More than a quarter (27%) of small and medium (SME) law firms haven’t adopted the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam (SQE) yet, according to new research.

The legal sector’s mental health charity LawCare has launched its new Life in the Law 2025 surveys, which look at mental health and wellbeing in the legal profession. 

The University of Hertfordshire has suspended its Legal Practice Course (LPC) in response to the proposed changes to legal education and training currently being considered by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), but other leading universities have said that they intend to stick with the LPC despite ongoing uncertainty.  

Students from Northumbria University's award-winning Student Law Office recently had the chance to meet Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP as he visited the university and LawWorks' regional offices.

Another week, another bumper crop of commercial news to consider. If your ultimate plan is to succeed as a legal professional, an interest in the business world – and the world generally – is a must. As everyone digests the news that the Bank of England is again leaving interest rates where they are (with the Guardian reporting that some analysts have called Mark Carney an “unreliable boyfriend” due to his habit of changing his mind), here is a selection of other stories for your edification.

Organisations from across the legal sector, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority will once again be attending the Birmingham and London Pride festivals in a show of support for and celebration of the LGBT community.

Held on Saturday 9 April, the biennial Minority Lawyers Conference brought together high-profile speakers to celebrate the achievements of black and Asian lawyers, and highlight the issues facing the profession in a year of both challenge and opportunity.

The government has asked victims of the Windrush scandal to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in return for fast-tracking their compensation claims, in the latest high-profile example of the controversial practice.

Herbert Smith Freehills has launched its first ever Community Engagement Awards, designed to showcase the best social projects led by students in India. 

Students from the Queen Elizabeth Academy in Crediton have won the final of the Bar National Mock Trial Competition on 24 March, in the annual competition’s 21st year.

ELF runs a number of pro bono university clinics throughout the country which are supervised by local ELF professional members.

Holman Fenwick Willan has launched a Global Lawyers Challenge, the prize for which is a full day at HFW's Paris, Athens or Geneva office over the course of a two-night stay.

The University of Law has received a new “gold” rating in the new government-led Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The TEF panel judged that the institution “delivers consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students. It is of the highest quality found in the United Kingdom.”

CityLawLIVE and NationalLawLIVE, LCN’s one-day student conferences for aspiring solicitors, have announced that they are jointly extending their deadline to Sunday 5 November. Giving applicants an additional week in which to submit will hopefully attract those students who may not have had the time to get their applications in for consideration.

For the second year in a row, Browne Jacobson LLP has secured the top spot on the UK’s Social Mobility Index.  

Students on Manchester Metropolitan University's BTPC course and police trainees recently took part in a full-scale mock trial, offering both sets of aspiring professionals the taste of their career future.

Phew, it’s fair to say that it’s been another unprecedented week in British politics, and it looks like this unpredictability and chaos will continue until 31 October, and undoubtedly well beyond.

A total of 738 legal professionals sought support from LawCare in 2020, rising 9% on 2019’s figure, according to the mental health charity’s 2020 Impact Report.