Radical changes to firms’ approach to flexible working, improvements to parental leave and new mentoring and sponsorship programmes should be made top priorities to improve gender equality in the legal profession, according to women on the frontline.

When the weather closes in, and all you want to do is hunker down, what better way to spend those long, dark winter days and nights than boning up on your commercial awareness?

The King’s Counsel Appointments (KCA) have announced the names of 96 new silks – King’s Counsel (KCs). Despite the nine solicitors who applied this year, all successful applicants were barristers, reflecting the long-standing pattern that the KC cohort is overwhelmingly drawn from the Bar. Since solicitors first became eligible for KC status in 1995, only 66 have been appointed out of 231 applicants.

With one day to go until GDPR kicks in, you would be forgiven for never wanting to see that particular 4-letter acronym again. However, for a succinct explanation of why it’s important to understand what it all means – particularly to you, as law students and future legal professionals. For other news of interest, read on.

Stephenson Harwood LLP has launched global fertility and pregnancy loss policies for its employees. All partners and global employees can benefit from the policy which aims to emotionally support people through their parenthood journey.

A recent study by the Bridge Group – a social equality consultancy – found that more than half of partners at City firms went to private schools, while solicitors from lower socio-economic backgrounds take 18 months longer to reach partner.

Shoosmiths has launched a new scheme to increase AI use, encouraging staff to use Microsoft Copilot AI to unlock a £1 million bonus pot.

On Saturday 16 November Gray’s Inn played host to the Chancery Bar Association annual careers fair for students interested in pursuing a career at the Bar.

How have recent developments, such as in Merricks, changed the future landscape of opt-out collective proceedings?

Is continuing financial support for 'zombie' companies good or bad for the economy?

Has the tide begun to turn on offshoring?

How does the example of the Sainsbury’s takeover of Argos demonstrate the two different types of UK M&A deal and the importance of lawyers being commercially savvy?

Solicitors have recently reported a rise in legal battles over incapacity as dementia cases rise. Disputes centre around inheritance and “who should actually have control of someone who hasn’t got capacity”. 

Any government decision to impose further increases to civil court fees would result in far more money lost in tax revenues generated by legal work than would be raised by court fees, according to City solicitors and barristers. 

Time to really get to grips with what firms are looking for from their future trainees – we published this feature recently, and among the long list of attributes, commercial awareness is pivotal. It is essential that you take an interest in the world around you and particularly the way in which the law and business sectors intersect. For this week’s selection of topical stories, read on.

CMS has launched a two-year non-law graduate training programme called the Business Development & Marketing Graduate Programme, which will take on four candidates at the firm’s London office.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined eight law firms for breaching transparency rules and one firm for failing to publish diversity data. 

A survey by Bolt Burdon Kemp revealed that 46% of the British public did not understand the legal aid system or how they can get legal support and 51% said there were too many barriers to legal aid funding.