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Innovative new networking site
A new student network is being launched
A new student network is being launched this week enabling law students to attend networking events.
BPP launches flexible LLB
This could be a good option?
The BPP Law School launches its LLB and LLB (Business Law) degree programmes later this month, with an emphasis on flexibility in study options.
Deadlines to apply are looming
Ahhhhhhhh! Don’t panic but…
Law firm deadlines by which to get in your applications for training contracts are fast approaching.
Call for students to pay more
As if it isn’t already expensive enough!
A newly published report is calling for an increase in tuitions fees of £5,000 – adding to the burden of law students who already face mounting debts.
LPC student forum
Looking for help with securing a training contract?
LPC students will gather welcome tips on securing a training contract at the Junior Lawyers Division LPC student forum to be held on 10 October. The forum will take place at BPP Law School in Leeds following the success of the first one held earlier this year.
College of Law calls for support for BVC students
The College of Law (Bloomsbury) has launched a campaign for Bar Vocational Course Students to receive more practical support and advice from practising barristers and judges.
Supreme Court now in action
here it comes…
The long-awaited UK Supreme Court has this week heard its first appeal - and the public will be able to watch proceedings broadcast on television.
Student nominations - JLD
Roll up, roll up!
The Junior Lawyers Division is looking for student representatives for its committees. Nominations are now open for one post on its executive committee and three on the national committee.
Annual essay prize
Law students and graduates have the chance to enter the first ever annual essay competition launched by the Proceeds of Crime Lawyers’ Association (POCLA) – and could win a cheque for £1000 and publication in the Proceeds of Crime Review.
BVC students asked to defer
On the plus side it will save money…
Newly enrolled students on the BPP’s Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), formerly the BVC are being urged to defer their places for a year after the Bar Standards Board decided it was oversubscribed. Students deferring have been promised a guaranteed place in 2010 as well as a 15% discount in course fees, equivalent to £2,000.
Aspiring barrister takes the fourth plinth
How badly do you want Pupillage?
A BVC student at the College of Law has stood out from the crowd – literally – after taking up her place on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in London. Melanie Smith, a former Northampton University student who wants to be a criminal barrister, took to the plinth for her allotted hour to ‘get noticed’ and raise awareness of the importance of public speaking. Melanie’s exploit will undoubtedly bolster her CV.
London trainees facing delayed qualification
We’re still not out of the woods yet…
Economic pressures are affecting yet more existing training contracts, this time at London firm Dundas & Wilson where trainees face the prospect of a pay cut and delayed qualification, after staff opted to accept a 10% pay cut in return for 18 extra days holiday.
BVC admission test at Kaplan
Will the tests and exams ever cease?
Aspiring barristers applying to Kaplan Law School face an admissions test for the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), formerly the BVC, in the first of its kind.
Big increases in pupillages awards
Super
Trainee barristers are winners in the latest chambers pay battle with commercial chambers 3VB boosting its pupilages awards for 2011 to £60,000. The award is an increase from £42,500.
Qualifying Law Degree fit for purpose?
The Law Society is seeking the legal profession’s views on the quality of the existing Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) but the deadline of 29th October is looming. The consultation comes after a number of concerns were expressed concerning the quality of incoming trainees and newly qualified solicitors.
Training Contract & Pupillage Handbook 2010
The 2010 Training Contract and Pupillage Handbook will be published later this month. Published in association with the Law Society, it is an important resource for law undergraduates and aspiring solicitors and barristers in their search for suitable training contracts and pupillages.
College of Law praised by DLA Piper
The College of Law has received a “ringing endorsement” of its training of aspiring solicitors by a top City law firm. Sir Nigel Knowles, joint CEO of DLA Piper since 1996, was speaking in a podcast recorded as part of the College’s Inside Track – a series of podcasts with leading members of the legal profession.
Pro Bono in Africa
Two law students have the exciting opportunity to undertake pro bono legal work in South Africa for four weeks. The City Law School, one of London's major law schools, is running an internship to work with a Legal Aid Clinic in partnership with the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town.
Opportunities at Law Society Brussels office
Trainee solicitors have a chance to apply to spend six months in the Brussels office of the Law Society. Recruitment has already started for seats commencing in March and September 2010.
Training opportunities in legal aid at risk
The government is pressing ahead with the latest proposed cuts in legal aid fees which could see even more family legal aid law firms close, and further decrease the number of training contracts available. The rates of legal aid have been squeezed for some years now – and the number of family law firms alone relying on legal aid work has reportedly dropped from 4,500 in 2000 to 2,800 in 2006.
Annual Times essay competition
The new Supreme Court is now the subject for a major legal essay competition. It has been chosen for this year’s annual Times essay competition being held in association with the chambers, One Essex Court.
Law students undaunted by recession
A recent survey carried out in September by the College of Law reveals that the majority of students are undaunted by the economic downturn. The survey was carried out on the CoL’s Graduate Diploma, LPC and BVC courses, with more than 2,000 responses from students.
Blue Chip companies refusing interviews on GCSE results
Blue Chip companies are using the UCAS points system to discriminate between potential employees and refusing them interviews based on GCSE results. Some graduates may have top degree results but are being denied an interview if their GCSE and A-level results are below par.
Trainee and ex-pro footballer on FA disciplinary panel
Ex-pro footballer Colin Murdock, now a trainee solicitor, has been appointed to sit on the Football Association's Disciplinary Panel. Murdock, a trainee at Manchester firm George Davies, played for 17 years for Manchester United, Preston North End, Northern Ireland and Accrington Stanley.
Law Society achievements awards 2009
This year’s Law Society awards for outstanding achievements in the legal profession saw top city firms heading the roster of winners. Simmons & Simmons won the award for Excellence in Equality and Diversity while Allen & Overy was commended for Excellence in Community Investment. Travers Smith won the Legal Sector Alliance Award for Excellence in Environmental Responsibility.
New edition of The Legal Practice Companion
The latest edition of The Legal Practice Companion 2009 – 2010 is now available from Bloomsbury. The title, widely considered to be the leading support title for LPC students, has been called by some LPC students as a ‘brilliant last-minute cheat sheet’, ‘a lifesaver’ and ‘a fantastic reference guide’.
National Pro Bono Week 2009
This year’s National Pro Bono week starts on Monday 9th November with the second Joint National Pro Bono Conference in London and Manchester which will include a workshop on sustaining pro bono in a down-turn economy.
Free webinar on training contracts - JLD
A free, interactive on-line seminar on training contracts has been organised by the Junior Lawyers’ Division (JLD). The live ‘webinar’, “The training contract – what you need to know”, will take place at 1pm on 25th November and will answer your questions about the training contract.
BPP computer hitch delays LLB results
Students at BPP law school bore the brunt of a computer hitch last week and had to wait a little longer than anticipated for their LLB results – allegedly because the computer system could not cope with demand.
High fees discriminates against black lawyers
The Law Society has warned that rising university costs will make it harder for aspiring black lawyers from less prosperous backgrounds to enter the legal profession. The warning came at the close of a Black History Month event at the end of October.
Students facing higher university tuition fees
The UK’s leading universities hope to have the right to substantially raise tuition fees after a review of fees commenced this week. The review’s report is not likely to be published until after the next election but students could see a fourfold increase in fees.
College of Law launches advice lines
The College of Law has launched new employment rights advice lines to be manned by students and employment lawyers. The lines were launched during National Pro Bono Week and will offer free legal advice on employment rights to employees.
Give greater consumer rights to undergraduates, says Mandelson
Undergraduates should be given fuller details about the quality of teaching, time with tutors and the work expected of them, says Business Secretary Lord Mandelson on announcing a 10-year plan.
Call for barristers to stop calling themselves a referral profession
Leading barrister Anthony Spaeight QC has called for the barristers’ profession to stop calling itself a “referral profession” and instead call themselves the “the legal profession’s specialist branch”.
Pro Bono awards
Four young lawyers, including a trainee who is setting up a dedicated pro bono website, have won awards for their services to pro bono work. Norton Rose trainee Bobby Kensah won the accolade of Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) pro bono lawyer of the year and was singled out for the ‘countless hours’ he put into various pro bono initiatives. He says: “If by winning this award I can inspire at least one person or lawyer to get more involved in pro bono work then I will be a very happy man.
It’s your call: the Bar
For those students wanting to join the Bar, the fourth edition of It’s Your Call has been published. The guide is launched by the Bar Council in collaboration with the Inns of Court.
Withers trainees seconded to the accounts department
Trainees at London firm Withers are being seconded to the firm’s accounts department for three months during their training contract. Withers says this trainee ‘seat’ in the finance department is not a new idea. Some years ago trainees spent time within the accounts department to 'learn the ropes' – but the focus of the stint has now shifted.
Legal aid lawyers ‘paid less than sewage workers’
A new report released by the Guardian reveals that some legal aid lawyers are being paid less than sewage workers. The survey shows that solicitors providing legal aid services are among the worst paid in the public sector according to a recent survey, earning around £25,000. The figure is well below the average salary of a prison officer, nurse, police officer or secondary school teacher - while civil servants earn around £70,000.
Barristers and solicitors could join in practice
Barristers will be able to become partners in legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) following a historic meeting of the Bar Standards Board.
Leeds student impersonates barrister
A student from Leeds University has pleaded guilty to impersonating a barrister of the same name. Student Adam Zoubir turned up at Calderdale Magistrates Court in February smartly dressed and claiming to be a London barrister. He talked to solicitors and waited for ‘his’ defendant to be brought up into court from the cells.
BPP and Olswangs exclusive agreement
BPP law school and London law firm Olswang LLP have signed an exclusive agreement to provide LPC training. It will start in September next year and Olswang will send all its future LPC trainees to BPP.
All About Law’s Podcast with Insite Law Magazine
Jack and Paul's interview with Mike Semple Piggot from Insite Law Magazine.
"Today I am talking to Paul and Jack, the founders of All About Law - a law careers oriented site for law students with independent reviews of law schools and much much more..."
Please click on the image below to listen in...
Fast track to a Will-writing career
LPC and law graduates will soon be able to fast track to a will writing career with the creation of a new BTEC qualification.
Untrained solicitor billed by file weight
A solicitor who claimed he had not been properly trained, is to be struck off the Solicitors Roll after charging clients according to the weight of his files.
Beautician awarded BPP scholarship
A legally minded beautician has been offered a £10,000 scholarship by BPP Law School after successfully taking on one of the largest property developers in the country in the High Court.
BPP under pressure
We recently reported that BPP has been on the receiving end of various pieces of bad press, thanks to its oversubscription of BVC places, quickly followed by the SEC investigation in the States over its US parent company, Apollo Group.
Criminal legal aid lawyers making little profit
A recent report into criminal legal aid published by the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed that legal aid lawyers are ready to walk in the face of a crumbling legal aid system, with 28% of firms unlikely to be undertaking legal aid work in five years’ time.
CoL moves to increase access to the legal profession
The College of Law is to team up with Bristol University to expand its Pathways to Law scheme to SW England in an effort to increase access to the legal profession for under privileged students.
Research assistant vacancies at the Law Commission
The Law Commission, the independent body set up by Parliament to review and recommend law reform, is now taking applications for 13 research assistant posts for one year fixed term appointments to start in September next year. Applicants must be interested in improving the law, must enjoy high quality research work and want to contribute to policy making.
Defamation is big business
Defamation is big business in London, according to recent figures. The capital is now officially the libel capital of the world with the number of new defamation actions last year up 11% on the previous year – and the highest for five years.
Student loans debacle continues
As tens of thousands of students face Christmas still waiting for their student loans to materialize, the Student Loans Company has faced fierce criticism for a “conspicuous failure in key areas” in an official review.
Call for evidence by fees and finance panel
The panel charged with reviewing fees and university funding has made its first call for evidence. The Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance is a seven-strong panel which includes two university vice-chancellors.
Law Society warns parents over house deposits gifts
Generous parents who are gifting thousands of pounds to children for house deposits should take legal advice, warns the Law Society. As the end of the stamp duty holiday approaches on 1 January, many students and trainee lawyers are getting onto the housing ladder now before the stamp duty charge becomes effective again.
Student failed for impersonating a barrister
The student convicted of impersonating a barrister has been jailed at Teesside Crown Court for two years. He was also given an Asbo preventing him from claiming he is legal qualified.
Free training in CVs and interviewing
Legal recruitment company, GR Law, is running a free seminar for legal job-seekers, providing training in creating ‘performance style’ CVs, interview coaching and marketing yourself effectively.
Toilet humour at city firm
City firm CMS Cameron McKenna has installed posters in the firm’s toilets – in a drive to improve its lawyers’ client care skills.
January divorces booming
Post-Christmas marriage breakdowns are expected to peak this month thanks to the combination of the usual seasonal pressures and the effects of economic downturn, says the Law Society.
Cut price LPC at UWE
A ‘cut price’, flexible LPC is being launched at the University of the West of England (UWE) in partnership with Central Law Training (CLT). It will coincide with the formation of the National College of Legal Training (NCLT), an associate college of UWE.
Hard times for trainees
An annual survey of 200 trainee solicitors reveals that more than 50% of trainees have accumulated debts exceeding £10,000 before they qualify as solicitors. The law student forum Traineesolicitor.co.uk survey also showed that 35% owed more than £15,000.
Big freeze disrupts exams
As the snow and ice leads to many candidates unable to take GCSE and A-level exams schedules over the next two weeks, many aspiring lawyers are also having their exams delayed.
International Conference on Practising Law
The first ever International Conference on Practising Law is being organised by City Law School (CLS) - and CLS is looking for proposed contributions by 22nd January.
Training contract webinar now available on-line
A few weeks ago, we told our readers about the interactive training contract webinar being held by the Trainee Lawyers Division (JLD). The webinar – “The training contract – what you need to know” – is now available to view on demand.
Good news for ethnic minorities
A new diversity league table has revealed a decrease in the number of trainees from ethnic minorities (EM) in the past year. However, the results, published by the Black Solicitors Network, reveal that the number of EM trainees have increased since 2007 (up 13.58% to 10.65%).
Parents post-graduate guide
A new guide written for the parents of recent graduates has recently been launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. It aims to help parents support their graduate children in the search for post-graduate work and education.
New survey reveals state of post-grad job market
Law firms are among the most generous post-graduate employers with an average graduate salary of £37,400. According to a survey of employers by market researcher, High Fliers, this is a massive increase of 29% from the 2006 average.
Historic day sees trial without jury
For the first time in 400 years, a criminal trial has begun after the lawyers’ legal challenges to prevent it were exhausted.
Official: drastic drop in training contracts
The number of training contracts registered in 2008/09 fell by nearly 8%, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)’s latest statistics on the profession. The Law Society expected a fall and the report explains it is as “consistent with the impact of the recession on private practice firms who provide the bulk of training contracts”.
Client panel: added dimension to vac schemes
A handful of law students fortunate to have secured a vacation scheme this year could face an added challenge. City firm Hammonds is including a client panel interview in its 2010 summer vacation scheme.
Latest CoL/law firm partnerships
The start of 2010 sees yet more large law firms joining forces with legal education providers. Bristol-based Beachcrofts has signed a deal with the College of Law (CoL) to be its sole provider of the GDL and LPC for its trainees from September this year.
Business should stay out of Facebook
Employers should not use social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to snoop on students by accessing their profiles, says three-quarters of students polled by a Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB) graduate survey. They say it is tantamount to an invasion of privacy.
Trainee excluded from murder interview challenges Police Authority
A trainee solicitor is taking legal proceedings after being excluded from a murder inquiry interview which he tried to attend with his principal.
Domestic violence victim wins award
A law student who has faced domestic violence and homelessness, but went onto set up a support referral system for victims of domestic violence, has won the joint accolade of Xcel Student of the Year and Law Student of the Year (says the Lawyer2B).
Law Teacher of the Year 2010 named
Rebecca Huxley-Binns, Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University has been named Law Teacher of the Year 2010.
College of Law opens its doors
The College of Law (CoL) is holding open days from February through to May to enable those interested in a legal career to gain an insight into its training courses and the legal profession.
Universities places at stake with budget cuts
Between 200,000 and 300,000 students could lose out on a place at university this autumn thanks to savage budget cuts announced earlier this week. The quality of teaching is, says the president of Universities UK, at stake.
Herberts rethinks sacking of trainee
A trainee solicitor at city giant Herbert Smith who was dismissed last year after allegedly accessing confidential information and passing it onto fellow trainees, has been rehired by the firm, according to legal website RollOnFriday.
Partner mentoring at Freshfields
City firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed some of its partners as trainee mentors as part of a new initiative. Each trainee intake will now have its own partner mentor who will be available to talk over the trainees’ experiences, secondments, qualifications and the various seats the trainee will take during training, according to Legal Week. The February intake has also been appointed a trainee mentor.
College of Law mentoring scheme success
An annual mentoring scheme run by the College of Law (CoL) is celebrating record growth as it launches its 2010 scheme. The scheme helps its student get the insight they need into the realities of legal practice by recruiting legal practitioners to share their knowledge. The mentors includes barristers, and solicitors from both large corporate firms and small high street firms.
CoL offer priciest LPC in Bristol
The College of Law (CoL) has the priciest full-time LPC in Bristol, costing £10,200 from September - more than 10% higher than its other rivals. BPP Law School, which recently opened its Bristol branch, is charging £8,995 this year, with the Bristol Institute of Legal Practice (BILP) charging £7,860.
BPP offers high street law
BPP has launched an optional programme for LPC students starting this September, covering the areas of law essential for high street law firms. High Street Extra is the first BPP programme of its kind. Topics include fast track and small claims in the county court, insolvency, police station representation and residential conveyancing.
Big increase in university applications
University applications have increased by 23% since last year, according to the university admissions service UCAS. The increase swells the competition for available places this Autumn.
CoL wins mooting competition
The College of Law has won a major mooting competition, winning £150 and a week-long mini-pupillage for each of the two winners. They will also receive a week’s subscription for Weekly Law Reports after winning the final of the 10th Inter-Varsity Mooting Competition.
Law firms exploiting newly qualifieds
Newly qualified solicitors are being exploited by law firms offering paralegal jobs if they want to stay on. The choice of a paralegal job or the dole is an attempt to avoid newly qualified salaries on qualification in an economic climate recovering from one of the worst recession in recent history.
Shortened LPC for Linklaters trainees
Trainees set to embark on training contracts at city firm Linklaters in September 2011 will be taking a new accelerated LPC course with the College of Law (CoL).
Campaign to save Cumbria Uni law degree
Law students at the University of Cumbria are fighting to save its law degree programme just two years after it started.
Law student remanded on father murder charge
A Kings College law student has been charged with his father’s murder after decomposed body parts were found in his back garden.
Human rights bursary scheme
Awards of up to £1,000 are available for aspiring lawyers who are hard up but want to work in the human rights field. Around five awards are made each year out of a £6,000 funding pot provided by the Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA), which has just launched its 2010 Bursary Scheme
More training contract deferrals
The recession may officially be over but more deferrals of training contracts have been announced this week. City giant Herbert Smith has started the process of deferring future trainees who were due to start their training contracts this September and in March 2011.
Diversity scheme lacks funds
The Law Society’s initiative to boost social mobility within the legal profession is struggling to raise funds. The Society’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS) is set up to attract the best talent to the profession where they could be held back by a lack of funds.
Pro bono at Hull
A pro bono clinic has been launched this month at the University of Hull to help hard-up law students and to provide the public with a legal service.
Nottingham mooting winners
Talented law students at Nottingham Law School have won an international mooting competition in Paris.
Northumbria/Irwin Mitchell partnership
A new partnership between Northumbria Law School and national law firm Irwin Mitchell has just been announced, piloting a ground-breaking scheme training future lawyers.
Lawyers go back to school
A new volunteering scheme involving small to medium sized law firms has been set up, linking lawyers with local schools in economically deprived areas.
Award for pioneering international human rights
The University of Essex’s work in promoting and protecting human rights across the globe has won Royal recognition with the award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to the University.
Diversity scheme open
Despite its lack of funds (as we reported last week), the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS) has now opened for applications from students for the LPC in the academic year 2010/11.
Poor social mobility in the law
There is a critical lack of social mobility within the legal sector, according to a new report published this week. The report by Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) reveals that financial difficulties are causing many aspiring lawyers from less privileged backgrounds to struggle in crucial areas. Legal aid is singled out as becoming a no-go area for would be lawyers.
Pannone is best law firm employer
Manchester law firm Pannone has attained the enviable position of being the top legal employer in this year’s Sunday Times top 100 Employers, coming in at number 3 in the rankings. Staff said their stress levels were low and had achieved a good work/life balance.
MBA for Simmons trainees
Future trainees at city firm Simmons & Simmons are to be put onto its MBA programme with BPP law school in September. The MBA is set to become a permanent option in the firm’s graduate recruitment process
Law Student wins Lifetime of Free Tuition
16th May 2012It’s news to turn debt-ridden law students green with envy everywhere.
A wannabe lawyer, Chris Nation, has beaten 500 applicants to win Cardiff University’s Thrive Challenge prize. This scholarship will entitle him to a lifetime of free tuition at Cardiff University, meaning he won’t have to pay tuition fees for either his law degree or the LPC. You’re not alone in feeling positively sick with envy.
He triumphed in a tough round of online assessments, interviews, group exercises and presentations. So a begrudging hats off to him…
» Read more-
Other Recent News
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Sham Solicitor is Sent to Prison
16th May 2012 Another fake lawyer has found himself behind bars.
» Read more -
£53m: the cost of Murdoch’s own phone-hacking inquiry so far
16th May 2012 Call the phone hacking scandal many things, but it has been incredibly lucrative for some in the legal profession.
» Read more -
Training Contract Deadlines 2012
09th May 2012 AllAboutLaw and AllAboutCareers launch Training Contract campaign!
» Read more
