The best commercial lawyers have their fingers firmly on the pulse of the business world. If that is the role to which you aspire, starting to get a grip now on the business and economic news of the day is essential, but it can be hard to know where to start. Look no further.

US law firms Kirkland and Ellis International LLP and Paul Weiss are offering large referral bonuses of £38,000 in a bid to attract the best talent. At Kirkland & Ellis, this is double the incentive from last October.

The government’s plans for how an extra £15 million into the criminal justice system will be spent have been revealed, with critics claiming that junior barristers stand to lose out to their senior colleagues.

David Greene, president of The Law Society, has resigned over allegations of misconduct. 

It’s summer, it’s likely that your exams are over and it’s time to kick back, right?

There's no getting away from the fact that this week the business pages have been dominated by the "will they, won't they" saga of Greece's financial calamities and possible exit from the European Union.

BLM and Clyde & Co LLP have announced that they will merge this summer.

Leading law firms including Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, HFW and Simmons & Simmons have signed up to the Greener Litigation Pledge, a commitment launched by Mishcon de Reya. 

British FTSE 350 businesses expect the law firms they instruct to have gender diverse partnerships, but have a shocking lack of women in their own senior leadership teams, new research reveals.

Plans to cut legal aid spending by introducing price competitive tendering have been abandoned, justice secretary Chris Grayling has revealed in an interview in the Times newspaper.

Legal education provider and overall sponsor of the LawCareers.Net Student Law Society Awards BARBRI, has announced a partnership with The SQuarE Route to launch a qualifying work experience  (QWE) initiative for aspiring solicitors. 

Nine law firms have signed up to the Mindful Business Charter, which pledges to change avoidable working practices that have a negative impact on employees’ mental health.

Magic circle firm Allen & Overy is set to launch a solicitor apprenticeship scheme for school leavers, through which it hopes to attract a “socio-economically diverse pool of high-achieving pupils”.

The department for business, innovation and skills has published new assessment plans and standards for legal apprenticeships following ministerial approval. 

In a much-anticipated move, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued licences to the first three alternative business structures.

Commercial firm Boodle Hatfield LLP was credited as the country's best law firm for women at the second annual Women in Business Law Awards on 20 June 2012; an event run by the Euromoney Legal Media Group Europe.

Another week, another opportunity to learn more about the commercial world and its impact on us all – including lawyers! Enjoy our digest of stories from the past week.

Football fans can now watch matches transmitted from overseas by using foreign decoder cards after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that preventing consumers from doing so would be contrary to free trade laws.

The president of the Law Society, John Wotton, recently told delegates at the International Legal Forum that while pro bono makes a valuable contribution to the provision of access to justice, it is no substitute for a properly funded legal aid system.