Category: Law

Legal Cheek’s latest Junior Barrister Survey reveals all The role of a barrister is rarely dull, working on all-absorbing cases at the cutting-edge of the law — but which chambers stand out above the rest? As part of Legal Cheek’s exclusive survey of over 600 junior barristers, we asked bar rookies at the leading sets… Continue reading Revealed: The best chambers for quality of work 2022

Not so, says Boris — much to the annoyance of lawyers Yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions was a typically fiery affair, with Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer exchanging blows across the dispatch boxes. The Labour leader urged the embattled PM to resign on the spot for allegedly misleading MPs over Downing Street parties, telling him… Continue reading Can lawyers be leaders? – Legal Cheek

Lawyers to be schooled by aspiring lawyers in four-month partnership BPP University Law School has launched a reverse mentoring scheme that sees its law students review the diversity and inclusion policies of law firms across the North of England. The Reverse Mentoring Scheme sees 60 law students from a diverse range of backgrounds partnered with… Continue reading BPP students to reverse mentor law firms on diversity and inclusion

Workloads and mental health among reasons for ditching the wig and gown One is six young barristers say they want to quit, new research has found, with concerns over lengthy and unpredictable hours among the top concerns. Respondents to the Bar Council commissioned report also cited the potential mental health consequences of long hours coupled… Continue reading One is six young barristers want to quit, new report finds

Global firm recruits 50 UK trainees each year The University of Law (ULaw) has struck a new partnership that will see it become the exclusive training provider for future UK trainees at White & Case. The deal, announced today, will see the law school giant help prepare the firm’s future rookies to undertake the Solicitors… Continue reading White & Case and ULaw strike SQE training deal

Legal Cheek talks to the key players in legal education to understand what last week’s results announcement means for students and the wider profession The results of the first Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) were released by the regulator last week, with just over half (53%) of the 1,090 candidates receiving the news they had passed.… Continue reading Law school leaders react to first SQE results

US outfit Goodwin ups junior rates to unprecedented levels — also unveils new perk which sees it pay for their holidays The salaries of newly qualified (NQ) solicitors have reached unprecedented levels in London, with US law firm Goodwin Procter confirming its fresh faced associates will now earn over £160,000 a year. The Boston-headquartered outfit… Continue reading London NQ lawyer pay hits record £161,500

Magic circle player keeps 33 out of 38 NQs Allen & Overy’s London office Allen & Overy has recorded a spring trainee retention rate of 87%. From a March qualifying cohort of 38, the magic circle outfit received 35 applications and made 34 offers. Thirty-three accepted, all on a permanent basis. The Legal Cheek Firms… Continue reading A&O records 87% spring trainee retention score

Network Rail’s leading lawyer Dan Kayne urges profession to find new ways of retaining talent before young associates ‘get hurt’ One of the country’s leading in-house lawyers has criticised the “eye watering” sums of cash being dished out to some newly qualified (NQ) associates. Dan Kayne, general counsel at Network Rail, said the salaries which… Continue reading £150k junior lawyer salaries are ‘out of control’, top general counsel warns

Robert Michael Kearney challenged delay in reporting vulgar remarks An experienced criminal barrister has failed in a High Court bid to overturn a six-month suspension for making sexual comments to a mini-pupil. Manchester-based Robert Michael Kearney, who was called to the bar in 1996, had challenged the delay of several years in reporting comments such… Continue reading Barrister fails to overturn six-month suspension for sexual comments to mini-pupil