‘Panicked’ A solicitor who turned up half an hour late for a court hearing and then tried to cover his tracks with a fabricated attendance note has been struck off the roll. Alexander David Edmund Hayes Gallagher, who qualified in…
Spared jail A former legal secretary at Latham & Watkins has been barred from the profession following a conviction for fraud. Aminata Pungi made “unauthorised transfers” from the personal bank accounts of an individual for whom she was working, into…
Legal Cheek explores the TC alternative For years, qualifying as a solicitor followed a familiar script, from university to law school and then on to a training contract. But that pathway is no longer the only (or perhaps even the…
Blow for open justice A digital archive that helped journalists track criminal court cases is being shut down by the Ministry of Justice. Courtsdesk will reportedly be deleted within days after HM Courts & Tribunals Service ordered every record wiped….
Career changer seeks guidance In our latest Career Conundrum, a trainee who entered the legal profession after a previous career is concerned about the awkwardness that has arisen because they are older than their supervisor. “Hello Legal Cheek. I am…
Move set for 2030 Credit: Piercy&Company Herbert Smith Frehills Kramer has signed a deal for a new headquarters in the City of London, with an expected move-in date set for 2030. The new HQ will be just down the road…
Productivity gains, but at what cost? AI may be making junior lawyers faster, but new findings suggest it could also be weakening the very skills the profession depends on. According to LexisNexis’ Mentorship Gap report, which surveyed nearly 900 UK…
Concerns over conflating ‘art with evidence’ More than 60 senior legal and cultural figures have backed a push for clearer statutory safeguards on the use of music lyrics as evidence in criminal trials, amid concern about how rap and drill…
Lord Briggs quickly apologised Lord Briggs’ switching off his phone – credit: The Supreme Court As the UK’s highest court, the Supreme Court is not typically known for moments of humour, nor as a reliable source for podcast recommendations. But…
‘If you were a tree, what kind would you be and why?’ When preparing for law firm interviews, most candidates rehearse the classics: Why law? Why this firm? But every so often, you’re thrown a curveball that makes you wonder…