The Ministry of Justice has revealed plans to fast-track legislation that will see barristers receive increased legal aid fees at a faster rate. The announcement follows the start of a series of strikes at the Bar that started on Monday and are set to continue for four weeks. 

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) will not achieve its aim of widening access to the legal profession because it does not address the “inequalities inherent in the higher education system”, two respected legal academics have warned.

Students and law schools were recognised for their tremendous efforts in the field of pro bono, as the attorney general hosted the annual LawWorks & Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards at the House of Commons.

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.

Leading medical negligence firm Fletchers Solicitors is accepting applications for its 2018 trailblazer solicitor apprenticeship scheme.

The government’s proposal to inject an extra £32-50 million into criminal legal aid funding is not enough to alleviate the current threat to “the very existence of criminal defence practitioners,” the Law Society has said.

Clyde & Co LLP’s paralegal academy received more than 1,000 applications, far surpassing the firm’s target of 300.

Bridging the Bar (BTB) – a charity “committed to the promotion of equal opportunities and diversity at the Bar of England and Wales” – was launched in August this year.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has been awarded the annual Commendation for Diversity as judged by LawCareers.Net, Aspiring Solicitors and Rare.

Criminal legal aid fees are set to increase by the end of September, as the government revealed plans to “lay a statutory instrument in parliament before 21 July, to begin the process of implementing increases to fees”. 

A report by the Law Society has argued that law firms are improving on diversity matters, though further progress is still required.

Norton Rose Fulbright has confirmed a 92% retention rate for its trainee solicitors qualifying in May.

The King’s Counsel Appointments (KCA) have announced the names of 96 new silks – King’s Counsel (KCs). Despite the nine solicitors who applied this year, all successful applicants were barristers, reflecting the long-standing pattern that the KC cohort is overwhelmingly drawn from the Bar. Since solicitors first became eligible for KC status in 1995, only 66 have been appointed out of 231 applicants.

The Bar Standards Board has announced how it intends to eliminate the discrimination, harassment and unfair treatment experienced by women barristers, just as news has emerged that of the top 100 highest-earning criminal defence barristers, only four are women.

The number of freelance solicitors has doubled over the past three years, from around 300 in 2021 to 650 at the beginning of 2024, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). However, freelance solicitors still make up less than 1% of practising solicitors.

The daily commute into the office often ensures that I have at least 30 minutes (subject to train delays) to organise my week, plan my upcoming events and educate myself further so that I can excel in the coming weeks.

As we prepare for our student careers conference LawCareersNetLIVE in London tomorrow, you might like to watch the partner panel discussion on the day which is being broadcasted live on Facebook.