Newcastle upon Tyne has emerged as the best UK city for legal professionals, while London ranks as the worst, according to new research from Witan Solicitors. The study analysed salary data, job availability and affordability metrics from the Office for National Statistics to assess where lawyers can achieve the greatest financial stability and quality of life.  

The Law Society has requested a two-week break for non-custody cases as concerns about the health and safety of court users emerge.

The Law Society of England and Wales has welcomed new Online Procedure Rules designed to make online legal processes easier to use – a change that Law Society President Mark Evans described as “a positive first step for a digital justice system with a focus on inclusion and access to justice”.

To outsource or not to outsource? That is the (commercial) question

What more can be done to progress ethnic diversity in the legal profession?  

Harvey Specter is a fictional corporate lawyer from US TV-series Suits. Although the show is designed for entertainment, we can still implement some of Harvey’s qualities to help with our careers in the real world. 

Why should lawyers care about net zero?

The financial sector is arguably the most intimidating and difficult to become acquainted with. Like technology, finance is surrounded by jargon and buzzwords: bonds, securities, hedge funds, capital markets, IPOs… Once you begin to understand one, something else equally as confusing rears its head. 

On 8 June 170 guests from 72 law firms attended the eighth annual LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards (the TARAs).

Nearly 19,000 students graduated with law degrees from universities in England and Wales in 2021 – the highest number on record – while the number of firms in England and Wales fell to a record low.

Chief executive of the Legal Services Board (LSB), Matthew Hill, talked about diversity during a plenary session at the Law Society’s Junior Solicitors Network summit, stating that diversity at partnership level at the biggest law firms “ought to be a national scandal”.

Macfarlanes LLP has announced a partnership with HarveyAI, an OpenAI-backed tool that’s designed specifically to assist with legal work.

Legal technology company Litera’s new research report has found that both law firms and departments are embracing new technology, with those that “strategically leverage generative AI’ predicted to “gain a competitive edge in today’s volatile economy”.

“I’ve had doors closed because of who I am, but I’ve also had doors opened because of who I am”, says Phil Steventon of The Neurodivergent Lawyer blog.

Cost pressures have been cited as a significant barrier to law firms achieving their sustainability goals, according to new research by carbon reduction consultancy Greenarc, despite increasing demands from clients and employees.

Last week global law firm Clyde & Co LLP announced an expansion via a merger with US firm Forsberg & Umlauf, an insurance coverage and litigation practice. This marked the latest in a trend of law firm mergers.

You can only really practice company law in the City of London, can't you?

The Co-operative Group has pulled out of a £750 million deal to buy 632 high street branches from the Lloyds Banking Group.