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Tag: United Kingdom

  • TikTok lawyers are showcasing their office fashion looks — and the internet is loving it

    Workwear never looked so good

    Once upon a time, the closest thing lawyers had to a fashion moment was a stiff suit and a sensible shoe — a look that screams competence, if not creativity. But now, a new wave of legal professionals is taking to TikTok to prove that office wear can be just as statement-making as a closing argument.

    From tailored two-pieces to effortlessly chic knit sets, these ‘TikTok lawyers’ are showcasing what they wear to the office, and the internet can’t get enough. After years of remote work (and, let’s be honest, a little too much reliance on pyjama bottoms), the shift back to office life has brought a renewed appreciation for dressing up. And who better to set the bar than the lawyers who have mastered the art of looking polished while juggling client meetings, deal deadlines, and the office dress code?

    So, whether you’re looking for outfit inspiration or just enjoy watching solicitors turn their law firm corridors into makeshift catwalks, here are the TikTokers proving that legal fashion is anything but boring.

    @marygraceolu here’s my weekly office outfit rotation, for my anticorporate corporate babes And yes, I am wearing kickers; petition to bring them back? • • • • #office #officeoutfit #ootd #corporatelife #corporate #biglaw #law #corporategirlies #sqe #lawyers #imnotalawyer #attorney #magiccircle #corporategirlies #lawyer #traineesolicitor #corporatelaw #biglaw #graduatejob #sqe #london #nightlife #Vlog #mayfair#londontiktokalk #londonhotspots #trainingcontract #vacationscheme #vacationscheme #internship #legalcareer #graduate #masters #degree #law #lawstudent #jUrisdoctor #corporatelife #fyp #Ise #Ucl #kings #Ulaw #graduatejob #investmentbanking #Consulting ♬ original sound – Mary-Grace | Law,Fashion,Life

    Mary-Grace Olu, trainee at Clifford Chance, takes to TikTok to give her audience a flavour of her corporate (or “anticorporate”) style. Choosing original silhouettes, textures and patterns allows Olu’s office style to reflect her personality in the workplace.

    @mylegalcareerI thrive in formal clothes♬ original sound – ☆

    Maia Crockford, solicitor apprentice at DAC Beachcroft, gives her followers a flying glimpse into her work wardrobe. Clearly inspired by classic shapes, Crockford dons a double-breasted blazer-dress in one outfit, and a sleek satin midi skirt in another. Her TikTok states that she’s doing a bit of workwear wardrobe renewal this year — maybe there will be another update in the next few months.

    @jayslawlife It was time to step up the work fits & I need to start dressing like a corporate lawyer… Pt. 3 of building my corporate wardrobe #fyp #style #worklife #lawstudent #lawyer #lawyeroutfit #corporatelaw #corporatelawyer @Ted Baker @Suitsupply @Ronning @Remus Uomo @Edit Suits Co. ♬ peekaboo – Kendrick Lamar

    This work fit check by Jay Heer is one for the fashion-forward blokes. Future trainee solicitor at Simmons & Simmons, Heer shows us how to dress like a London lawyer. The Ted Baker suit is a Legal Cheek fave.

    @elliestefanie Corporate outfit autumn capsule with @LILYSILK Get 20% off with my code: Ellie20 #lawyer #corporateoutfit #officeoutfit ♬ original sound – ES

    Elinor Nikolova, AKA Ellie Stefanie showcases her corporate lifestyle on her TikTok when she’s not training as a solicitor at NRF. Sharply-tailored jackets are complemented by loose fitting knits and palazzo trousers in this corporate wardrobe reveal. Follow for chic office style inspo.

    @lisaingmarinelliOutfit♬ original sound – Lisa Ing Marinelli

    Copping Jil Sander and Sezanne for this office fit, Lisa Ing Marinelli is one to watch for fire office inspo littered with designer labels. More high-end than high-street, her corporate looks boast varied silhouettes, oversized sunnies and shoes to drool over. General counsel at a travel agency, Marinelli’s chic style doesn’t miss.

    @marieh_osl my own hype woman always #femaletechlawyer #femalecorporatelawyer #femalelawyer #workoutfit #officewear #corporateoutfits #corporateoutfitideas #workwearstyle #outfitcheck #outfitsoftheweek ♬ original sound – Crumbl

    Leopard print and black patent pointed kitten heels mark the signature of Marie’s corporate style. A tech lawyer based in Oslo, her account marks the amalgamation of famed Scandi style and modern office-wear — one chic marriage.

    @thebrownsolicitordiaries Dressing up makes me productive #workwear #workoutfit #workclothestiktok #corporatefashion #ootd #outfitinspo ♬ original sound – hxmz.x7_ﾒ𝟶

    Zobia Yasin, trainee at DAC Beachcroft, takes her followers through her daily office style. One for the traditional law girlies looking for chic, understated office inspo, Yasin’s socials are for you.

    @gracieacton OOTD #ootd #biglaw #paralegal #officeootd #outfitoftheday #officeoutfits #fyp #foryou #lawtok #corporategirlies #dailyvlog #vlog #lawstudent #studytok #workoutfits #biglawootd #styleinspo #LTK #ganni #dissh #corporatestyle #lawyersoftiktok @DISSH @GANNI ♬ misses – Dominic Fike

    Sydney paralegal at HSF, Gracie Acton’s office style is unrivalled. A 50’s-cut circle skirt is paired with ballerina kitten heels and a boat neck bodysuit. Monochromatic yet far from uninteresting, her looks are infused with a mixture of bow detailing and vintage shapes. Infuse some Aussie styling tips into your office wardrobe by taking inspiration from this chic Sheila.

    @iamcaez GRWM Lawyer Edition #lawyer #attorney #lawyersoftiktok #mensfashion #menfashion #fy #fyp #fypシ ♬ fukumean (instrumental) – Gunna

    Across the pond, US lawyer Caesar Chukwuma, showcases his daily looks. Harvey Spectre who? Sharp enough to injure any opponent, Chukwuma brings enough style to burn the house down. It comes as no surprise that this American attorney is a founder of his own law group as well as an NFL agent. His clobber says it all.

    The post TikTok lawyers are showcasing their office fashion looks — and the internet is loving it appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • The UK government’s trade strategy must promote fairness and sustainability

    In its pre-election manifesto, Labour promised ‘to create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet’. Now the party is in government, and chancellor Rachel Reeves has set out a plan for economic growth that will be ‘guided by one clear principle above all: to act in the national interest’. At Fairtrade, we believe that these two statements can and must be reconciled; the UK’s national interest cannot be separated from the wellbeing of people and planet.

    The UK’s long-term economic growth is inextricably linked to the livelihoods of the millions of smallholder farmers across the world that work to feed the UK. The UK is not food secure – we import almost half our food.

    Yet at Fairtrade we hear every day from farmers and producers who tell us that international trade is too often synonymous with exploitation: And unless we achieve a system that genuinely meets the needs of overseas farmers, we cannot continue to rely on the food they provide or their contribution to UK trade.

    Take tea as an example. In the UK, we drink around 100 million cups every day (almost as many as in Turkey and Ireland!). A product we can’t grow in our climate, tea is one of Britain’s most loved drinks – and over centuries its trade has brought many benefits to our economy and culture. Yet throughout its history, these benefits have often come at the expense of those who grow and pick it.

    Farmers in many tea-growing parts of the world such as Kenya are dealing with challenges, including prices that are unpredictable and often extremely low (around $2 per kg) resulting in uncertain and insufficient incomes. “Tea prices are not going up, yet the cost of production has been going up every year,” Kenyan tea cooperative member Erastus Ndumia, told us recently. This impacts on the livelihoods of millions of tea growers.

    Erastus is a member of a Fairtrade-certified co-operative, who can rely on a Fairtrade Minimum Price and Fairtrade Premium for the tea they sell on Fairtrade terms. He is also benefiting from established long-term relationships with Fairtrade buyers. But many tea farmers lack the certainty that they will be able to sell on terms that enable them to support themselves and their families.

    In the Trade Strategy due to be published in Spring, the UK government has the power to support farmers and workers growing tea, and other food and drink products that we rely on in the UK.

    The strategy can put a focus on the need for businesses to pay fair prices for commodities that we import into the UK and to address the needs of those in the first mile of food supply chains. Too often the terms of trade for smallholder farmers and workers in low-income countries are imposed upon them. The first step to delivering fairer purchasing practices is to consult with them when agreeing the terms of trade.

    It can also ensure coherence between its trade, development, and climate policies. Trade policies must not encourage a race to the bottom in the name of immediate growth. When trade is made fair, it can help to drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and deliver the UK’s commitments on climate and biodiversity, as well as supporting a resilient supply of food into the UK.

    Finally, fairer supply chains are at the heart of Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) legislation, another important commitment that the trade strategy should make. This law can ensure that supply chains are environmentally and socially sustainable and that there is greater transparency for consumers. It should be designed so that the costs and burdens of compliance are not passed onto overseas smallholder farmers and workers themselves.

    The UK must therefore carefully craft its approach to trade in a way that supports businesses and the livelihoods of the millions of small-holder farmers in low-income countries – like Erastus – that produce a third of the world’s food. This is what will deliver sustainability in our food supply chains, which is ultimately ‘in the national interest’.

    Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.

    Source: Politics

  • Legal industry among worst offenders for unpaid internships, study finds

    Many grads relying on ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’

    The legal industry has been identified as one of the worst offenders for offering unpaid or underpaid internships to graduates, according to new research.

    A YouGov poll, cited in a new report by social mobility charity The Sutton Trust, found that nearly half (46%) of legal employers offer unpaid or underpaid (i.e. not paid the minimum wage) internships. Only the real estate (64%) and construction (54%) industries had higher proportions.

    Researchers examining internships across industries found that more now pay at least the National Minimum Wage, increasing from 27% in 2018 to 37%. However, the number of internships paying below this rates (£8.60 for over 18s) has also risen, from 9% to 23%. Worryingly, around one in five internships offer no financial compensation at all.

    The report further found that more than a third of graduates (35%) had completed an unpaid or underpaid internship, up from 27% in 2018. Graduates from working-class backgrounds are significantly less likely to undertake an internship than their middle-class counterparts, with the gap widening from 12 percentage points in 2018 to 20 percentage points today.

    Forty percent of those completing unpaid work experience said they relied on the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ to support them, up from 26% in 2018.

     The 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said:

    “Internships are an increasingly critical route into the best jobs, and it’s shocking that in this day and age, many employers still pay interns below the minimum wage, or worse, nothing at all. They should be ashamed. The government has pledged to ban unpaid internships, which is absolutely the right thing to do. Clearly not all young people can get support from the bank of mum and dad so banning this outdated practice will help to level the playing field for these valuable opportunities. It’s a no brainer and should be implemented without delay.”

    While unpaid or low-paid internships are common in less lucrative areas of the legal industry, City law firms make a concerted effort to offer generous support packages to their vacation scheme students. These can include weekly salaries of up to £750, free meals, accommodation assistance, and even a cash allowance for a new suit!

    The post Legal industry among worst offenders for unpaid internships, study finds appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • Reform UK chair calls Boris Johnson ‘one of most damaging PMs in history’

    Boris Johnson will go down as “one of the most damaging prime ministers in this country’s history”, the Reform UK chair has insisted. 

    Zia Yusuf said the increase in net migration during Johnson’s tenure in 10 Downing Street was “a total betrayal of everybody who voted for Brexit”, as he ruled out the prospect of the former prime minister ever joining Reform. 

    In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking podcast, Yusuf said there is “nothing Conservative” about Johnson and argued the Tories were “extremely left-wing” in government.

    He added: “He took public spending close to Soviet Union spending. So there was nothing Conservative about him.”

    By contrast, Yusuf said he would welcome the defection of former home secretary Suella Braverman, whom he revealed he has held several meetings with. 

    The Reform chair said he has a “huge amount of respect” for Braverman, the Conservative MP for Fareham and Waterlooville.

    Asked if she would be a good Reform member, Yusuf responded: “If Suella wanted to join Reform UK? Yeah, absolutely.”

    Yusuf praised Braverman’s views on migration and said she had been “excommunicated” and made a “pariah” by the Conservative Party despite them.

    Yusuf also claimed Reform, which now has over 200,000 members, could win up to 400 seats at the next general election, and that if there was a general election tomorrow, it would win between 140 to 200 seats.

    Reform returned five MPs in July’s general election but came second in 98 constituencies. In a recent YouGov poll, Reform UK came top with 25 per cent support, compared with Labour on 24 per cent and the Conservatives with 21 per cent.

    Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.

    Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.

    Source: Politics

  • SRA cites ‘unexpected’ data issues for delay in releasing SQE provider pass rates

    Originally set for release in late 2023

    Aspiring solicitors seeking clarity on SQE training provider performance will face further delays, as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) attributes the setback to “unexpected problems” with the data.

    The regulator initially pledged to publish pass rates by training provider in “late 2023” but missed the deadline, citing a lack of “sufficient data“.

    By October 2024 — 10 months past the initial target date — the SRA still hadn’t published the data. Instead, it said it was working with a third party to develop an interactive tool that would help candidates search the information more effectively

    Now, this week, the regulator has admitted it is still not ready to release the statistics, blaming “unexpected problems” with data quality.

    In its latest update, the SRA said:

    “We had expected to be able to publish some data in autumn 2024. However, we found some unexpected problems with the quality of the data. These problems arose from the options given to candidates when they were surveyed. We considered publishing the data, with appropriate caveats. But we decided this would not be useful for candidates nor support the development of a healthy market.”

    The SQE Hub: Your ultimate resource for all things SQE

    As a result, the SRA says it will now wait until after the July 2025 SQE1 sitting to collect additional data. In the meantime, the regulator has promised updates in future bulletins and pointed to other available resources to help candidates choose a preparation provider.

    This latest delay is likely to frustrate both law schools and aspiring solicitors, particularly given the growing concerns around SQE1 pass rates — which hit a record low of 44% in the most recent sitting. The publication of training provider-specific data was meant to help candidates make more informed choices and was a key promise in the SRA’s transition away from the Legal Practice Course.

    In the absence of official data, some law schools have begun publishing their own pass rate breakdowns, relying on students voluntarily disclosing their results. Others, however, have opted not to share any performance data at all.

    While the SRA insists it remains “committed” to publishing the statistics, it now appears that aspiring solicitors won’t see them until later this summer at the earliest.

    The post SRA cites ‘unexpected’ data issues for delay in releasing SQE provider pass rates appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • Keir Starmer’s ‘divide and rule’ strategy sends clear message to Labour rebels

    Labour restored the party whip to four MPs yesterday afternoon who were suspended for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap.

    The parliamentarians in question — Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, and Rebecca Long-Bailey — are now back in the party after a six-month sojourn in the Westminster wilderness.

    Those four MPs, alongside Apsana Begum, John McDonnell and Zarah Sultana, lost the whip last July for voting for an SNP amendment to the king’s speech that called for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped.

    McDonnell, Begum and Sultana, however, remain suspended.

    The approach reflects a “divide and rule” strategy on behalf of the Labour leadership and government whips’ office, with the latter left-wingers singled out for their records since July. McDonnell, Begum and Sultana have remained heavily critical of the government since voting alongside the SNP.

    Sultana in particular has been a vocal opponent of the government’s position on Gaza, accusing it of having “actively facilitated genocide” in the territory last month. The independent MP for Coventry South revealed yesterday that she found out about the news of her colleagues’ readmission via a Daily Mirror report. “Turns out speaking up for Palestine is still a punishable offence”, she said.

    Sultana also voted for a Conservative motion opposing the winter fuel payments cut in September, alongside Begum and McDonnell — as well as Ian Byrne and Richard Burgon. Imran Hussain and Rebecca Long-Bailey were absent for the vote, commons records show.

    Writing on X yesterday, McDonnell said he was pleased four of his colleagues had been readmitted but disappointed Sultana and Begum had not. The former shadow chancellor added that he was “relaxed about my own position as I’ve made clear I don’t expect whip back until we know whether police are to charge me following recent Palestinian demo after which I was interviewed under caution”.

    ***This content first appeared in Politics.co.uk’s Politics@Lunch newsletter, sign-up for free and never miss our daily briefing.***

    McDonnell and old ally Jeremy Corbyn, now a member of the “Independent Alliance” of five pro-Gaza MPs, were both interviewed under caution by the Metropolitan Police after a Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) protest in central London. The force is investigating what it sees as a coordinated effort by organisers to breach conditions imposed on the event.

    In recent months, McDonnell has continued to use his Westminster clout as a former senior frontbencher to critique the government’s economic policy, and accused the prime minister of speaking in the “language” of austerity last September. But McDonnell, an MP since 1997, is still set on one day returning to the Labour fold, having told LBC in January: “We’ve served our sentence so I’m hoping we’ll simply have the whip restored.”

    At the same time, he also warned against the creation of a new party in an article for the Guardian. He wrote: “Even if a leftwing challenger party only took a limited number of votes, this could still cost Labour dearly.”

    This episode is part of an ongoing battle between the Labour leadership and the party’s left flank. Diane Abbott, the veteran MP, claimed her lengthy suspension in the last parliament was a “factional manoeuvre”. She was later readmitted and allowed to stand as the Labour candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

    On current form, matters would have to change drastically for Sultana to gain readmission to the parliamentary Labour Party and stand as a candidate at the next election. The latest manoeuvre by the whips’ office could serve to push the rebels, and perhaps her in particular, closer to Corbyn’s Independent Alliance.

    For some on the Labour right, an official liaison between independent ex-Labour MPs and Corbyn’s caucus would be a sign of total factional victory.

    But for the time being, McDonnell, Begum and Sultana’s example provides an enduring warning to other Labour representatives about the consequences of rebellion. And it comes at a moment when MPs will be considering how or whether to pressure the government over a range of flashpoint issues — not least of all Starmer’s relationship with US president Donald Trump.

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    Lunchtime briefing

    PMQs: Nigel Farage says Labour ‘panicking’ amid battles with Starmer on Chagos, NHS

    Lunchtime soundbite

    ‘We would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians, nor any reduction in territory of the Gaza Strip.’

    —  Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds tells the House of Commons the UK government “would oppose” Donald Trump’s proposal to force Palestinians out of Gaza.

    Now try this…

    ‘He’s back: the Prince of Darkness returns’
    The FT interviews Peter Mandelson. (Paywall)

    ‘Could a Tory/Reform pact be looming?’
    The Spectator’s Katy Balls asks: could the two warring tribes of the Conservatives and Reform be brought together under one leader? (Paywall)

    ‘Concern in Downing Street over Chagos Islands handover deal’
    Via The Guardian.

    On this day in 2024:

    Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to stand down at next election

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    Source: Politics

  • Inns of Court College of Advocacy students face ‘lottery’ over bar course progression amid record enrolments

    Exclusive: Offers fee discounts and perks for those willing to defer

    Bar students at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) face uncertainty over their course progression next month, as the college has announced it will need to defer some places due to an oversubscription of students.

    Legal Cheek can reveal that the ICCA informed students yesterday that demand for enrolment in part two of its bar course remains “above our capacity”, meaning some aspiring barrister will need to delay their start dates, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

    The ICCA course is divided into two elements, part one and part two. The first comprises the Bar Standards Board’s civil and criminal litigation exams, and is studied remotely with students setting their own pace and schedule, choosing when they wish to sit the exams. Once both exams have been passed, budding barristers commence part two, completing the remaining required assessments in a five month in-person block.

    However, this flexibility also brings uncertainty. With a “record number of students” eligible and hoping to begin part two of the course in early March, the ICCA will defer some start dates until at least September.

    Students who are deferred will receive a one-third reduction in their next set of fees, along with “tailored support from the ICCA”, according to an email sent to students. This support includes career meetings, marshalling opportunities, mini-pupillages, work experience, and mentoring by barristers in their preferred area of practice.

    It now falls to students to advocate their own cases for why they should be part of the March cohort. The bar course provider has asked students to provide “compelling reason(s)” as to why they should not be deferred. Options include: a pupillage commencing in September 2025, holding an Inns of Court scholarship, accommodation arrangements that have already been signed, and leaving employment to commence the course.

    One frustrated bar student told Legal Cheek that the ICCA is effectively deferring some students “by force” and that the oversubscription will leave them “stranded” midway through their studies.

    The email seeks to reassure students, stating that “every request for enrolment in this cohort will be carefully examined by a panel, on a case-by-case basis. The aim is to accommodate as many students as possible, while ensuring the “extremely high” teaching standards that are integral to the ICCA are maintained.”

    Anyone who does not submit reasons, or who is not prioritised for a place by the panel, will be entered into a “lottery” to secure any remaining places. Students will find out whether they have been given a spot or not next Thursday, only two and half weeks before the course is due to begin.

    In a further email sent this morning and seen by Legal Cheek, dean of the college, Lynda Gibbs KC, congratulated students on the “stellar set of results”, before adding that it never “wanted to be in a position of having to impede a student’s progression”.

    “We have explored every avenue to extend the number of places on Part Two for March and we are acutely aware of the disappointment and anxiety that the recent communications have caused,” she said.

    “Please be assured that we will do all we can to support you all as comprehensively as we can over the coming weeks and months,” Gibbs KC added.

    The ICCA has been approached for comment.

    The post Inns of Court College of Advocacy students face ‘lottery’ over bar course progression amid record enrolments appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • Linklaters retains 75% of trainees globally

    Several rookies heading to different offices around the world

    Magic Circle player Linklaters has retained 75% of its trainees, with some moving to different offices.

    The March 2025 qualifying intake was made up of 57 recruits worldwide, with 43 accepting an NQ position. In London these figures were 48 and 38 respectively, giving a slightly higher retention of 79%.

    In the London cohort 35 received NQ offers to stay in the City with three receiving offers in Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo. Elsewhere seven trainees from Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle East and Australia were made offers to qualify in London.

    The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows the newly qualified associates, all of whom are on permeant deals, will start on recently improved salary of £150,000.

    Links is one of the largest training contract providers in the City, with an annual trainee intake of around 100, split across two intakes each year.

     The 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    Chris Stevenson, trainee development partner at Linklaters, commented:

    “We are thrilled to have this talented group of junior lawyers embark on their careers with us and its fantastic to see them already taking advantage of the benefits of our global platform, with a number accepting offers across our network. We look forward to seeing their careers take off as they take full advantage of our market leading training and platform, bringing diverse and global experiences to deliver the best for our clients.”

    These figures represent a slight fall from the Autumn where the firm took on 78% of trainees, having moved 11 trainees from it’s Moscow office after deciding to shutter operations in 2022.

    The post Linklaters retains 75% of trainees globally appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • Badenoch confirms she had ‘tough words’ with underperforming Conservative staff

    Kemi Badenoch has appeared to confirm she had “tough words” with underperforming Conservative Party staff members. 

    The Tory leader responded to recent reports that in all staff call with members of Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ), she urged the party machine to “do better”.

    Asked if it was true that she had told some CCHQ staff they were not up to the job, Badenoch told BBC News: “I believe that everyone who works for the Conservative Party needs to be fully dedicated to the mission.”

    Pressed on whether she was saying that some staff members are not dedicated, Badenoch insisted she would always intervene when “people aren’t doing a great job”.

    She said: “It is what the members have asked for. And if we feel that there are people who are doing a great job, we will tell them. And when people aren’t doing a great job, we will do the same. We need to make sure that we have good feedback. And one of the things that I want to see.”

    She added: “What I want people to know is that we want to have a high performing organisation. And leadership isn’t just about telling everybody how great they are. Sometimes it’s about telling them how to improve. 

    “And quite frankly, one of the things that we’re seeing in this country is millions of people out of work, and not enough people pulling their socks up and getting back on their feet. 

    “We need sometimes to have tough words when people aren’t doing well, and words of praise when they are doing well. And that’s exactly what I did.”

    ***Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.***

    The comments came as Badenoch unveiled her first major policy as Conservative leader. She told the BBC that immigrants should only be able to apply for British citizenship after being in the country for 15 years rather than six.

    Badenoch also said that indefinite leave to remain, which someone must have before considering applying for citizenship, should only be given to those who do not have criminal records and who have not claimed benefits or social housing.

    Badenoch said that citizenship is a privilege for those who have developed a “meaningful connection to the UK”.

    Speaking to BBC News, Badenoch claimed the rules as they stand have created a “conveyor belt” to citizenship and that too many people gaining citizenship in this way is “creating a strain on public services”.

    “We need to make sure that people coming here have a real, meaningful connection to the UK, so no criminal records, they should be net contributors to the economy, not relying on benefits but people who care about our country and our communities.”

    Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.

    Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.

    Source: Politics

  • The journey to a TC as told by Michael Scott

    ‘That’s what she said’

    So, you’ve decided you want a TC. You’re now on the long, winding, and occasionally soul-destroying road to a training contract — a journey filled with networking events, commercial awareness buzzwords, and the existential dread of the next PFO.

    But before you can bask in the glory of a TC offer, you must first survive the inevitable stages of the application process: from the blind optimism of drafting your first application to the sheer panic in the face of the question you didn’t prepare for in the partner interview.

    To guide you through this emotional rollercoaster, we’ve mapped out the highs, lows, and inevitable breakdowns —- with a little help from the world’s most unintentionally wise philosopher, Michael Scott.

    Sending your first application off

    You’ve sent your first application off, and you’re feeling like the Beyonce of the legal world. Watch out Magic Circle, I’m coming.

    Psychometric tests

    You get sent the link for your first psychometric test and ponder the difference between True and Probably True for 3-5 business days. None of your practice tests go well. You’re now in the hands of the Watson Glaser gods.

    Your first rejection

    I mean, everyone gets a few rejections right? It wasn’t your favourite firm anyway — apparently the working hours are awful. It definitely didn’t bother you. Onto the next.

    Your second rejection

    Yep, this one hurt. One of your favourite firms rejected you with a cold, “Unfortunately, due to the high degree and quality of applications …” — you know the rest. Do you really want to be a lawyer? Maybe you should apply for that Master’s degree after all.

    Getting your first assessment centre

     The 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    Oh, you’re SO back. Your ego has the been given the boost it needed, and you’re ready to unleash your inner Harvey Spectre on your AC. Nerves, who? I’m definitely going to get a TC this time.

    Rejection (again)

    You can’t believe it, this is not happening to you (again). The Watson Glaser gods may have blessed you but the assessment centre gods are fickle.

    Second AC

    Here we go again. You’re feeling yourself, and you’re back in the game. No mountain is too tall for you to climb — it’s Britney bitch.

    Vacation scheme offer

    YOU DID IT! First step vac scheme, second step extremely successful law firm partner.

    Partner interview

    You’re terrified. You’ve never spoken to a real lawyer before let alone a partner but first impressions are everything, right?

    TC offer

    It was a rollercoaster, it really was. Lots of ups and downs. (That’s what she said). But you finally secured a training contract at one of your favourite firms. I’m not crying, you are.

    The post The journey to a TC as told by Michael Scott appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek