Here is your weekly round-up of big business stories. Keep an eye on these, and others, to hone your commercial skills and make yourself an ever more attractive prospect for recruiters.

There’s only one story in town today and no prizes for guessing what that is – first, if you haven’t voted already, please do! 

A “more prescribed” approach is required to ensure that all newly qualified barristers receive good support and guidance from their assigned ‘qualified person’, research by the Bar Standards Board has concluded.

Top regional firms Coffin Mew and Charles Lucas & Marshall have announced their impending merger. 

The newly appointed lord chief justice, Sir Ian Burnett, released a short YouTube video on the day of his swearing-in, 2 October.

The number of personal injury claims management companies has fallen by over half since the start of 2013, figures released by the Ministry of Justice’s Claims Management Regulation Unit (CMRU) have revealed.

London South Bank University has released a manual on how to establish and manage a drop-in legal advice clinic.

Nabarro LLP, Simmons & Simmons and Slater & Gordon have been singled out for praise at the National Council for Work Experience Awards 2013, marking them out as some of the UK's best internship providers.

A survey has found that the proportion of trainees who stay with their firms after qualifying has recovered to 80% in 2011, marking a 5% increase on the figures from 2009 and 2010.

In a significant development in the world of legal aid, Justice Minister Ken Clarke announced last week that he has postponed major reforms to the legal aid system that were due to be implemented in October 2012.

Several firms have moved to defend themselves from accusations that their gender pay gap reporting has been rendered meaningless because the reports exclude data on partners.

BPP University has awarded honours to three women who have made outstanding contributions to their field of work, including the lawyer Dame Janet Gaymer.

The gender pay gap has widened, with female lawyers earning roughly a third less than their male colleagues, a Law Society study of 2012 pay levels has revealed.

Alison Saunders will become the new director of public prosecutions on 1 November 2013, as Keir Starmer QC stands down at the end of his five-year term.

LPC and BPTC students keen to boost their CVs might be interested in a new competition being run by the Sentencing Council, the first prize of which is a law firm work placement or mini-pupillage.

London media firm, Russells Solicitors, has admitted accidently leaking information that revealed the author of The Cuckoo’s Calling to be JK Rowling.

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) has launched an enquiry into whether paralegals can meet the future needs of the legal services market.

In advance of what is apparently the most depressing Monday of the entire year (third week in January, well known for its gloom-inducing properties) here’s some hard-nosed commercial news to take your mind off the fact that you’re broke and cold:

A new free legal advice clinic has opened at a homelessness shelter in South East London with help from lawyers at Dechert LLP.

Morrison & Foerster UK (LLP) is the first UK firm to publicly mandate that all lawyers must be fully vaccinated prior to returning to the office.