Pinsent Masons has been named the UK’s most inclusive employer by LGBT-rights charity Stonewall, while Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) and Baker McKenzie are the other law firms to rank in the top 10 in Stonewall’s top 100 employers index for 2019.

The social mobility scheme Pathways to Law is being widened to GCSE students, the Sutton Trust has announced. 

Statistics in a recently published annual report show that The College of Law’s Pathways to Law scheme has actively helped young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain places at leading universities.

A recent study has revealed that 37% of legal professionals worked on their days off last year, a figure predicted to rise to 50% in 2023.  

Just 90 out of over 13,000 partners at law firms within England and Wales are Black, according to a report by diversity consultancy extense.

What do you know about entering the legal profession via an apprenticeship? While the concept of an apprenticeship isn’t new, there are a few misconceptions and some confusion that surround them. So, this article aims to demystify the apprenticeship route to qualifying as a solicitor.

The role of general counsel (GC) has become an increasingly popular appointment at top law firms, mirroring its rise among commercial companies. GCs are in-house lawyers at large companies tasked with overseeing legal issues and advice across their organisations.

The popularity of podcasts has soared in recent years, with 12.3 million people listening to podcasts each week in the UK, according to the BBC. Here are the 15 podcasts we think all aspiring lawyers should listen to.

City practices Linklaters and Addleshaw Goddard have revealed their Spring newly qualified retention rates.

As reported in Legal Week, Norton Rose has joined forces with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity in order to encourage more black and ethnic minority individuals to sign up for its summer vacation scheme.

International firm Norton Rose Fulbright will introduce a new hybrid working policy, allowing staff to work remotely for up to 50% of the time once the pandemic has passed. Linklaters and Taylor Wessing have also introduced agile working strategies. 

For aspiring lawyers, building a robust professional network isn’t just beneficial – it's essential.

Legal Week reports that both Linklaters and Allen & Overy have announced a freeze on associate pay bands for the 2011-12 financial year.

Two more leading law firms have announced partnerships with Vantage, the online portal that matches diverse candidates with opportunities at top legal employers.

For many years mental health and the legal profession have been at loggerheads. Long hours, high-intensity workloads and covid-19 are among a seemingly endless list of factors that continue to contribute to the profession’s mental health crisis. And what about those vying to get through the door? The competition is, as ever, fierce and expectations high.

Global law firm Mayer Brown International LLP has revealed plans to split its Hong Kong and Chinese operations from the rest of its international network, making it the latest firm to consider its presence in China amid tensions with the US and weakness in the Chinese market. 

Visualisation software StructureFlow, a tech start-up created by previous magic circle lawyer Tim Follet, has received a £3 million investment boost.

The newly qualified (NQ) solicitor ‘pay war’ continues as Linklaters LLP and Allen & Overy LLP each increase NQ lawyer salaries to £125,000 to match magic circle counterparts Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is set to recruit its first solicitor apprentices in September 2025, joining Linklaters LLP and Allen & Overy LLP as the third magic circle law firm to embrace this alternative route.