Dame Ingrid Simler has become a justice of the UK Supreme Court, following Lord Kitchin’s retirement. Simler is the fifth woman to hold this role since 2009, when the court was set up in its current format, and was sworn in as a new justice of the UK Supreme Court last week. 

The EU referendum and the implications of a Brexit continue to dominate headlines, along with news from the retail sector.

Note: it is just over a week until the main training contract application deadline - 31 July - so it is certainly reasonable to be focusing on that right now. 

The Honourable Society of The Inner Temple has partnered with leading peer recruitment firm The Access Platform to adopt a pioneering technology platform to support aspiring barristers.

The apprenticeship route into law continues to gather pace, as international firms Gowling WLG and Hill Dickinson become the latest to announce new intakes of apprentices for September 2017.

You may well be in the midst of a training contract application frenzy, but don’t panic; one of the best things you can do to help your chances is hone your commercial awareness skills.

In advance of what is apparently the most depressing Monday of the entire year (third week in January, well known for its gloom-inducing properties) here’s some hard-nosed commercial news to take your mind off the fact that you’re broke and cold:

Law fair season is upon us, and as LCN lurches from uni to uni, you should be focusing on developing your commercial awareness as a way of impressing the recruiters that you meet.

A midlands firm, Talbots Law, has recruited nearly 100 staff to expand its business.

Lawyers at Linklaters LLP be offered new flexibilities around when they take their bank holidays under the firm’s new holiday scheme.  

This week’s business pages have been dominated by revelations of which retailers did well over Christmas and which did not. Here are a few headlines to whet your appetite.

Over 10 firms have now confirmed how many of their Spring 2015 qualifying cohort will be retained.

Baker McKenzie has announced its biggest partner promotion round in four years, with 85 partners selected globally, according to the Law Gazette. Of the new partners, eight are in London and 35 are women (41%).

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the media is not legally obliged to warn individuals in advance of publishing stories about their private lives.

You may find yourself being quizzed on your knowledge of economic affairs in vac scheme interviews, so it pays to be prepared. Here’s a selection from the past week to get you started.

We know it’s hard to concentrate on life beyond the soporific qualities of the summer holiday, euphoria at England trouncing Australia at cricket and general idleness now that your training contract applications are in.

In a recent speech, Law Society President John Wotton addressed key issues regarding the present and future of the legal profession, claiming that the professional distinction between barristers and solicitors may become a thing of the past.

Magic circle law firm Allen & Overy expanded its offering with a new Los Angeles office earlier this month, after merger talks with international firm O’Melveny & Myers came to an end in September 2019 without a deal.

The SRA has warned that more large law firms may fail over the next few years as a result of gloomy economic conditions, as it confirms that talks are ongoing with over 50 firms where intervention may be necessary in 2013.

The high-level chit-chat taking place between politicians and business leaders in Davos this week at the annual World Economic Forum is expected to cover eight key themes, with delegates looking at robots, gender equality and terrorism.