AI legal advice gone wrong A barrister has publicly raised concerns about the increasing use of ChatGPT in legal drafting after a litigant-in-person (LiP) seemingly relied on the AI tool to draft witness statements and skeleton arguments. Posting on LinkedIn…
Three months A junior barrister has been suspended for three months after he “inappropriately” touched a woman and made “unwanted comments” towards her during a chambers’ Christmas party. The Bar Standards Board (BSB) brought two charges of professional misconduct against…
Personal considerations Alan Kershaw, chair of the Legal Services Board (LSB), has announced his resignation less than a year into the role, citing personal considerations. His departure was confirmed in a notice to the Lord Chancellor, with his resignation taking…
80% Clifford Chance’s London office Clifford Chance has recorded a spring retention score of 80%, with 40 of its 50 final seat trainees staying on with the firm. Forty-four offers were made to the 48 trainees who applied for associate…
14% uplift Orrick has boosted the salaries of its newly qualified (NQ) lawyers in London to £160,000. This marks a £20,000 increase from the previous rate of £140,000, representing a 14.3% raise. Trainee pay remains unchanged, with first-years continuing to…
Candidates have five days to make a claim and taking a holiday doesn’t count The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published guidance on how to claim for mitigating circumstances in SQE exams as part of a new online resource tool….
Awkward A lawyer has sparked an online debate after sharing an exchange in which a newly qualified solicitor is criticised for addressing a hiring manager by their first name in an email about a job opening. Tariq H, an associate…
Emily Monastiriotis will take over the top role on 1 May Emily Monastiriotis Simmons & Simmons has announced that Emily Monastiriotis will become the firm’s next managing partner, taking over from Jeremy Hoyland on 1 May 2025. Monastiriotis, currently international…
78% and 100% Hogan Lovells and Addleshaw Goddard have posted retention figures for their spring 2025 qualifying trainees, coming in at 78% and 100% respectively. Hogan Lovells’ figure comprises 18 out of 23 of its final-seat trainees, with 20 applying…
Top lawyer foresees shifting roles in new tech-driven legal world The chair of US law firm Paul Weiss predicts that junior associates will be “supplemented, if not significantly replaced”, by technologists and data scientists in the years to come. Brad…