The Windrush Legal Initiative, a pro bono advice scheme, has been relaunched in an effort to support more victims of the Windrush immigration scandal. 

Concerns over Olympics congestion has led several London law firms to alter their normal training contract interview schedule for 2012 and advise students to apply for training contracts earlier than usual.