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.

More than a quarter (27%) of small and medium (SME) law firms haven’t adopted the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam (SQE) yet, according to new research.

The Law Society of England and Wales provided its updated guidance on social media use, outlining the risks of the rise of AI-generated content, and the ethical considerations for solicitors posting and interacting online.

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City law firms are considering an additional requirement that candidates will need to gain some “City-specific” training on top of passing the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) when the new ‘super exam’ comes into effect.

The College of Legal Practice has become the first fully virtual training provider to be awarded new degree awarding powers by the Office for Students, making it a fully accredited postgraduate law school. 

Barrister apprenticeships are set to be introduced next year in an effort to improve access to the profession. It’s hoped that the proposed new route to qualification will enable aspiring barristers to earn while they learn, avoiding the costly fees required to attend university and then Bar school.

International law firm DWF has reported that the impact of coronavirus was balanced out by the firm’s strong trading in the first three months of the new financial year.

The first group legal aid trainees to have been sponsored through their training contracts by the Legal Education Foundation’s Justice First Fellowship have qualified as solicitors. 

Following the government’s pledge to end the cross-examination of domestic abuse victims by their perpetrators in court, a long-overdue and ‘enhanced’ version of the Domestic Abuse Bill recently returned to Parliament.

The Law Society has launched its new Access to Justice campaign, aiming to “defend the rule of law in an environment where legal advice is becoming more expensive and difficult to obtain”.

A “fully flexible work space” is available to all staff working in DLA Piper’s Birmingham office, following its move to the Paradise Birmingham Development – a move which was in the works before the pandemic hit last year. 

The Law Society of England and Wales has expressed its support for the House of Commons Justice Committee’s call for urgent reform, following its recent report, which stated that the county court needs “urgent attention”.

A legal advice line providing advice to women who have experienced sexual harassment at work has been launched by Harry Potter star and women’s rights activist Emma Watson. The free service will be run by the legal charity Rights of Women and is backed by Time’s Up UK and managed by Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls.

The Criminal Bar Association has raised the threat of industrial action as the dispute over legal aid funding continues. 

A senior family court judge has admitted that it feels “shaming” to preside over cases where people are forced to represent themselves, in the latest warning about the social costs of legal aid cuts. 

Following the success of the First 100 Years powered by Spark21, the team behind the initial project has just launched the Next 100 Years, which is dedicated to achieving equality for women in law.

The vast majority of barristers are opposed to withdrawing the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights in favour of creating a separate UK bill of rights, a survey commissioned by the Times has found.

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has received Privy Council approval to amend its Royal Charter and introduce the title of CILEX 'Chartered Paralegal’ – a “significant step” in providing paralegals with formal career recognition and acknowledgement of their achievements.