Lawyers at Linklaters LLP be offered new flexibilities around when they take their bank holidays under the firm’s new holiday scheme.  

Shoosmiths has announced the winners of its law fair video competition, who have won a place on the firm's summer vacation placement scheme.

The pay war between law firms continues this month, with newly qualified lawyer salaries at Ropes & Gray increasing to £147,000, plus bonuses.

The number of firms taking on legal apprentices continues to increase steadily, with Withers LLP and Hill Dickinson both confirming schemes for school leavers.

A third increase will be applied to the fees associated with the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) assessments from September 2025, taking the costs to £1,934 for SQE1 and £2,974 for SQE2. 

As National Apprenticeship Week 2018 launches, Browne Jacobson – one of the profession’s earliest adopters of legal apprenticeships – has announced plans to add to its stable of apprenticeship programmes. Over 100 new positions will be offered across the firm’s various offices in two new schemes, with a commitment to invest 100% of its apprenticeship levy into the new programmes.

The government recently announced a pay rise for criminal legal aid solicitors, set out in a new publication by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The changes introduced, informed by 214 consultation responses, are expected to come into force on 22 December 2025.

Mega firm A&O Shearman has released guidance for students on the use of AI in training contract and vacation scheme applications.

You’re probably all slaving away over your vacation scheme applications and that is as it should be. However, don’t forget that if you do secure an interview, you will be expected to know something about the business world. Keep abreast of what’s going on with our weekly digest.

As summer takes its last official gasp today, and we look towards autumn and all that brings (new term, law fairs, vacation scheme applications), there is just time to reflect on the business stories of the past week – look no further than this sparkling collection.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is now accepting applications for two upcoming events that are designed to help students learn more about life as a lawyer in a commercial firm, as well as entries to a competition with Olympics tickets as the prize.

Reed Smith has announced its move to a strengths-based assessment of its would-be trainees and vacation scheme students, becoming the first law firm to do so.

The British Inter-University Commercial Awareness Competition (BIUCAC) is running for the third time this year, sponsored by over 20 City law firms.

Criminal barristers are voting on whether to stage a one-day walk-out as their dispute with the Ministry of Justice over fees continues.

While you may be breathing a sigh of relief that the biggest vacation scheme deadline of the year has now passed, there is no time to rest on your laurels when it comes to improving your commercial awareness – if you get invited to interview, you need to have a few aces up your sleeve. The best place to start is by keeping an eye on the big business stories of the day – a task that we are only too happy to help with.

Newly qualified lawyer salaries at firms in the UK and US have skyrocketed in recent weeks as law firms continue to fight to attract and retain future legal talent.

We’ll keep it short this week as many of you are completing vacation scheme or pupillage applications. Commercial awareness is a key attribute that you must demonstrate in your applications as recruiters want to see that you have a knowledge of what is going on in the business industry, and how key issues might affect the law and the businesses that operate within it.