Prominent in-house appointments have made the news this month, with Royal Dutch Shell naming Donny Ching as its new legal director and HSBC Holdings hiring Shawn Chen to lead its global litigation and regulatory affairs group.

The Times has released its annual list of the country’s 100 most influential lawyers, as judged by the paper.

Future lawyers with a taste for insurance law should take note: a major new force in the specialist insurance law sector is coming on the scene after a merger between two insurance heavyweights.

Students enrolling at the College of Law will now be able to start the Graduate Diploma in Law in January, in addition to having the option of starting in September.

As you might expect, the potential Brexit has dominated news headlines following confirmation that there will be a referendum in June on whether Britain will be staying in the European Union. Implications for businesses of all sizes is one of the key features of the debate - here is just a small selection of this week’s Brexit (and other) stories:

Following a review, the Bar Standards Board has decided not to implement the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates, but continues to commit to assuring the quality of all aspects of barristers’ services. 

News-wise, there is a lot to absorb this week, including some big financial losses being reported, as well as bad news for both the “flash crash” trader and the Co-op’s Fairtrade suppliers.

US law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP a has introduced a ‘salary sacrifice’ scheme to attract talented junior lawyers, which will enable lawyers at the firm to drive away in an electric vehicle.

BARBRI and Damar Training are urging the government to consider the impact that withdrawing levy funding for some level 7 programmes could have on access to the legal profession.

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives has announced a revamped approach to training as a lawyer, designed to meet the changing demands of the modern legal market.

To be eligible for the GDL, students must hold a degree from a UK institution or a foreign institution which the Solicitors Regulation Authority considers to be an equivalent. 

Law firms have seen demand in services drop globally over the first half of 2022, according to new research by Thomson Reuters.

Higher and degree apprenticeships have been found to be critical for skills supply, according to data released on apprenticeship trends earlier this week. This comes amid concerns that reduced funding for level 7 apprenticeships could harm growth. 

With people in the Midlands and the North of England in “dire need of early legal advice”, the Bar Council has called for the government to invest in local court systems ahead of today’s spending review.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has announced that non-practising solicitors will need to pay a £20 charge to stay on the roll from next year. The change will affect around 60,000 non-practising solicitors who are already on the roll.

Members of the legal profession - including Miriam González Durántez and representatives from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives - attended the government’s latest Inspiring Women campaign event.

The delegate fees from this year’s LawCareersNetLIVE conferences will be donated to two legal charities.