Pass rates on the Legal Practice Course (LPC) have dropped from 57% to just 42% in the year ending 31 August 2024, according to new data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The regulator also reported that a record-high number of students (46%) failed or deferred due to exceptional circumstances.
Large firms, including Clifford Chance, Hill Dickinson LLP and Addleshaw Goddard have all recently revealed plans to move offices.
Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft have approved their proposed transatlantic merger, creating what the law firms have described as “the largest law firm merger in history”. The merged firm, to be known as Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, will launch on 1 July 2026.
A report from the National Audit Office (NAO) found that legal aid spending has fallen by 28% over the past decade. The Lady Chief Justice Dame Sue Carr and chair of the Bar Council, Sam Townend KC, warned that continued lack of investment could affect England and Wales’ international reputation.