The Bar Standards Board has agreed the ways in which the Inns of Court will continue to perform their role in the training and qualification of barristers in England and Wales. Detailed in a policy statement published on 23 March, the regulator has confirmed that the Inns will continue to play a pivotal role in the process.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has continued to push its innovation agenda by stating that it wants to reduce the time that it takes for firms to implement new ideas for legal services.

Most in-house lawyers are reluctant to make a full-time return to the office, with many preferring to work from home, according to a survey reported by the Law Gazette.

Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance has introduced a "CV blind policy" in the final recruitment stage of its trainee selection process.

Leading medical negligence firm Fletchers Solicitors is accepting applications for its 2018 trailblazer solicitor apprenticeship scheme.

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

The number of solicitors leaving larger law firms to join smaller players has increased in the past three years, according to research by LexisNexis.

The law centre helping victims of the Grenfell Tower fire has had its funding slashed so severely that it is relying on public donations, charitable grants and lawyers choosing to work for free, it has been revealed. 

Knights Solicitors LLP has published its half year data, which shows both organic growth and an increase in revenue following several acquisitions over the past year and an expanded focus on cash collection.

BPP University Law School’s first ever Advocate of the Year contest has been won by a law student from the University of Bristol. 

Discouragement from senior colleagues is worsening an “unprecedented recruitment crisis” as high numbers of junior barristers continue to leave criminal practice, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association has said.

The Legal Advice Centre at Nottingham Law School, dubbed a ‘teaching law firm’, has recovered over £3 million in benefits and compensation for its clients in five years.

New measures to improve the quality of advocacy in youth courts have been announced by the Bar Standards Board.

Reed Smith and Queen Mary, University of London have launched a ‘law degree and apprenticeship’ qualification, which combines a LLB with a year-long placement at Reed Smith.

Irwin Mitchell's most recent intake of trainees has been drawn into two of the firm's social responsibility initiatives as part of their induction.

News-wise, there is a lot to absorb this week, including some big financial losses being reported, as well as bad news for both the “flash crash” trader and the Co-op’s Fairtrade suppliers.

The Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme is now accepting applications for its 2018 round of scholarships until Sunday 8 April.

An innovative partnership between leading law firms, barristers’ chambers and the University of Manchester is developing the field of lawtech with plans to introduce a new, specialist qualification that sets the skills standard for lawyers working with legal technology.

The City Consortium, which includes Freshfields and Linklaters, will provide ‘top-up courses’ for future trainees taking the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) to ensure candidates are prepared to commence training contracts within a City practice.  

Thomas Egger is set to continue its legal apprenticeship programme with a new hire after its first apprentice successfully progressed to the role of trainee legal executive.