Baker McKenzie has become the latest firm to reinstate newly qualified (NQ) lawyers’ salaries to pre-pandemic levels, after a reduction of 3% last June. Meanwhile, Irwin Mitchell is expecting to open its 15 offices at 50% capacity from 21 June. 

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.

Over 60 law firms have this year’s Guardian UK 300, which lists the best UK employers for people seeking their first graduate jobs. 

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.  

Global disability network The Valuable 500 has reached its target to get 500 global businesses to add disability inclusion to their business leadership agenda, including several law firms.

Two leading City firms have delayed partner promotions due to pandemic pressures.

Ashurst has delayed partner promotions until later this year due to “continuing market uncertainty”. 

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. 

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

Law firms need to introduce quotas to make the representation of women at partner and management level more equal after “years of talking” about diversity have failed to effect real change, the founder of The First 100 Years project has said.

The British Inter-University Commercial Awareness Competition (BIUCAC) is running for the third time this year, sponsored by over 20 City law firms.

Candidates from working class backgrounds are being locked out of the legal profession, says Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility Foundation and a former cabinet minister.

A number of City law firms have collaborated to create a legal operations graduate scheme, which includes a four-week course and workshops. 

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). 

Last year marked a record year for law firm partner moves, with 510 commercial law partners moving between firms – a 6% rise on 2022’s figure. 

Despite reports that the government has postponed gender pay gap reporting for 2019/20 due to the coronavirus outbreak, UK firm Irwin Mitchell shared its recent data which shows that its gender pay gap has shrunk.

DWF has been named one of The Times Top 50 Employers For Women for the second consecutive year.

The LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards has once again recognised the outstanding contributions made by the firms and individuals who give their time and expertise for free to help others who cannot afford to pay for legal services.

City firm HFW has announced a new gender equality strategy, vowing that at least 40% of senior lateral hires over the next three years will go to women, after missing its 2020 gender targets.

Bright Network has released its research paper, "What do the brightest graduates want?", which among other conclusions reveals that law is in the top three sector preferences among its members, with female members placing it at number one.

A group of City law firms have launched an initiative to give opportunities to less-privileged students and shake off their elitist reputation.