Singapore’s Ministry of Law has announced a broader review of legal education as law schools and the profession respond to changing expectations and workplace pressures. Minister for Law Edwin Tong said attrition figures alone do not explain why lawyers leave practice. A more important distinction is whether lawyers are pursuing other opportunities or are being…
India orders physical inspections of law colleges
The Bar Council of India has issued a direction requiring universities that provide legal education, or have affiliated Centres of Legal Education, to conduct physical inspections of those institutions before granting or continuing affiliation. The measure follows concerns about the continued operation of deficient law colleges and emphasises that a university’s responsibility for regulatory compliance…
Hong Kong strengthens trainee solicitor registration disclosures
The Law Society of Hong Kong has outlined proposed enhancements to the registration framework for trainee solicitor contracts, centred on revisions to the Application for Registration of Trainee Solicitor Contract, or Form AA. The current form requires disclosure of matters including criminal convictions, disciplinary offences at educational institutions and bankruptcy proceedings. The revised form would…
Ireland reports growth in professional entry and demand for flexible pathways
Ireland’s Legal Services Regulatory Authority has published its seventh annual Pathways to the Professions report, recording growth in both entry to professional training and qualification as a solicitor or barrister during 2025. The figures show that 581 trainee solicitors and 139 student barristers began professional training, increases of 7 per cent and 16 per cent…
SRA consults on proposals to strengthen continuing competence requirements
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) says the consultation is intended to provide greater assurance that solicitors are maintaining the knowledge, skills and ethical understanding required throughout their careers. The SRA points to evidence from its monitoring work that some solicitors cannot demonstrate that learning and development has followed regular and meaningful reflection, and that some…
Law Society of Ontario approves Indigenous cultural training course
The Law Society of Ontario has approved the implementation of a new Indigenous cultural training course for licensees. The course is intended to enhance competence for licensees who may represent Indigenous clients or deal with Indigenous legal issues across a wide range of practice areas, including corporate and commercial matters, estates, civil litigation, administrative and…
LexisNexis report highlights the mentorship gap in the age of AI
LexisNexis has published a report on what it describes as the mentorship gap created by the increasing use of AI in legal work. Drawing on a January 2026 survey of 873 UK-based legal professionals, the report identifies clear productivity gains from legal AI, while also raising concerns about how junior lawyers develop judgment, argumentation and…
International Bar Association report identifies barriers to women’s leadership in law
The International Bar Association has published a new global report drawing on survey responses from 5,000 women working in the legal profession across 100 jurisdictions. It identifies persistent structural barriers to senior leadership, as well as widespread burnout and continuing gender inequality, notwithstanding growing attention to diversity and inclusion within the profession. The report points…
Four-year review of the SQE highlights early impacts on entry to the profession
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales has published a four-year review of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, providing a substantial dataset on candidate demographics, pass rates, and performance trends since the SQE replaced traditional qualification routes. The review reports changes in the profile of SQE candidates, including higher representation from some minority ethnic backgrounds…
Bar Council of India allows final-year students to take bar exam
The Bar Council of India has amended its rules so that final‑semester LLB students can take the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) and the exam will be held twice a year. In January 2026 the BCI told the Supreme Court it had “framed rules enabling final-year law students to take the AIBE” and that the…