It’s Pride Month, so this week’s round-up first focuses on the home office’s monumental decision to expand its scheme to wipe historical convictions for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Although this action doesn’t undo the wrongs of the past, it’s a step forward. 

Fiona Stewart is a family law barrister at Queen Elizabeth Building (QEB). Read her advice on mini-pupillages, choosing a practice area and chambers to apply to, and find out what makes QEB stand out in this Meet the Lawyer.

Global economic aftershocks from the US-Israel war with Iran are being felt across the UK, with soaring oil prices boosting energy giants’ profits and fresh calls for the government to cut speed limits to ease fuel costs. Elsewhere, weak consumer spending is pushing the former WH Smith high-street chain towards store closures and Amazon has begun rolling out drone deliveries in the UK. Read on for LawCareers.Net’s picks of this week’s top commercial stories.

Is a full transition to electric vehicles the most practical and sustainable path to net zero?

What is the impact of social media on the legal sector?

Whether you’ve played at a competitive level or just for fun, getting involved in sports can be used to demonstrate several skills and mindsets that law firm recruiters want to see in interviews or applications.

The pupillage application process continues as hundreds of aspiring barristers prepare for interviews this month – online and in person. Read this key advice on how to prepare for the final stage of pupillage selection.

Here's our suggested timetable for recruitment to the Bar.

I’ve noticed that some law firms are recruiting graduate solicitor apprentices instead of trainee solicitors – what’s the difference and how do I know which type of training to apply to?

Coronavirus: What should employers be thinking about when considering home working for their employees? What might covid-19 mean for the future of home working?

For those of us who want to work in a law firm, understanding the law is only half the battle. To truly excel at what you do, you need to understand the commercial world and business side of law firms.

Will the government review into the discount rate for personal injury claims bring fairer compensation for claimants?

Commercial awareness is understanding that being a lawyer involves much more than just knowing the law – you have to know your clients’ businesses and the sectors they operate in to be able to help them achieve their commercial aims.

Summer is the time when most firms invite training contract applications. Here is LawCareers.Net’s guide to the process, from preparing your applications to the final interview.

What do rising insolvencies mean for the construction industry and the lawyers it instructs?

As first-year scheme applications draw to a close, I thought that this would be a good time to blog about my experience applying to first-year schemes and open days at various law firms.

Does artificial intelligence pose an existential threat to the upper echelons of the legal profession?

In this Meet the Lawyer, Edward Mort provides fantastic insights into life at Kirkland & Ellis International LLP, from the qualification process to his day-to-day work in M&A and private equity. 

I want to become a human rights barrister but I keep hearing that only Oxbridge students get pupillages. Is this true?

How do law firms price their work?