Solicitors should refuse clients’ instructions if they are discriminatory, the Law Society has said after an Afghan-born woman barrister was asked to return her instructions because the client wanted “a white male barrister”.

The Legal Advice Centre at Nottingham Law School, dubbed a ‘teaching law firm’, has recovered over £3 million in benefits and compensation for its clients in five years.

On the 24 February, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 was enacted, marking a significant moment in the UK’s journey in tackling water pollution and holding water companies accountable.

The August bank holiday period saw delays and cancellations of international flights, leaving around a quarter of a million holidaymakers stranded abroad. So, if this happens, what might your employer do?

Picture a bustling London pub in 1915. What you might not consider is that buying your friend a drink could land you in trouble with a constable. During World War one (WWI), the British government introduced the Defence of the Realm Act 1914 (DORA). This emergency legislation and its various amendments created a series of regulations, providing broad powers to bolster Britain’s national security.

Two major international law firms have announced new rounds of promotions in their Irish offices. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has predicted that the UK will sit among the worst performing economies of the rich world in 2023, second only to Russia.

The cost of studying for the qualifications to become a solicitor or barrister is obviously of paramount importance to the vast majority of people pursuing a career in law. Here is our guide to the loans and scholarships available for law degrees, as well as the GDL, LPC and the new Bar courses.

The government is to continue with its plans to increase court fees for immigration and asylum cases by up to 500%, despite near-unanimous opposition from lawyers, law centres, unions and community groups.

The Bar Council is again running its annual Pupillage Fair in London. The fair is on Saturday 21 October, 10.00am-4.00pm, at The University of Law, Moorgate and is free for students to attend. 

The all-time high in the current backlog of crown court cases is likely to have a disproportionate impact on children and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds, the House of Lords constitution committee has found.

The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) 2025 diversity of the judiciary report revealed that progress on improving diversity has been mixed. While findings showed that the number of judges from ethnic minority backgrounds gradually increased from 2015, the proportion of Black judges showed no improvement.

Now in its fourth year, the Legal Social Mobility Programme (LSMP) has increased its reach to 300 students from non-privileged backgrounds across seven towns and cities, broadening their access to the legal profession and developing their career aspirations.

The Next 100 Years project has launched a new film series, supported by full-service law firm Irwin Mitchell LLP.

How can the Gender Recognition Act 2004 be updated to better protect and enable transgender equality?

Where did legalese come from? Part of the answer to why lies in history. Legal English has been shaped by Latin, French and Old English influences over centuries – a scholastic and linguistic legacy that lingers in our modern drafting.

Hogan Lovells has announced plans to merge with US law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, in what the firms describe as the “largest law firm combination in history”.