The president of the Law Society, John Wotton, recently told delegates at the International Legal Forum that while pro bono makes a valuable contribution to the provision of access to justice, it is no substitute for a properly funded legal aid system.

Formidable new powers to enforce equality legislation are needed to prevent Britain returning to the rigid class inequalities of the 1930s, David Isaac, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said. 

The Law Society of England and Wales has published new guidance to help solicitors navigate the growing differences between English and Welsh law. While England and Wales remain a single legal jurisdiction, an increasing body of Wales-specific legislation has emerged across devolved areas, creating distinct legal frameworks that practitioners must be aware of when advising clients.

Law firms will be required to publish set fees for legal services including wills, conveyancing and divorce under new Solicitors Regulation Authority proposals.  

Magic circle law firm Linklaters has partnered with a tech start-up to launch a specialist mental health app.

Thousands of high street and sole practitioner firms are likely to close within six months due to the covid-19 crisis, according to new Law Society research.

The many members of the legal profession who harbour doubts over Lord Chancellor Liz Truss have been joined by some of her cabinet colleagues following a series of blunders at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), briefings to the press made clear last week. 

Jonathan Smithers, president of the Law Society, said: “Law can be a demanding career. Many of us are drawn to the intellectual challenge and thrive on the high pressure our work entails, but with this high pressure can come stress.”

The Westminster Legal Policy forum is taking registrations for its upcoming seminar entitled ‘Innovation in the legal services market - growth, skills and emerging business models’, which is set take place on Tuesday 11 March 2014.

The Legal Services Board has published statutory guidance following the Legal Education and Training Review, urging regulators to increase flexibility in education and training.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has approved changes to its training regulations as part of both its Training for Tomorrow programme and Red Tape Initiative.

The Law Society has said that the vote by the UK electorate to leave the European Union has created an “unprecedented and complex range of legal issues”, but that the profession is focused on finding solutions.

Senior law lecturer Joe Sekhon of Portsmouth Business School has won £30,000 to set up an IP clinic for students to gain free advice from law students.

Last week the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that 20 Nightingale courtrooms, across nine venues, will remain open this year to tackle the huge number of outstanding cases. 

Autumn tends to bring with it a renewed sense of vigour and the chance for a fresh start – make one of your autumn resolutions a commitment to honing your commercial awareness skills in a bid to impress future employers. Where to start? Look no further than this selection from the past week.

Boris Johnson’s landslide general election victory has in the words of the prime minister confirmed Brexit as the “unarguable decision of the British people”, but uncertainty for businesses remains due to questions left open about his withdrawal agreement, City firms have warned.

International law firm Addleshaw Goddard has increased its annual staff bonus pot by £3 million, from £19 million to £22 million. The move follows a reported 17% rise in both revenue and profit for the financial year ending 30 April.

The University of Law has linked up with several London boroughs to provide its first Higher Apprenticeships in Legal Services.

Private wealth law firm Boodle Hatfield LLP has reported expected revenue of £49.5 million for the 2025/26 financial year, marking its second consecutive year of double-digit growth.