The latest results for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) assessments have been released with the overall pass rate of the summer 2023 sittings of SQE2 at 79% – up 2% compared to the April/May 2023 sittings.

Last week’s NationalLawLIVE conference confirmed once again that the ability to deliver commercial legal advice to clients is essential – we heard from a panel of partners about its centrality to their practices, from recruiters about how to demonstrate it, and a myriad of workshop topics that delved into its role in today’s law firms. We expect that this message will be affirmed once again at CityLawLIVE tomorrow. As a way to start developing your commerciality, read on for this week’s selection of top business news.

In the latest developments in the NOTW-hacking story, the Law Society has expressed serious concern after claims by solicitors that their phones may have been hacked by the NOTW.

Leading law firm Shakespeare Martineau LLP has announced its merger with GL Law which will see the firm broaden its geographical footprint into Bristol and the Southwest.

The Bar Standards Board will host a debate on the different options for training and qualifying as a barrister set out in its Future Bar Training Consultation. 

According to Neurotechnology, Law and the Legal Profession, a report commissioned by the Law Society of England and Wales, future lawyers could end up charging their clients via “units of attention” monitored by computers that are connected directly to their brains. 

Rare has confirmed that Ashurst and Herbert Smith Freehills are the latest two firms to sign up to its contextual recruitment system, which allows recruiters to identify outstanding candidates regardless of their background.

Eight UK law firms have set ambitious net-zero goals as a part of the Net Zero Law Initiative, designed by Net Zero Now. Over the next five years, firms will aim to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% – an important step towards reducing the legal sector’s emissions and reaching net zero by 2050.

Magic circle law firm Linklaters has launched a bespoke A-level tutoring programme – Making Links Discovery – with two pillars, one aimed at advancing social mobility and the other on improving racial and ethnic diversity within the profession.

While Theresa May attempts to get her EU withdrawal deal through for the third time in the coming days (see #BrexitMayhem on Twitter), there is one thing we know for sure about Brexit: nobody knows what will happen and how it will affect the British economy. So, is it a matter of keep calm and carry on? 

Law firms are becoming prime targets for cybercriminals due to the large quantities of sensitive client data they hold. Despite 97% of firms prioritising safety from cybercrime and fraud, according to the Law Firm Benchmarking 2024 report, only 32% of these firms provide regular training to their staff.

Qualifying work experience (QWE) is one of the four requirements needed to qualify as a solicitor via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

Nearly 100% of senior commercial property law professionals said it will be ‘very likely’ or ‘quite likely’ that administrative tasks involved in commercial real estate transactions will be fully automated in the next three years, according to a report published by SearchFlow. 

Metro Bank has become one of the first in-house legal teams in the financial services sector to support aspiring solicitors through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination on their way to qualification.

In a bid to improve diversity at the Bar, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said that chambers need to provide anti-racism training and implement “positive action measures”, including targeted adverts to recruit people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

Last week, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) welcomed the publication of the Bar Council’s Pupillage Gateway report.

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has announced that 83% of students passed the latest CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) Foundation assessments.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned that firms found to be inadequate at taking continuing professional development seriously can expect enforcement action “where necessary”.