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An initial analysis of research undertaken on the people and institutions who provide access to the solicitors' profession. The findings are based on a series of in-depth interviews with Graduate Recruitment professionals and partners in a range of law firms, exploring the competencies and attribute...
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An initial analysis of research undertaken on the people and institutions who provide access to the solicitors' profession. The findings are based on a series of in-depth interviews with Graduate Recruitment professionals and partners in a range of law firms, exploring the competencies and attributes assessed in the application process.

In spite of an increasing reliance on women entrants to the legal profession, women remain under-represented in the higher levels of that profession, not least because many women leave legal practice notwithstanding the strenuous route to qualification. This empirical survey gathered qualitative dat...
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In spite of an increasing reliance on women entrants to the legal profession, women remain under-represented in the higher levels of that profession, not least because many women leave legal practice notwithstanding the strenuous route to qualification. This empirical survey gathered qualitative data on the reasons why women chose to abandon their career in law. The factors behind such a significant decision included: personal reasons based on health, stress; dissatisfaction with the work or the workplace; and the pressures of family life and caring obligations. These factors intersect and overlap and are reflective of wider societal and cultural pressures on women. They provide a basis to question whether, as the proportion of qualified women entrants to the profession continues to rise, failure to better accommodate the needs and aspirations of women lawyers might present a systemic threat to the legal profession.

A report on the September 2014 CEPLER Workshop, which brought together representatives of higher education institutions with practitioners to consider the place, content and structure of criminal law courses and the need to adapt to the changing demands of fee paying students through regular review ...
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A report on the September 2014 CEPLER Workshop, which brought together representatives of higher education institutions with practitioners to consider the place, content and structure of criminal law courses and the need to adapt to the changing demands of fee paying students through regular review of the content, aims and outcomes of our modules. Given the increasing external regulation and the contentious issue of 'core modules' in the context of discussions regarding the value of a law degree, this is even more pertinent for those who teach criminal law.

In September 2017, 45 land law enthusiasts (both teachers and practitioners) attended a workshop at the University of Birmingham to discuss current and emerging approaches to teaching this core area within the law degree. This report is a summary of the presentations and discussions that resulted fr...
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In September 2017, 45 land law enthusiasts (both teachers and practitioners) attended a workshop at the University of Birmingham to discuss current and emerging approaches to teaching this core area within the law degree. This report is a summary of the presentations and discussions that resulted from the day.

First draft of a paper which now appears in the journal 'Legal Ethics' Volume 18(2) This paper considers the individual CSR policies of the top 100 English Law firms (as ranked by the trade publication 'The Lawyer'), what the firms categorise as constituting CSR activity and the public disclosures ...
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First draft of a paper which now appears in the journal 'Legal Ethics' Volume 18(2) This paper considers the individual CSR policies of the top 100 English Law firms (as ranked by the trade publication 'The Lawyer'), what the firms categorise as constituting CSR activity and the public disclosures they make. The research highlights that few firms explain why they are committed to CSR and the quality of disclosures varied so widely that meaningful comparison was not possible.

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act came into force in April 2013 and heralded fundamental changes to the legal aid system in England and Wales. This paper is a first pass analysis of interview data from a study focusing on the impact of the changes on those delivering, and tho...
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The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act came into force in April 2013 and heralded fundamental changes to the legal aid system in England and Wales. This paper is a first pass analysis of interview data from a study focusing on the impact of the changes on those delivering, and those needing advice and representation, in the field of family law.

An introductory talk given to Birmingham Law School PGR students as part of their annual PGR Conference, held at the University of Birmingham in June 2014. Anthony Arnull traces the transformations in Legal Education and the impact of the economic climate on student expectations and standards of tea...
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An introductory talk given to Birmingham Law School PGR students as part of their annual PGR Conference, held at the University of Birmingham in June 2014. Anthony Arnull traces the transformations in Legal Education and the impact of the economic climate on student expectations and standards of teaching.

This paper critically explores an initiative by the Legal Services Board to create data sets for easier identification of inequalities in gender, race and class. It examines its origins and development;evaluates its scope and effectiveness; and considers the LSB diversity reporting rule as the first...
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This paper critically explores an initiative by the Legal Services Board to create data sets for easier identification of inequalities in gender, race and class. It examines its origins and development;evaluates its scope and effectiveness; and considers the LSB diversity reporting rule as the first step in addressing issues of inequality, notwithstanding its over-reliance on numbers.

Witnesses and defendants are able to give evidence by live link provided that they meet the vulnerability criteria set out in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act (1999). Findings from interviews undertaken with 18 criminal practitioners indicate that, even when a defendant is sufficiently v...
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Witnesses and defendants are able to give evidence by live link provided that they meet the vulnerability criteria set out in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act (1999). Findings from interviews undertaken with 18 criminal practitioners indicate that, even when a defendant is sufficiently vulnerable to qualify for the use of live link, the provision is rarely invoked. Drawing on this data, this article identifies a series of barriers which contribute heavily to the inaccessibility of the live link provision to vulnerable defendants giving evidence in their trials.