The reasons that firms decide to merge are as varied as the firms themselves, but there are usually some key drivers – namely, the desire to expand, geographically or in terms of expertise, or to stay afloat. For the lawyers who find that the firm they joined is no longer the firm at which they work, there are normally a raft of opportunities– and maybe especially so for trainees.

As a family law paralegal, you will be one of the first points of face-to face-contact with the firm for clients seeking help and advice regarding family law issues.

Family law barristers deal with all legal matters relating to marriage, separation, divorce and cohabitation, as well as issues relating to children, including contact arrangements, care and placement orders, adoption and surrogacy.

Do same sex and heterosexual married couples have the same pension rights in occupational pension schemes? 

Intellectual Property work can be divided into two main areas: hard and soft IP.

Law societies, law firms and chambers representatives, multi-award-winning charity upReach and the LawCareers.Net team gathered last night on Thursday 13 March 2025 to celebrate the eleventh annual LawCareers.Net Student Law Society Awards, sponsored by BARBR

Are you up to date on this week’s news? The Bank of England has announced that it’s holding interest rates, while Disney and Warner Bros are collaborating to create a new streaming package. Plus, in the world of social media, Ofcom has released new regulations for social media algorithms targeting children, and TikTok and ByteDance have launched a lawsuit in an effort to stop the app being banned in the US. Read this week’s commercial news round-up to find out more.

The summer months are a great chance for you to get ahead in your legal career, while also making time to relax and enjoy your break from academia. There’s no need to dedicate every waking hour to building your commercial awareness, making applications or preparing for interviews, for example. That said, you should give yourself a head start and set aside enough time to practise the four pieces of advice we’ve outlined in this article.

A clear divide in working hours among trainee and junior lawyers at UK law firms has been revealed in new research, with US-headquartered firms continuing to top the table for longest average days.

Magic circle law firm Linklaters has announced a partnership with education and training provider BARBRI Global to prepare overseas-qualified lawyers for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

LawCare recently published its findings relating to male mental health within the legal profession. The legal mental health charity released the findings of its all male focus group which took place on 19 July 2022 in a bid to better understand the needs of men in law and the mental health support they need in the workplace.  

A recent survey of working hours reveals that trainees and junior lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis LLP work on average for more than 14-hours a day. This is the third year in a row the firm has sat at the top of the table for working hours.

The Law Society of England and Wales recently launched its new three-year diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategy as part of its wider corporate goals for a more accessible legal profession.

A new survey of UK law firms with revenues of more than £100 million revealed that competitors with strong tech-driven business models, a surge in lateral hiring and a sharp growth of US law firms are all likely to cause major disruption.  

UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson LLP has announced a new pro bono strategy, in partnership with LawWorks, as part of the firm’s “active commitment to pro bono work”. 

To mark International Women’s’ Day 2018, the Law Society has released its findings from the largest international survey of women in the law. The survey of 7,781 people (5,758 women, 554 men and 1,469 unknown or other) aims to shed light on current state of gender equality in the legal profession.

Many law firms, such as Simmons & Simmons, Baker McKenzie, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP  and Clifford Chance, are incorporating reverse mentoring into their diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and retention strategies.

All law firms should pay trainee solicitors a minimum salary of no less than £18,183 outside London and £20,276 in London, the Law Society has stated in a non-binding recommendation.

The introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) should be delayed, according to leading law academics, because continuing uncertainty around the new system is making it impossible for students to make informed decisions about the choices available to them.