A national fund designed to boost social mobility within the legal profession, address the recruitment and retention crisis, and ultimately improve access to justice has been launched. 

As Bitcoin hit an all-time high of just more than $50,000 this February, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology inches ever closer to mainstream adoption. Like other industries, technology has been affected in countless ways by the pandemic. Although, unlike many, this hasn’t been negative. Despite global market uncertainty, the pandemic has presented a unique opportunity for an agile tech sector to pick up the pieces and fill market gaps. 

Transport is multifaceted and covers areas of the economy such as aviation, logistics, rail, shipping and infrastructure. As energy (eg, electricity and fuel) directly impacts how transport can be used, these two sectors are greatly intertwined. Transport is also heavily regulated, with the concerns of clients typically relating to regulatory change, increasing insurance risk and liabilities, and a need for innovation and new routes to finance.

Nine law firms feature in The Times’ top 50 employers for women 2015.

The Black Solicitors Network has identified Shoosmiths as the country's most diverse law firm in its 2011 Diversity League Table.

Leading law firm Shoosmiths has imposed a £200 levy for lawyers who choose to travel by plane for work.  

I’m in the final year of my law degree – should I do the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course after I graduate, or the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam?

Law firms make up almost a third of the organisations which feature in what is believed to be the first ever social mobility index, which was unveiled by the government today (21 June). 

Magic circle firm Slaughter and May has revealed that its trainees will be permitted to work from home one day a week, meaning 80% of their time will be spent in the office and 20% will be remote working.

Welcome to the next topic in this series, where I attempt to make commercial awareness content for non-law students like myself.

The Social Mobility Foundation has opened applications for its 2014 programmes, including law, which provide young people from less privileged backgrounds with free mentoring, skills development, internships and support with university applications.

I didn’t go to a selective school, but have good A levels and my ambition is to be a City lawyer – what does this mean for my chances? What are law firms doing to improve the representation of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds?

The Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund, which is backed by 18 major law firms, has secured funding for its first cohort of social welfare legal workers to begin their journey to qualifying as solicitors via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed that apprentices are achieving top performance levels across the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), averaging scores that are 8% higher than other candidates on SQE1 and SQE2.  

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) was introduced in September 2021. Here's everything we know about the new exams, from the syllabus to the format of the exams themselves, to the cost for candidates, to what law firms, universities and law schools are doing.

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) was introduced in September 2021. Here's everything we know about the new exams, from the syllabus to the format of the exams themselves, to the cost for candidates, to what law firms, universities and law schools are doing.

BARBRI has announced the innovative funding initiative, BARBRI Bridges, to support and enhance diversity inclusion and wider access to the legal sector.

I’m beginning to understand the mechanics of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). In Autumn 2021 the Solicitors Regulation Authority will introduce a two-part assessment, including a multiple-choice element designed to test legal knowledge (SQE1) and a series of written and oral exams designed to test legal skills (SQE2). Eventually, all new solicitors will have to pass both stages and undertake two years of relevant work experience before they can qualify.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s latest report shows a drop in overall pass rate for the first part of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), SQE1, from 53% in the November 2021 sitting to 51% in the January 2023 sitting.