Commerciality is an important part of being a successful lawyer, but law firms won’t expect you to be a fully formed, business guru when you arrive as trainee – they appreciate it takes years to develop. However, what they will expect is that you have started to gain some understanding of what is required to advise your clients in a business-appropriate way. The best place to start is by keeping up with big business news stories of the day; examples to follow.

As the Tory leadership contest sees the four candidates whittled down to the final two today, and tensions between the US and Iran escalate, there really is never a dull moment on Planet Earth. Draw your focus for five minutes to the business world and you’ll see that there are many places that politics, economics and the law intersect.

From the breaking news regarding the latest ruling over the government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to the latest updates on strikes in the NHS, this week we take you through the biggest commercial developments in the UK, with the aim of increasing your commercial awareness.

Are you up to date on this week’s commercial news? The government has announced a new budget, which sees a number of changes to taxes, pay and pensions, and increased spending for the NHS. Meanwhile, Alphabet has put investor worries about its AI development to rest, reporting increased profit for its cloud business. Plus, Shell is facing backlash after reducing its spending on green energy. Read on to discover more!

Our round-up of the first commercial developments in 2017 picks up very much where 2016 left off. The maverick methods of President-elect Donald Trump are having a marked impact on the thinking of major businesses, while tensions between China and other economies continue to increase. There is also a mixture of encouraging and not-so-rosy omens for the UK economy to pick through. 

Things have come to a pretty pass when you look to commercial news for some light relief from the terrifying political news that keeps bursting onto our screens with ever-more alarming headlines. However, as that is the situation in which we find ourselves, soothe your anxiety with this selection of relatively-stress-free business stories.

We hope that you are spending a good chunk of your time today (i) voting, and (ii) following the rolling news coverage, but do take a moment to cast an eye over these commercially interesting stories as well.

Are you up to date with the commercial news? The US government is taking Google to trial, accusing the company of operating a monopoly in the market, and the UK government has introduced a new Renters’ Rights Bill. Meanwhile, John Lewis states that plans to boost business have been successful and a report into the NHS has highlighted the need for reform. Read on to find out more!

Another week, another bumper crop of commercial news to consider. If your ultimate plan is to succeed as a legal professional, an interest in the business world – and the world generally – is a must. As everyone digests the news that the Bank of England is again leaving interest rates where they are (with the Guardian reporting that some analysts have called Mark Carney an “unreliable boyfriend” due to his habit of changing his mind), here is a selection of other stories for your edification.

All solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers desire a specific set of skills from their trainees and pupils. This guide explains how to self-assess your skill set, demonstrate these key skills on application forms and focus on areas you need to improve.

The combination of Brexit and the pandemic might make keeping up with the news more hectic than normal. Read on for round-ups of several interesting stories from the past week.

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.

It’s certainly been a busy week of scandals, hefty fines, hacks and Christmas stockpiling!

Without further ado, let’s tuck into this week’s headline-grabbing commercial news stories.

Sun’s out, shades out! The LCN team enjoyed a lovely stroll down Blackfriars Bridge this afternoon – modelling our trendy sunnies, baking in the warmth and feeling like we were in Spain – (let us dream!).

Ramp up your efforts towards achieving commercial amazingness by keeping up with current affairs and casting your eye over these interesting business news stories from the last few days.

While aspiring lawyers are not expected to know absolutely everything about the law, one key skill that law firms are seeking in their future trainees is commercial awareness; which is why we have collated some of the week’s most important updates all in one place. It is vital that you have a solid grasp on how the business and legal worlds are currently faring in the current climate and can apply this knowledge in your training contract applications and interviews.

Is it a trick or a treat? If you thought that the UK would be leaving the EU today, you have been mistaken once again, and instead the country faces another Brexit extension, another general election and another festive time of year likely to be ruined by the political chaos of 2019. Don’t be scared! Our collection of creepy commercial and bloody business news stories is sure to cheer you up this Hallows’ Eve.

All solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers desire a specific set of skills from their trainees and pupils. This guide explains how to self-assess your skill set, demonstrate these key skills on application forms and focus on areas you need to improve.

Just an idea, but we would gently suggest that you intersperse the late-morning starts and excessive consumption that characterises the Easter weekend with looking at some of the past week’s most interesting commercial news stories.

Last week’s NationalLawLIVE conference confirmed once again that the ability to deliver commercial legal advice to clients is essential – we heard from a panel of partners about its centrality to their practices, from recruiters about how to demonstrate it, and a myriad of workshop topics that delved into its role in today’s law firms. We expect that this message will be affirmed once again at CityLawLIVE tomorrow. As a way to start developing your commerciality, read on for this week’s selection of top business news.