In 2020, the British economy suffered its worst annual downturn in 300 years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Today we are pleased to bring you details of the firms and individuals who are nominated for the 11th annual LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards.

The sharp rise of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) sector has created a demand from investors and scrutiny from regulators, especially in the environmental sector. The abbreviation ESG has become ubiquitous recently, therefore it is paramount for aspiring lawyers to follow the rise of the ESG sector.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP published its 2021 pay gap report last week, revealing another positive year in the firm’s efforts to reduce its gender pay gap. 

Walker Morris, a distinctive and independent top 100 UK law firm, has introduced a new sabbatical scheme for lawyers.

DAC Beachcroft LLP, Hill Dickinson LLP, Mishcon de Reya LLP and Pinsent Masons LLP have each been named as one of the UK’s top 10 family-friendly employers. 

Magic circle law firms are taking different approaches to their trainees’ Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) exam results, following the recent round of results released for those who took the SQE1 assessment in January.

Law firms transitioned to remote working just over a year ago as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, with government guidance confirming that the work from home ‘where you can’ policy will remain in place until 21 June at the earliest.

What is corporate law and how have things changed over the last year?

Many firms offer to pay their future trainees’ GDL and LPC fees, if they have been recruited while an undergraduate. 

These are mainly located in the City of London. 

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. 

Clifford Chance has secured the top spot in Stonewall’s annual top 100 employers list, which celebrates exceptional employers that champion LGBTQ+ equality across the UK.  

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.

Solicitors’ firms across the legal profession are making use of the government’s employee furlough scheme as they look to mitigate the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

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.  

A recent survey of working hours reveals that trainees and junior lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis LLP work on average for more than 14-hours a day. This is the third year in a row the firm has sat at the top of the table for working hours.

The Social Mobility Foundation revealed its top 75 UK employers for social mobility earlier in the week, with law firms making up 30% of the listed employers.

The gender pay gap for partners and employees at Freshfields has reduced to 57.2% according to figures published at the end of March 2020.