The outstanding pro bono and volunteering achievements of individual lawyers, law firms, charities and advice clinics were celebrated last week at the LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards.

The House of Lords constitution committee has launched an inquiry into the centuries-old office of lord chancellor, asking whether it is sufficiently independent of government and whether it should be held by a lawyer.

Leaked data reveals that top government lawyers have been offered an average 16% pay increase but a third of the Government Legal Department’s workforce have been excluded from the deal.  

Senior associates are reportedly the least satisfied cohort of fee earners at UK law firms, according to a recent Leading Teams report.  

US law firms Kirkland and Ellis International LLP and Paul Weiss are offering large referral bonuses of £38,000 in a bid to attract the best talent. At Kirkland & Ellis, this is double the incentive from last October.

The government has U-turned on its decision to deny legal aid to unaccompanied migrant children following a judicial review brought by The Children’s Society.

On 19 December the UK government revealed plans to increase criminal legal aid rates for solicitors by a further 12% to improve access to justice. An initial 6% rise will follow a consultation in early 2025, with a further 6% committed by the end of parliament. This will result in a total boost of £92 million.

Partners and staff at Osborne Clarke will take an 11-month pay cut as the firm continues to weather the impact of covid-19.

The next generation of City lawyers want more from their prospective employers than high salaries and bonuses, a survey conducted by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has found.

The annual celebration of pro bono achievement went ahead in a ceremony on 5 December, organised by LawWorks, hosted by Allen & Overy, and sponsored by the Law Society and LexisNexis. 

The Bar Standards Board has agreed the ways in which the Inns of Court will continue to perform their role in the training and qualification of barristers in England and Wales. Detailed in a policy statement published on 23 March, the regulator has confirmed that the Inns will continue to play a pivotal role in the process.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has continued to push its innovation agenda by stating that it wants to reduce the time that it takes for firms to implement new ideas for legal services.

The House of Commons committee of Public Accounts has produced a damning report on the Ministry of Justice’s cuts to legal aid spending.

Liz Truss has become the first woman to hold the post of lord chancellor in the thousand-year history of the role, after replacing the sacked Michael Gove as justice secretary in Theresa May’s new cabinet. 

Most in-house lawyers are reluctant to make a full-time return to the office, with many preferring to work from home, according to a survey reported by the Law Gazette.

The UK’s largest law school, The University of Law, has seen profits rise for the 18 months to 31 May 2022, according to the latest figures released.

Macfarlanes' graduate recruitment partner John Hornby talks about Bristol Law School’s staff/student cricket match and explains why the firm got involved.

Liz Truss has been replaced as justice secretary by David Lidington, the MP for Aylesbury who has consistently opposed LGBT rights and also voted in favour of repealing the Human Rights Act.

“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.