Radical changes to the way lawyers are currently regulated have been proposed in a report, which recommends a single regulator for all legal services, regardless of who provides them. This would include will writers, mediators, law tech providers, and ‘paid’ McKenzie Friends.
There has been concern over the privacy implications of contact-tracing apps, which are designed to alert users to the risk of having been exposed to the coronavirus, based on notification that someone they were recently near to has been diagnosed with it. NHSX is currently developing and testing such an app in the UK. Paul Magrath outlines the main technical options and potential data protection issues.
Moving to remote hearings was the only way to keep the justice system alive in the face of a global pandemic. But without the trappings of a physical court, how do we ensure that such hearings deliver all the essentials of justice according to the law? And how will this experience inform the future of justice?
The risks to legal services posed by the spread of Covid 19 were highlighted last week when international law firm Baker McKenzie closed its London office after a staff member was thought to have been at risk of contracting the new coronavirus. Many office-based lawyers have been able to work from home, but how will an impending pandemic affect the conduct of litigation?
On 11 January 2020, Baron Reed of Allermuir succeeded Baroness Hale of Richmond as the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Under Lady Hale, the Supreme Court seems to have elevated in public profile. What next for the Supreme Court under Lord Reed’s presidency?
The news that the Serious Fraud Office had won the court’s approval for a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) worth nearly €1bn with global aerospace company Airbus SE will give its investigations into bribery and corruption a massive boost. But what is a DPA and is it just a way for companies to “buy themselves out of trouble”? Paul Magrath of ICLR explains.
Some law firms have been using virtual video interviewing for their vacation scheme and training contract applications for years. Now, thanks to the current climate, virtual videos and assessment centres are considered the norm. Many people – including experienced lawyers – feel nervous about being interviewed virtually. The good news is that virtual job interviews […]
Trigger warning: discussion of eating disorder, discussion of suicide attempt. To set the scene, by and large, my experience of applying for pupillage was better than most. And even then, it was pretty soul-destroying. I only applied in one cycle so my (already quite fragile) sense of self-esteem didn’t have to take a repeated battering […]
I often get asked at open evenings and law fairs: how do you maintain a level of self-belief when applying for training contracts? Often guidance is freely available on how to improve your application and prepare for interviews, but how to cope with being rejected by your preferred firm is something that is often not […]
A few weeks ago, I was asked by a paralegal at my firm whether or not they should apply be applying for vacation schemes or if they should go straight to the training contract applications. To be frank, it stumped me, as it’s something I’d not given much thought to since qualifying. It brought to […]
When I first started making training contract applications I concentrated heavily on my ‘diverse’ background. I realise now I was wrong to do so.
How can you demonstrate your commitment to a firm without just repeating what’s on its website? One graduate recruiter shares some tips…
Crowell & Moring is to recruit its first ever trainee solicitor in London. The Lawyer revealed in January 2019 that the US firm was mulling a City training contract after Robert Weekes arrived as its new office managing partner. Crowell is now recruiting for one trainee to begin in January 2021, with energy lawyer Robin Baillie […]
Bird & Bird has held its trainee salaries at the current level, the latest in a long list of firms to keep pay the same amid the coronavirus pandemic. Trainees at the firm earn £44,000 per annum in their second year, having increased from £40,000 in their first year. The decision comes just over a […]
DWF has come under fire for delaying its list of available job opportunities for soon-to-be newly-qualified (NQ) solicitors. Second-year trainees at DWF are understood to have confronted the firm on multiple occasions over the release of its NQ jobs list, claiming a delay in publication meant they are losing out on career opportunities. Earlier this […]
HFW has taken the decision to defer its September trainee intake by over six months. The move affects trainees who were due to start their training contracts at the firm in September 2020. The intake have been told they will not be able to start their training contracts until April 2021. They will receive a […]
Womble Bond Dickinson has deferred the start date of its upcoming trainee intake. The trainees will start in March 2021 as opposed to August 2020. The decision comes after a review that considered whether it was worth reducing spots. In the end, the firm opted to defer the start date out of fairness. In addition, […]
Hogan Lovells has cut salaries for its UK newly-qualified (NQ) associates and frozen pay for its second year trainees. The firm has trimmed its London NQ associate salary by 5.5 per cent to £85,000, while in Birmingham it is down to £46,000. The cuts come as a protective measure sparked by the Covid-19 crisis, which […]
Macfarlanes has increased the number of places available for its training contract. The firm has increased the number from 31 to 33, with applications now open. The decision to increase trainee numbers comes as the firm anticipates needing more qualified staff in the coming years to accommodate growth plans. Despite the disruption of Covid-19, the […]
In our latest 60 second interview Clifford Chance’s Graduate recruitment specialist, Yasmina Kone, talks to The Lawyer about how the firm is devising new and innovative ways to attract candidates.
Linklaters has revealed its plans for vacation schemes this year, and will run three online events each lasting a fortnight, instead of its usual month-long face-to-face ones. To compensate students for the loss of the in-person experience and the extra two weeks’ income, the magic circle firm will pay as if the scheme was three […]
Clifford Chance will run its 2020 summer vacation scheme as a virtual event, in response to the current coronavirus pandemic. The virtual scheme will take place from Wednesday to Friday, 1-3 July and will comprise three days – instead of the traditional two weeks – of virtual learning by using external platform InsideSherpa, which was […]
Suddenly, many of us are finding ourselves adapting our daily routines to the new ‘norm’ – at least for the foreseeable future. For those in the legal education world, this has meant coming to terms with new ways of learning and studying as we are all encouraged to socially distance ourselves to protect others. In […]
The entire process of becoming a lawyer is time sensitive. Students progress through university and law school, taking exams in their due turn. Law firms hunt for new talent and offer jobs two years in advance. Trainees wheel through the rotation of seats and eventually apply for newly-qualified jobs. As the seasons turn so does […]
Powered by Lexis Nexis, and featuring experts from the University of Law and Bird & Bird, this webcast explores the future of the legal profession. It looks at the developments currently taking place in the legal market, what those changes will mean for the future, and how students can develop the skills that will be […]
Is there still a social mobility problem in the UK legal profession? How can applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds get ahead? And what effect will the forthcoming to legal education and training have? Experts voice their opinion in our webcast
In this webcast, our expert panel discusses burning trainee concerns, such as: how to go about choosing your area of law, what support to expect from your law firm developing your business and commerce sense should you take a year out after an LPC? how not to feel intimidated by the unfamiliar work environment The panel […]
Powered by Lexis Nexis, and featuring experts from the University of Law and Herbert Smith Freehills, this webcast will help candidates make themselves employable in the eyes of law firms and barristers’ chambers, and land that first job in law. The content covers how to build a CV that can’t be ignored, personal presentation and […]
Harini Iyengar is a barrister at 11KWB, specialising in employment, discrimination and equality, education, partnership, data protection and procurement law. She is the Women’s Equality Party’s candidate for Vauxhall in the upcoming general election.
Christine Cordon has had a varied and unusual career. The first in her family to go to uni, she didn’t do a training contract but was an associate at Ashurst and has worked in America and in-house at the big banks. Now she’s the top lawyer at the holiday start-up Secret Escapes.
Shami Chakrabarti says she was surprised that the January 13 announcement of her imminent departure from civil rights charity Liberty attracted so much attention. Sandwiched between the deaths of singer David Bowie and actor Alan Rickman, the news made the front page of several national newspapers, notably left-leaning duo The Guardian and The Independent. Chakrabarti, […]
