Are you up to date with this week’s commercial news? Major record labels take legal action against AI music, Shein is in the process of listing on the London Stock Exchange, gas and electricity prices are expected to fall this summer and air freight causes surge in greenhouse gas emissions. Read this week’s commercial news round-up to find out more.

It’s been a difficult few weeks watching the surge of violence engulf Afghanistan and take many lives, including judges and lawyers. As an aspiring lawyer, part of your job is to be able to watch or read a piece of news that causes distress and analyse the following key factors.

Tomorrow marks International Women’s Day – a day to celebrate and pay homage to the women in your life and give focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. With this in mind, we’ve collected some recent important stories and looked at how they impact women.

Junior barristers are set to benefit from a new online toolkit which has been specifically for them by the Bar Council’s Young Barristers’ Committee. 

Trainees at Lewis Silkin recently organised a sponsored 30-hour, non-stop "spinathon", which took place in the firm's reception on 22 and 23 November.

How far are communications between clients and in-house lawyers confidential?

A law career can take you into a variety of sectors. Four years ago, I moved into the complex, everchanging world of defence technology and the transition to this world of futuristic concepts has been an eye opener. The defence industry is about so much more than bullets and guns.

Section 137(1) of the Highways Act 1980 codifies the offence of wilfully obstructing a highway without lawful reason or excuse. Given the popularity of roadblocking as a form of peaceful protest, this provision has repeatedly been used as a catch-all clause with which many arrested protestors can be charged.

The World Cup may well be taking a lot of your time and energy at the moment – and fair enough – but spare a thought for concerned pub and bar owners worried that the shortage of CO2 in Europe could mean a lack of beer and food during what is a very lucrative trading period. The horror. For other commercial news of interest, read on.

Working in-house involves representing a single client whereas private practice lawyers are outsourced, advising multiple clients. As the number of in-house lawyers has been rising in the past few years, this blog will outline what the role involves, helping you decide whether this route is particularly appealing to you.

Has the pandemic irrevocably changed the nature of work and the employment relationship in the UK?

Working from the comfort of your home, while may seem like a blessing in one of the most challenging years of our time, can very easily become a curse. The reality is, there is a fine line between ‘working from home’ and ‘living at work’. In my experience, I’ve found it extremely easy for work to consume my home life. It seems that the legal profession is embracing this change and that a return to office life as we know it is unlikely for the near and distant future. Therefore, it’s important that we all find a way to make working from home work for us. 

When the pandemic hit back in 2020, and most of the country started working from home, people rejoiced at being able to work remotely – including me!

A fantastic academic record isn’t enough to satisfy recruiters in the legal profession. They also want to know that you can represent the firm to clients and work well with colleagues. Equally, recruiters want to see that you’ve made an informed decision about becoming a solicitor or barrister.

As summer draws to an end, that ‘back to school’ feeling is certainly lingering. Why not top up your commercial awareness before returning to university next month? This week’s commercial news round-up covers a variety of business news stories you should know about.

Half of working mothers in the legal profession are taking on more childcare responsibilities than their partners during the UK’s lockdown, a survey conducted by the team behind the First 100 Years Project reports.

The private property team have a high profile in both the landed estates and the London residential property market and we have a fantastic opportunity for a CILEX Student to join the team.

Freya MacCormack, a disputes associate at Winston & Strawn London LLP, talks about the high level of responsibility available at the firm (including advocacy), the criteria she used to choose firms and the type of work she’s involved with day to day. 

The winners of the 2023 National Accident Helpline’s Future Legal Mind competition have been revealed, with Emily Eastburn-Pentreath taking the title for the postgraduate category and Stephanie Anais becoming the latest undergraduate winner.