A new conference aimed at anyone hoping to land a training contract with one of the international firms in the City has been announced.

As reported in the Telegraph and the Guardian, Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly has handed responsibility for regulating claims management firms to Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke after a conflict of interests was exposed.

New legislation has passed allowing Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) members to apply for a range of senior judicial positions for the first time.

The UK’s status as a global hub for legal services will continue after Brexit, but securing a “bespoke” deal that gives UK and EU lawyers maximum mutual access to each other’s markets is key for future growth, a City lobby group has said.

Stephenson Harwood LLP has launched global fertility and pregnancy loss policies for its employees. All partners and global employees can benefit from the policy which aims to emotionally support people through their parenthood journey.

The Ministry of Justice has downgraded the pilot project to extend court working hours, to the relief of the Law Society.

Speakers at LawtechUK advocated for AI use, arguing that it could improve access to justice, both by increasing the capacity to solve issues outside of court and making changes within the court to judges’ processes.

The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) 2025 diversity of the judiciary report revealed that progress on improving diversity has been mixed. While findings showed that the number of judges from ethnic minority backgrounds gradually increased from 2015, the proportion of Black judges showed no improvement.

National firm Irwin Mitchell is offering free 20-minute consultations to domestic abuse victims until the coronavirus crisis ends. According to the Law Gazette, the firm said it feels “duty bound” to support domestic abuse victims as UK lockdown continues in a bid to slow down the spread of the pandemic.

National Accident Helpline has announced 10 aspiring lawyers as finalists in its annual award scheme, Future Legal Mind Award 2021.

Online legal tools for women to protect themselves from domestic abuse and a chatbot designed to help people with special educational needs access legal advice are among the eight Legal Access Challenge finalists.

The consequences of the general election earlier this month could monumentally change the country’s economic course as set by politicians before the poll, despite the fact that the same government looks set to return to power (albeit only with the help of its friends in the Democratic Unionist Party). However, this week’s headlines also report some gloomy fallout from another national vote – that of last year’s referendum on EU membership. 

A UN envoy appointed to report on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK has criticised the government’s cuts to legal aid, which have deprived poor and disabled people of their rights.

This weekly round-up is designed to help you develop your commercial awareness by being informed about the issues affecting the world of law and business. Let’s get started.

Ryanair’s bouncing cheques aside, this week’s commercial news round-up is largely American focused: from Trump’s continued trade war with China to the stock market milestone. And in case you were missing your Brexit update, the Law Society has warned of a £3 billion loss from the legal sector if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Step this way for your weekly dose of business news.

Elite law firms could be pressured to return to a full five days in the office as larger fee-paying clients crack the whip on their own staff.  

It’s a big week for LawCareers.Net as we head off to Manchester for LawCareersNetLIVE. As we’re fully immersing ourselves in event organisation mode, this week’s round-up is a short one. But don’t worry, we’re still covering all the top stories.  

A team of first-year undergraduates from the University of Manchester have won Norton Rose Fulbright and McLaren Mercedes’ ‘great partnership challenge’, which gives contestants a chance to win a week’s work experience at Norton Rose Fulbright and a trip to the McLaren Technology Centre.

Manchester Law School, part of Manchester Metropolitan University, has accepted the first students onto its alternative training route.