Applications for the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS) opened on Wednesday 23 February 2022. 

At the recent Bar & Young Bar Conference, the chairman of the Bar said that barristers are more than mere “economic actors”, and while not expecting to be popular, they should be valued. 

The Young Barristers' Committee is hosting its annual conference on Saturday 6 October, focusing on the need for young barristers and pupils to develop excellent advocacy skills.

No lengthy preamble required: straight in with this week’s essential business reading.

The Association of Women Solicitors (AWS) has presented its highest honour, the Eva Crawley Award (recognising outstanding contribution to the work of the association and the advancement of women solicitors) to Dawn Dixon.

Co-operative Legal Services has announced that it will apply to the Solicitors Regulation Authority to become an alternative business structure on 3 January 2012.

After 40 years, Lambeth Law Centre in South London is the latest to have been forced to close because of cuts to legal aid funding.

Middle Temple’s Pupillage Podcast has returned for a second season.

Despite reports that the government has postponed gender pay gap reporting for 2019/20 due to the coronavirus outbreak, UK firm Irwin Mitchell shared its recent data which shows that its gender pay gap has shrunk.

London-based Macfarlanes LLP has released its gender pay gap data, becoming only the second City law firm to include partners’ pay in its results after Allen & Overy LLP revealed its partner gender pay gap data in September.

This round-up is big on banks; they seem to have featured heavily in the past week’s news cycle. For tales of their varying woes, plus much more, read on.

Over 60 law firms have this year’s Guardian UK 300, which lists the best UK employers for people seeking their first graduate jobs. 

Legal Week reports that the Legal Services Board (LSB) has authorised the introduction of an aptitude test for those seeking a place on the BPTC.

The University of Law is the first university to be granted an Alternative Business Structure licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Simmons & Simmons has announced that it will donate £2 million to charities to support covid-19 relief efforts worldwide after a strong financial year.

The Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has asked his shadow justice team to “immediately” review the government’s cuts to legal aid.

Over a year on from his landmark race review, Labour MP David Lammy has told the House of Commons Justice Committee that things have got “considerably worse” for BAME people in the criminal justice system.

The Law Society - working in collaboration with law firms and charity LawWorks - has established a telephone helpline to provide free legal assistance to riot victims.