Leading regulatory law firm Capsticks Solicitors LLP has been appointed by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to provide external legal support and advice to the Board’s regulation of barristers in England and Wales.

Three legal apprentices have just started at the BBC, joining its in-house legal team on a two-year advanced apprenticeship course that will lead to a Level 3 CILEx Certificate in Law and Practice.

The annual LawWorks & Attorney General Student Awards were held recently, in the elegant surrounds of the House of Commons, to recognise the outstanding pro bono achievements of students and law school staff throughout the United Kingdom.

Irwin Mitchell has again demonstrated its ambition to become an Alternative Business Structure, moving its application forward with the appointment of former PricewaterhouseCoopers vice-chairman Glyn Barker.

Chartered legal executives will be able to set up their own firms in 2015 after legislation passed successfully through the House of Lords.

With just one week to go until the general election, the majority of headlines are understandably focused on all things political.

With news this week that Article 50 will be triggered on 29 March, the reality of what a departure from the European Union will mean for the economy is likely to start firming up. 

The Solicitors Regulation Authority should tighten its rules on non-disclosure agreements, MPs have been told.

The SRA has backed a new training scheme which could slash the number of graduates recruited by City law firms.

Steve Lewis, an undergraduate law student at Birkbeck University, has won the inaugural Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship, which aims to address the under-representation of black men from low-income households in large commercial law firms.

The Law Society has told the House of Commons Justice Select Committee that the Ministry of Justice's proposed fee cuts for criminal legal aid pose "significant risks" to the criminal justice system.

As the Investigatory Powers Bill (otherwise known as the snoopers’ charter) continues to be debated in parliament, amendments have been proposed in the House of Lords to ensure that legal professional privilege, which is fundamental to any decent justice system, is protected.

The Bar Council has launched a central London childcare facility, in recognition of the fact that "many barristers in the current climate with caring responsibilities are feeling under growing pressure".

As national elections of all varieties continue to dominate headlines, there is still space for those all-important economic stories. In fact, more often than not, the political and business worlds are inextricably linked. For a variety of both, read on.

Another week, another opportunity to learn more about the commercial world and its impact on us all – including lawyers! Enjoy our digest of stories from the past week.

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is poised to merge with the US law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, establishing a new transatlantic powerhouse that’ll employ 2,700 lawyers and generate more than £1.5 billion in revenue.

The aftershocks of Carillion’s collapse are still being felt a month on, not least by its former employees. Magic circle firm Clifford Chance has taken on Carillion’s in-house legal team, saving the jobs of around 60 specialist paralegals. 

With the biggest vac scheme deadline of the year looming (31 January), now’s the time to get your head back in the game, commercial-awareness-wise. You may find yourself being quizzed on your knowledge of economic affairs in vac scheme interviews, so it pays to be prepared. Here’s a selection from the past week to get you started.

Ministers are expected to introduce new legislation to the House of Commons after the summer recess, with the aim of reducing the use of short prison sentences and toughening community punishment.