Barristers are as vulnerable to cyberattacks as solicitors, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has warned, as the increase in technology used at the Bar and in court presents opportunities for cybercrime.

For the very first time, the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board have published the Bar Barometer, an annual report on statistical trends within the Bar.

The SRA has released its Training for Tomorrow policy paper, which among other things promises "radical" reforms to the current education and training system and an end to the "one-size-fits-all" approach to solicitors' qualification.

Horwich Farrelly has recruited 18 new apprentices – nearly double the amount it took on last year. The firm’s two-year apprenticeship scheme was one of the first to launch in the United Kingdom.

This year’s London Legal Walk saw another record number of legal professionals turn up to complete one of the 10-kilometre routes to raise awareness and funds for access to justice. On Tuesday 17 June, 19,000 walkers came together in support of the London Legal Support Trust (LLST), an independent charity that funds law centres and pro bono agencies across London and the South East.

The government recently announced a pay rise for criminal legal aid solicitors, set out in a new publication by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The changes introduced, informed by 214 consultation responses, are expected to come into force on 22 December 2025.

Following months of speculation, The College of Law has announced that it is to separate its legal education and training business from its charitable activities, and sell the education business to European private equity firm Montagu.

Lawyers have welcomed the ‘breathing space’ provided by the government’s agreement on a Brexit phase 1 deal, where judgments in the UK and EU courts will continue to be mutually recognised and enforced for a period after Britain ceases to be a member of the European Union in 2019. 

The controversial draft Brexit deal agreed by UK and EU negotiators, if implemented, would allow UK lawyers to continue to operate in the EU throughout the transition period that runs until 2020, while one of the aims of a post-Brexit trade deal would be to make such “appropriate arrangements on professional qualifications” permanent.

The Bar Council has requested an additional £55 million investment for HM Courts and Tribunals Service to address the increased demand on court staff due to covid-19, among three other short-term “recommendations”.

BAME candidates are still much less likely to secure pupillage than white students, while those who attended fee-paying schools remain disproportionately represented, according to the latest annual report from the Bar Standards Board.

Solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers should reserve a proportion of training contracts and pupillages for candidates with disabilities in order to counterbalance the discrimination against disabilities pervading the legal profession, according to a new report.

Interested in a career as a solicitor? It’s time to start thinking about winter vacation schemes. Whether you’re a law student or non-law student, law firms’ vacation schemes are a great chance for you to gain insights into life as a lawyer at particular firms and their working culture. With deadlines fast approaching, it’s time to get your applications underway.

Applications are now open for the Law Society Diversity Access Scheme (DAS). The DAS seeks to support talented, aspiring solicitors from less advantaged backgrounds who wish to pursue a career in the legal profession.

International firm Kingsley Napley has adopted the Halo Code – which “explicitly protects employees who come to work with natural hair and protective hairstyles associated with their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities” – and has formally incorporated the code into its dress and appearance policy.

Fifteen law firms and other legal sector organisations have made this year’s list of the top 100 LGBT-inclusive employers, compiled by charity Stonewall.

Irwin Mitchell's most recent intake of trainees has been drawn into two of the firm's social responsibility initiatives as part of their induction.