In our latest Career Conundrum, a trainee solicitor is thinking about getting a puppy — but how will she juggle life as a dog mum with the demands of a training contract? “Hello Legal Cheek. Due to start my training…
Bigger bonus pool too Addleshaw Goddard has opted to hold newly qualified (NQ) lawyer salaries at £100,000 this year, diverting extra funds into a £19 million bonus pool and boosting pay for more experienced associates. The decision, which the firm…
‘Human error’ City law firm Kennedys has apologised “unreservedly” after a data breach exposed the email addresses of people signed up to receive updates on the Church of England’s redress scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse. Kennedys, which has been…
Undermined case A solicitor who lied to a client to “buy herself some time” has agreed she should be struck off the roll. Laura Elizabeth Simpson, admitted in 2009 and formerly with national outfit Switalskis, admitted she “chickened out” of…
2,753 students sat latest assessment The pass rate for the latest sitting of part two of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE2) has reached a record high of 82%, according to new figures released by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The…
‘Inflated’ timesheets leads to strike off A former senior associate at Irwin Mitchell has been struck off after submitting “inaccurate, misleading, and inflated” timesheets — including one day where she recorded nearly 23 hours of chargeable work. Natasha Janet Dionne…
Well-reseted compared to future doctors and nurses Law students are getting more shut-eye than many of their peers, according to new research ranking the UK’s most sleep-deprived uni courses. The analysis placed law among the least sleep-deprived subjects, with a…
The top legal affairs news stories from the long weekend Law firms are failing clients in class actions, watchdog says [The Times] (£) Top UK law firms boost partner pay as revenues climb [Financial News] (£) Courts would block Farage’s…
Loughborough Uni general counsel and AstraZeneca senior lawyer among those to publicly criticise new assessment regime Several senior in-house lawyers have voiced concerns about the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), with one describing it as an “oppressive” and “irrational” system that…
48 out of 53 National law firm Irwin Mitchell has announced a 91% retention rate, with 48 of its 53 trainees qualifying as solicitors this year. The latest cohort of 36 trainees completed their training contracts this summer, joining 12…