With the World Health Organisation declaring the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and coronavirus updates still at the forefront of everyone’s minds – among other news – this week’s commercial round-up looks at the impact that the virus is having on the business and legal world.

Do businesses really steer away from employing women of child-bearing age?

Why are British Airways pilots striking? What is Netflix doing to counteract the fall in subscribers? How much money has the government put aside for a no-deal Brexit scenario? Find out in our weekly summary of the most interesting and relevant commercial news stories of the week.

The University of Law has revealed a portfolio of Solicitors Qualifying Exam preparation courses, with details on course fees due to be announced within the next month.

Starting your first legal role can be quite daunting. Well, don’t fear! I’m here to ease those thoughts and to help you understand the role of a legal assistant or paralegal.

The Legal Services Board reaffirmed its commitment to build a more inclusive workplace for lawyers alongside eight legal services regulators and two disciplinary tribunals.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) should introduce “fitness to practice rules” covering mental health, following a High Court judgment that toxic working environments, stress and depression are not enough to stop solicitors being struck off when they have acted dishonestly, regulatory experts have said.

I recently attended a Neurodiversity celebration event at Addleshaw Goddard to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week which ran from 13 to 19 March 2023. It was a fantastic opportunity for those in the legal sector who identify as neurodivergent, and for allies to come together as a community. 

A report by YouGov SixthSense has revealed that students studying in the United Kingdom had a collective debt of almost £20 billion in 2012-13, and are also spending more than their collective incomes.

Harrow Law Centre, set up in 2010, has taken an unusual step and bid for a criminal legal aid contract and, as such, will now be able to offer greater support to its vulnerable clients.

UK law firm TLT LLP has created a bespoke and innovative Solicitors Qualification Programme (SQE) in collaboration with BPP University Law School. 

I, like many of you reading this, have just finished exam season. The relief is palpable! But once the post-exam elation becomes slightly less new and shiny, it's easy to feel a bit empty. After all, you’ve worked extremely hard for a sustained period and for the first time in a while you have more choice about how you spend your time.

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) has enrolled nine scholarship winners onto the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) – a new approach to on-the-job training which CILEX launched in 2021. 

The University of Law recently announced the winners of its ‘Real World Questions Essay Competition’ who were awarded prizes including £1,000 cash, a week’s work experience with either Clyde & Co or Co-op and a two-hour session with The University of Law’s director of employability.

Some 55% of all barristers’ chambers will go under within six months and 81% will not survive 12 months without financial aid, if current pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic continue, a recent survey by the Bar Council indicates.

Lawyers in England and Wales are poised to withdraw from criminal legal aid work in a pay dispute, which could severely impact the justice system. The Law Society plans to advise members to "withdraw or scale back" their legal aid services unless the government takes “meaningful action”.

A report on the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) solicitors by The Law Society identified that BAME solicitors earn 25% less on average than their white counterparts.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly popular topic in the legal industry and many firms are beginning to explore its potential applications.