Welcome to the autumn edition of Legal Week Student, our latest up-to-the-minute guide to qualifying for a career in commercial law.

And what a career it can be. For those who work hard and make the right choices, a life in the law can offer a golden opportunity to work at the coal face of international business, handling multi-million pound deals and disputes unimaginable to yesterday's lawyer. But there is a price to be paid, and for today's student lawyer, the choice of which path to take must be made earlier in your career than ever.

For those readers who have not even begun to make up their minds about the path they wish to take, our practice guide, which begins on page 18, should shed some light on the available options.

Not that it is all hard-nosed commercialism – as we explain on page 58, there are increasing opportunities for young lawyers to work on more altruistic projects as well. And those readers who are less than impressed at the prospect of spending every working morning on the Northern Line, our guide to training and practice in the regions, starting on page 37, outlines the options available outside the capital.

For lawyers at the leading global law firms, the past 12 months have brought about some interesting changes – and there are undoubtedly more to come. Over the next year, the profession faces perhaps its biggest shake-up in a generation as Sir David Clementi considers his report on the regulation of legal services.

Clementi is charged with ensuring that the man and woman on the street and the multinational in Canary Wharf alike are guaranteed a service that is – and is seen to be – professional, fair and impartial. We analyse the implications of his upcoming report on page 4.

As for the Bar, it is in the throes of even greater change, thanks not only to Clementi, but also to a string of reforms designed to modernise the justice system, including the shake up of the judicial appointments and Silk system, as well as the introduction of a new direct access regime, which makes it far easier for clients to instruct the Bar directly rather than going via a solicitor.

Nevertheless, the Bar remains a profession steeped in tradition – as our feature on the Inns of Court on page 29 demonstrates. For training opportunities at Britain's leading barrister's chambers, turn to page 36.

We hope Legal Week Student will prove an invaluable aid for students intent on mapping out their careers.

Hopefully, having helped launched your careers, we can continue to help you develop them. Our award-winning parent publication, Legal Week, covers all the news and views affecting the profession and provides the best analysis in the market, on a weekly basis. You can access it at www.legalweek.com. Alternatively, you can get the latest news delivered to your doorstep – £57 will buy a year's student subscription. Call the hotline on 020 7566 5640.

Good luck!