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International Edition

CC looks to strengthen Africa ties by giving training to local lawyers

Clifford Chance (CC) has kicked off a training scheme for African lawyers, allowing them to access magic circle-standards of legal training. The initiative, called the "Clifford Chance Africa Academy", aims to give junior and senior associates at CC's relationship firms access to a structured programme based on existing training courses developed by its global training arm, the Clifford Chance Academy, which provides technical and business skills training for its lawyers and business professionals.
3 minute read

International Edition

Belt-tightening takes its toll as newly qualified recruits dip 6%

The number of newly qualified (NQ) lawyers accepting roles at the UK's top 20 law firms has fallen 6% year-on-year as the effects of the uncertain market continue to be felt at the lower end of the profession. In total 672 NQs took up roles at the top 20 firms this year, a drop of 6.3% on the autumn 2012 qualifying round, in which 717 lawyers were recruited, according to research by Legal Week. The trend reflects a broader dip in the number of qualifying lawyers this year, with cutbacks in firms' graduate recruitment during the worst of the downturn now playing out further down the line. There was a total of 825 qualifying lawyers across the group this autumn, down 7% from last year's figure of 887, with firms including Eversheds, Herbert Smith Freehills and Simmons & Simmons all seeing a decrease in the number of NQs coming through the ranks this year.
4 minute read

International Edition

Career Clinic: Should I switch from private practice to lecturing?

"I made this change and it is a very rewarding career. However, you need to go into it with your eyes open. Not only will you take an enormous pay cut, but the hours are long..."
1 minute read

International Edition

Eversheds takes advisory role as BPP gains full university status

BPP has been granted full university status by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and will become BPP University as of 6 August this year. The move - which comes after the College of Law was granted university status last year and rebranded as the University of Law - has been confirmed by BIS after BPP met the criteria for full university title.
3 minute read

International Edition

Government calls on law firms to offer non-graduate routes into profession

The Government has called on law firms to help grow the UK's legal sector by opening up the profession to school leavers via apprenticeship schemes. The proposal is one of the key recommendations in a report published last week by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) that aims to boost the competitiveness of the UK's professional and business services (PBS) sector. The strategy was developed by the PBS Council, which is made up of representatives from Government and the private sector, including Will Lawes, Robert Elliott and Chris Mullen, senior partners of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters and Pinsent Masons respectively. The PBS sector currently employs four million people and is worth more than £150bn to the UK economy each year, equivalent to 11% of GDP. The legal and accounting sector makes up 22% of this figure.
2 minute read

International Edition

CC recruits efficiency 'black belts' for firmwide push to streamline work

Clifford Chance (CC) has rolled out an ambitious firmwide initiative to improve lawyers' efficiency alongside a drive to more effectively allocate its fee earners' workloads. The magic circle firm has recruited three external coaches, known as 'black belts' in efficiency, to lead training workshops to help the firm's lawyers identify inefficiencies in the way they work, mimicking cost-cutting initiatives developed for the manufacturing industry. The training, which forms part of CC's existing 'Continuous Improvement' programme, has been adapted from 'lean' and 'six sigma' techniques used in the manufacturing sector, with the initiative stemming from a meeting CC managing partner David Childs had with logistics and manufacturing company Unipart.
2 minute read

International Edition

Charity forged by College of Law sale hands out first law grants

The Legal Education Foundation (LEF) - the charitable arm spun out of last year's sale of the College of Law - has formally launched with a series of six grants to initiatives supporting pro bono, social mobility and access to justice. LEF - which has funds of approximately £200m generated by last April's sale of the College of Law's education and training business to Montagu Private Equity - was set up to continue the College's charitable activities in the wake of the takeover.
3 minute read

International Edition

University of Law to launch in Leeds with York base relocation

The University of Law is to relocate its York branch to Leeds in September 2014, in order to be based in "the UK's newest legal hub". The University hopes to increase enrolment to around 600 students in Leeds in the next three years, according to president and provost Nigel Savage. There are currently 368 full and part-time students based in York.
3 minute read

International Edition

Legal training review meets mixed reception with wait for real reform set to continue

Did it live up to the hype? "An important milestone, rather than the last word" was the verdict of Legal Services Board chair David Edmonds. The view neatly sums up the subdued response to the publication of the much-delayed report by the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), billed as the most fundamental examination of the sector since the Ormrod report of 1971. "The response from the legal education sector has been terribly quiet and rather muted," says Diane Burleigh, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). "I think that's tied up with the very large amount of information in the report – it's very tempting to just scan through the recommendations.
5 minute read

International Edition

Eversheds and A&O advise Saudi women-only college development

Eversheds and Allen & Overy (A&O) have scooped lead roles advising on the establishment of a £75m women-only college in Saudi Arabia. The Jeddah college is being set up by a consortium of three UK further educational bodies led by North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT) after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched a SAR4bn (£689m) project to raise skills and build up to 11 learning institutions. The NESCOT consortium, which was selected ahead of more than 500 global organisations interested in running the college, also includes Highbury College Portsmouth and Burton and South Derbyshire College.
2 minute read

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