The search for the most promising legal talent of 2022 is underway as the Future Legal Mind Award 2022 is launched.

Thames Water is warning that it may not survive unless it’s allowed to increase water bills by almost 60% over five years and the British Retail Consortium reports that shop prices in the UK have fallen for the first time in nearly three years. Meanwhile, Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has been charged for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the messaging app, and vape manufacturers in the UK are adapting their products to avoid a legislative crackdown on single-use devices.

The National College of Legal Training has announced that it will not recruit intakes for the GDL or LPC in 2013-14 because of a decrease in applications for the courses.

City firms are expecting an increase in the amount of corporate merger & acquisition work thanks to some recovery in the business economy.

At LawCareersNetLIVE 2019, we asked partners and recruiters from Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths and Trowers & Hamlins for their top tips for aspiring solicitors. 

How will Brexit impact the jurisdiction of the English court?

A new two-part Bar course that will replace the BPTC has been given provisional approval.

How’s the current economic climate impacting banking transactions? 

Apprenticeships are also perfect for people who aren’t keen on more full-time study after finishing their A levels and want to kickstart their careers. 

Short and sweet this week; a handful of interesting business-driven news stories that you should know at least a bit about. Read on for more: 

Magic circle firm Clifford Chance has begun offering training contracts as early as to students who are still 18 years old. 

London-headquartered law firm Osborne Clarke LLP has spun out its AI-driven regulatory monitoring business, Justima, as a standalone company. 

Pursuing a career in law is hard. It’s as simple as that. It can feel like you’re the only person not securing vacation schemes or training contracts as your peers post their new roles at firms all over LinkedIn and Instagram – and you can’t work out where it is that you’re going wrong. It’s an easy mindset to fall into but it’s vital to take a step back, reassess, breathe and go again. We spoke to several aspiring lawyers whose routes into law were either put on hold, made difficult because of their background or disrupted as a result of the pandemic. This feature aims to show you that you’re not the only one having a bumpy ride into the legal world.

Concern among lawyers regarding the rise of fee-earning McKenzie friends, notably among members of the Bar, has heightened following the dramatic ban of a McKenzie friend from the courtroom.

Students from Notre Dame Sixth Form College developed key analytical and public speaking skills at a recent mock trial run by BPP Law School in Leeds.