As Freshfields reportedly adopts an approach favoured by leading US firms, Legal Cheek explores the key differences behind this model and the motivations driving firms to embrace it Magic Circle law firm Freshfields has reportedly added a non-equity partner tier,…
1,342 candidates sat latest assessment The latest Solicitors Qualifying Examination 2 (SQE2) results are in, with the overall pass rate climbing to 78% in the October 2025 sitting. A total of 1,342 candidates sat the assessment between 30 October and…
SRA makes changes The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has updated its candidate confidentiality policy for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), narrowing the scope of what students are required to keep under wraps following feedback that the previous rules were too…
38 out of 50 Magic Circle law firm Clifford Chance has unveiled its latest spring retention figures, with 38 out of 50 of its final-seat trainees staying on. The firm confirmed that out of 50 trainees, it received 47 applications…
Regulator tweaks support policy Students sitting the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) will need to get their reasonable adjustments sorted sooner, under an updated policy published this month by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The key change requires solicitor hopefuls to…
The Legal Cheek Podcast takes a look at everything from deals to due diligence — listen now From negotiating deal terms to conducting due diligence, what does it truly mean to be a corporate lawyer? In this episode of The…
The top legal affairs news stories from this morning and the weekend Starmer ‘fast-tracking’ judge-only trials ahead of potential leadership challenge [The Telegraph] (£) ‘Aggressive’ US law firms are clogging our courts, says Leigh Day founder [The Times] (£) Sack…
Junior lawyer seeks insights In the latest instalment of our Career Conundrums series, a junior lawyer is considering a move from a Magic Circle firm to the London office of a US firm and wants to better understand the differences…
Work experience whopper The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued a warning to the public after someone created a LinkedIn profile falsely claiming to be the chief executive of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. The profile, which appears to have since…
Nearly half of respondents express limited confidence in AI-generated legal outputs Only one in five lawyers say they place high trust in AI-generated legal work, according to new research that paints a picture of a profession racing to adopt the…