For many aspiring solicitors interested in the world of commercial law, our assumed trajectory is a two-year training contract with a City firm – where, rotating through several seats, we'll get to grips with the foundations of being a solicitor and explore the various practice areas available to us.

CILEX (The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) has appointed leading NHS lawyer Sara Fowler as its 62nd president, and former Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education CEO, Jennifer Coupland, as its new CEO. Fowler began her term on 16 July 2025, succeeding from Foot Anstey LLP partner Yanthé Richardson, while Coupland will replace current CEO Craig Hamer in September.

As the second week of January draws to a close, recapping on the previous year’s top commercial news stories is a great task for aspiring lawyers. Which stories are still relevant? Are you up to date on how Bitcoin is performing? What’s happening in legal tech that you should be aware of? 

AI describes the ability of a computer system to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, including those relating to perception, recognition, decision making and learning. Given this substantial potential, it's key for legal professionals to understand the factors that influence how AI can impact the legal field.

Rishi Sunak is banning begging under new antisocial laws, raw sewage is flooding English waterways and Jeremy Corbyn is making headlines once more – but this time not as a Labour politician. More strikes are on the way, this time involving civil servants, schools and the Royal Mail. Plus, Landlords are being given new powers to evict tenants.

Why are some countries developing new dispute resolution forums for commercial litigation?

At LawCareers.Net we know that commercial awareness might seem like a vague and meaningless term that law firms and recruiters throw around to bamboozle you. That’s why we’ve created our new commercial awareness hub to keep relevant information in one place, and we recently filmed a video offering some key insight into how to stay commercial aware, as well as a couple of case studies to think about in a commercial context.

Do I have to apply for all pupillage vacancies through the Pupillage Gateway or do some barristers’ chambers have different application processes?

Magic circle law firms are taking different approaches to their trainees’ Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) exam results, following the recent round of results released for those who took the SQE1 assessment in January.

Legal work experience is extremely beneficial not least because it demonstrates commitment to the legal field but also because it provides valuable insight into life as a solicitor. As a student, you’re encouraged to apply for insight days and vacation schemes. These, of course, are extremely useful but if you want to gain further experience, here are three creative ways you can do so.  

The UK Diversity Legal Awards celebrates its 11th anniversary this year and continues to “promote the successful work and commendable efforts of individuals and organisations in the legal profession.”

Law firms transitioned to remote working just over a year ago as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, with government guidance confirming that the work from home ‘where you can’ policy will remain in place until 21 June at the earliest.

City law firm Kingsley Napley announced that its ‘BAME & Allies Network’ has changed its name to “the Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) group,” in a blog post on its website.

Could my first-year exam results affect my chances of securing a vacation scheme or training contract, even if they don’t count towards my final degree?

As we get ready to head to Manchester for LawCareersNetLIVE on 29 November, we should remind you that a great way to top up your commercial awareness is to watch our panel of top law firm partners discuss the issues affecting the legal profession in 2020, including legaltech and Brexit. 

Parliament may be prorogued, but the business world keeps turning and this week there are several news stories that aspiring lawyers should be keeping up with. Spending a couple of minutes researching each of these stories will result in a broader knowledge of the industry and should lead to some questions about where the law – and your future employers – might fit in.

The government is using the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – which modernises EU data protection law – as cover for its attempts to remove key rights from people subject to UK immigration procedures, a Labour MEP has alleged.

On 18 September, the seventh National Paralegal Awards, hosted by CILEX, recognised paralegals across 14 individual and three business categories, such as Paralegal of the Year and National Paralegal Business of the Year

A quarter of women working in the legal profession have had their incomes reduced from pre-coronavirus levels, with one in five working reduced hours, a snap poll has found.