On 29 August 2025, the Law Society announced an additional round of funding under its Small Practice Traineeship Grant Scheme, providing a further €25,000 grant to support small legal practices outside Ireland’s major cities in hiring a trainee solicitor. The initiative aims to strengthen smaller firms, ease financial barriers, and enable aspiring solicitors to train…
The Law Society of Ontario consults on the future of the paralegal profession
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) is inviting paralegals across the province to participate in virtual focus groups this October and November to help shape the future of the paralegal profession. Organised by the Paralegal Future Vision Working Group, these sessions are part of a broader initiative to address long-term challenges, enhance professional sustainability, and…
Northern Ireland to introduce new routes to solicitor qualification
On 20 August 2025, the Law Society of Northern Ireland announced plans to introduce new qualification routes for solicitors, following a consultation held between December 2024 and March 2025. The initiative aims to make the profession more accessible, inclusive, and adaptable to evolving societal and professional needs. The consultation examined nine potential options for reform,…
Solicitors Regulation Authority in United Kingdom awards £360,000 for disadvantaged candidates to take the solicitors qualifying examination
On 6 August 2025, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced the award of £360,000 to 11 organisations to support aspiring solicitors from disadvantaged backgrounds with the cost of sitting the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The funding, drawn from the SQE Access and Reinvestment Fund—financed through performance-based payments from Kaplan, the SQE provider—marks the fund’s first…
What is on the journey to practice and what drives them?
A joint study by US non-profit organisations, the Pennsylvania-based Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and Illinois’ Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP), profiles the backgrounds, motivations, and career aspirations of today’s law students. The findings reveal that the 2024 first-year cohort is the most diverse yet, with 41.8% from racial or ethnic minority…
What skills do new lawyers need? Lawyers asked to provide answers in new survey
The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) at the University of Denver and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) have launched the Foundations 2.0 survey to gather insights from practicing lawyers on the skills and competencies new lawyers need in today’s evolving legal landscape. As artificial intelligence and emerging technologies reshape…
Ohio Supreme Court to review American Bar Association accreditation for lawyers as political pressures mount
Ohio has become the third U.S. state, after Texas and Florida, to consider dropping the requirement that lawyers must graduate from an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school to qualify for admission to the bar. The Supreme Court of Ohio announced on July 18, 2025, that it has established an advisory committee to evaluate its…
Towards sustainable legal education reform: interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches in Albania’s justice system
This article explores the challenges and potential solutions for reforming public legal education in Albania as part of the broader judicial reform agenda. While legal education has been identified as a vital tool for fostering civic engagement and restoring public trust in justice institutions, Albania’s efforts have been fragmented and largely ineffective. The 2019–2023 National…
Continued suspension of diversity standard suggested by American Bar Association legal education committee
On 2 May 2025, the Standards Committee of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar issued a memo recommending that enforcement of Standard 206, which governs diversity and inclusion in law school accreditation, remain suspended until 31 August 2026. This recommendation comes ahead of the Section’s Council meeting scheduled…
California scraps new bar exam for July, adjusts scores on February test
On 6 May 2025, Reuters reported on California’s bar exam, highlighting the fallout from the state’s failed attempt to implement a new licensing format. The California Supreme Court has ordered the cancellation of the state’s newly developed bar exam for the July 2025 sitting, following significant issues during its February administration. The February exam, which…