We’ve put everything that we know, and that you need to know, about commercial awareness into our brand new commercial awareness section on LCN. Use it as a starting point to work out what this valuable skill really means and how you can develop it. But before you do that, find out which commercial stories have been shaping the legal world this week.

Concern over reliance on generative AI has escalated after fake case-law citations were used in an Intellectual Property Office appeal ruling. The litigant in person (LiP) admitted to using ChatGPT to help draft his case, with Phillip Johnson (the appointed person overseeing the appeal) highlighting various mistakes with the LiP’s argument.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is demanding that law firms adhere to transparency rules and display the SRA digital badge on their websites.

A new Bar training course is seeking to replace the Bar Professional Training Course and aims to offer more flexibility and less risk for students, alongside significantly cheaper fees.

The government has defeated an opposition attempt to reverse reforms to the way that criminal defence barristers are paid for legal aid work, with barristers vowing to step up their strike action in response.

Browne Jacobson LLP has partnered with one of the world’s leading virtual work experience platforms Forage to launch a brand-new programme that aims to improve diversity and inclusion within the legal sector.

With all the furore of government in the past few days, we’re going to assume that you’re fully up to speed (or bored to tears) with all things Brexit-related. Treat yourself this festive period by looking a bit further than the B-word to this week’s selection of commercial news stories that might be of interest to you.

MPs have called for employment tribunal fees to be “substantially” reduced after it was found that such fees have badly reduced the public’s access to justice since they were introduced. 

London South Bank University (LSBU), in collaboration with legal education provider BARBRI, is set to introduce Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) preparation into its legal master’s programme.  

As a part of its efforts to support a sustainable, low carbon economy and reduce emissions by 90%, law firm DWF Group Limited has launched the ‘DWF forest’, in collaboration with carbon market specialists Climate Impact.

Happy new year! We hope that you had a good Christmas break and that it offered at least a brief respite from work (and worrying about Brexit). Here is a selection of important business news stories that you might have understandably missed while you had a face full of chocolate orange.

A group of City law firms have launched an initiative to give opportunities to less-privileged students and shake off their elitist reputation.

If commercial awareness means keeping up with the latest commercial news stories affecting law firms and businesses, then there can be no more timely news than that of the Brexit mayhem currently taking place.

A number of City firms have revealed new ethnicity targets in response to the global Black Lives Matter protests.

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) annual report has revealed that 56% of candidates passed the January 2024 SQE1 sitting – an increase on the January 2023 sitting (51%). 

Applications for the CILEX Foundation’s scholarship and bursary programme are due to close on Friday 29 July. 

The consultation on proposals for a new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) has closed with students, educators and employers now waiting for a final decision and further detail from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), but the plans remain controversial.

Legal education provider The University of Law (ULaw) has appointed Patrick Johnson as its director of equality, diversity and inclusion as part of efforts to remove existing barriers and create an environment “where everyone, from any background, can succeed”.