THIS ISSUE
"Politicisation of the judiciary has seemed less of a problem in Britain—though we should never be complacent about it."
Lawyers shouldn’t fear judges―they’re ‘gentle’ and like ‘teddy bears’. Those are the words of Sir Rupert Jackson, architect of the civil justice costs reforms (who also confesses he sometimes saw judges as ‘ogres’ when starting out).
Law firms are generally making progress when it comes to boosting the number of women in leadership roles―but some mentoring initiatives may be backfiring.
A coalition of lawyers, police and homelessness charities has called on the government to scrap the Vagrancy Act 1824, which criminalises rough sleeping and begging.
More than two-thirds of adults below the age of 50 and earning £50,000 or more per year do not have a will, law firm Collyer Bristow has warned.
Political consensus supported by ‘robust legal frameworks’ are required to tackle climate change and other environmental concerns, Lord Carnwath has said.
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which is due to replace the current system for entry to the profession in 2021, will lower professional standards, junior lawyers have warned.
The courts and tribunals in England and Wales benefited from an extra £15m worth of repairs and improvements last year, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.
The biggest Legal Walk outside of London took place this week in Leeds, with more than 500 lawyers raising funds for access to justice causes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) software that helps law firms price their services has been launched by IT company Intapp.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Anthony Collins—20 promotions
20 promotions mark major people investment at national law firm, Anthony Collins
Sidley—Elaine Whiteford
Sidley adds competition litigator Elaine Whiteford in London
Charles Russell Speechlys—Claudina D’Costa
Charles Russell Speechlys welcomes Claudina D’Costa as Director of Client Development Marketing
NEWS
The 25th Pro Bono Week begins today until 6 November, with events hosted by law firms, chambers, law schools and charities across the UK
Pro bono is celebrating a silver anniversary, with initiatives putting businesses and students at the heart of access to justice
Choosing the wrong expert can cost a clinical negligence claimant more than their case
Judges risk weakening their own independence by staying silent over government reforms, a leading public lawyer argues
A discount on damages does not automatically mean an equivalent haircut for legal costs in military deafness claims
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
