It feels like we’ve been saying it a lot recently, but it really has been an unprecedented week in British history, with stories such as the fall of Thomas Cook (see below for more) almost immediately overshadowed by the Supreme Court’s ruling that Boris Johnson’s recent prorogation of Parliament is unlawful.

Law on the high street has changed following the Legal Services Act 2007. 

Half of working mothers in the legal profession are taking on more childcare responsibilities than their partners during the UK’s lockdown, a survey conducted by the team behind the First 100 Years Project reports.

The government has defeated an opposition attempt to reverse reforms to the way that criminal defence barristers are paid for legal aid work, with barristers vowing to step up their strike action in response.

UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson LLP has announced a new pro bono strategy, in partnership with LawWorks, as part of the firm’s “active commitment to pro bono work”. 

Students and law schools have been honoured for their exceptional contributions to pro bono at the 10^th LawWorks & Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards.

We’ll keep it short this week as many of you are completing vacation scheme or pupillage applications. Commercial awareness is a key attribute that you must demonstrate in your applications as recruiters want to see that you have a knowledge of what is going on in the business industry, and how key issues might affect the law and the businesses that operate within it.

The search to find this year’s Future Legal Mind has gained momentum as the deadline for aspiring lawyers across the UK to put themselves forward for the award draws closer.

Social mobility advocates, a new group of barristers from across England and Wales, have joined the Bar Council’s award-winning social mobility campaign – #IAmTheBar.

Today is International Women’s Day, undoubtedly a time to celebrate the achievements and fortitude of women everywhere. However, it is also a time to reflect on women’s place in the world of business and law – for example, the number of female CEOs is still woefully low and female partners in law firms remain underrepresented. And dare we mention gender pay parity – not yet a reality, despite legislation requiring it. Gender politics aside, read on for this collection of interesting business news from the past week.

The number of freelance solicitors has doubled over the past three years, from around 300 in 2021 to 650 at the beginning of 2024, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). However, freelance solicitors still make up less than 1% of practising solicitors.

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.

The Next 100 Years project has launched a new film series, supported by full-service law firm Irwin Mitchell LLP.

MPs have called for employment tribunal fees to be “substantially” reduced after it was found that such fees have badly reduced the public’s access to justice since they were introduced. 

Nominations are now open for the LawWorks and Attorney General’s Student Pro Bono Awards, which celebrate the significant contribution of law students and law schools to vital pro bono legal advice.

The winners of the 2023 National Accident Helpline’s Future Legal Mind competition have been revealed, with Emily Eastburn-Pentreath taking the title for the postgraduate category and Stephanie Anais becoming the latest undergraduate winner. 

The government plans to build 14 new Nightingale courts to tackle outstanding court cases caused by the pandemic, according to a statement from Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland.