New year, new you

A good way to start will be to make sure you know what big cases are happening in 2013, so take a look at The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases for 2013.

We also have a survival guide for assessment days, a focus on insolvency, a blog post from Baker & McKenzie trainee Andrew Stuart on his secondment in Palo Alto, and a question from a reader stressed out by their upcoming LNAT.

In News, Nabarro has become the first law firm to announce its spring 2013 newly qualified retention rate, Inner Temple is funding research into its social mobility and diversity schemes, while the first ever five-year qualifying law degree has been put on hold by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as it awaits the outcome of the Legal Education and Training Review report into legal education, due next week.

P.S Lawyer 2B’s second webcast, powered by the College of Law, will be taking place on 16 January. Editor Christian Metcalfe will be chairing the panel on demystifying commercial awareness and you can send your questions in to be answered. All you need to do is register beforehand.

Running the Pupillage Gauntlet

If you applied for pupillages last year but were unsuccessful, you would be forgiven for feeling dejected. But with the pupillage portal opening soon, now is the time to make the changes you need to improve your prospects. Henderson Chambers’ Rachel Tandy looks at how to get back on the horse.

The Top 20 Cases 2013

This promises to be a bumper season in the courts, so here’s The Lawyer’s selection of the bust-ups to watch.

Survival Guide - Assessment days

Assessment days at your prospective firm can be a daunting experience but the opportunity to turn the eye of judgement around is there to use to your advantage.

Blog

Silicon plated opportunity - From San Francisco down to San Jose, the west coast of the Bay Area is packed with everything from small but highly innovative start ups to the tech giants that have changed the world in the last decade - Andrew Stuart, a fourth seat trainee at Baker & McKenzie, went there on secondment.

Practice Area focus - Insolvency

Insolvency work is hugely varied and includes placing companies and individuals into insolvency; buying and selling assets of insolvents; and advising on the security and reorganisation of businesses in financial difficulties.

Ask Lawyer2B - Last minute LNAT test tips

I will be taking the LNAT in the next couple of days and I am worried that I haven’t prepared enough - any last minute tips? I have practised writing argumentative essays and I am going to do the practice tests on the LNAT website. (1 response) http://l2b.thelawyer.com/last-minute-lnat-test-tips/1016321.article