The country’s most senior court is being put under severe strain by a surge in disputed matters that are taking more than two years to pass from the appellate court to the Supreme Court.

One litigator said he was “gobsmacked” to learn that hearings were being ­scheduled for 2012 and 2013 for cases that were ruled on by the Court of Appeal (CoA) in 2010.

Read the full article on The Lawyer website.

For the lucky ones who get jobs with the top firms, the life of a rookie lawyer is a charmed one.

Not only do the likes of Allen & Overy – where Prince Harry's ex, Chelsy Davy, began work as a trainee solicitor earlier this month – cover their graduate recruits' hefty law school fees, but they pay them around £40,000 while they complete on-the-job "training contracts".

At which point, as fully fledged lawyers, their salaries rocket to £60,000-plus.

Read the full article on the Guardian website.

"I am in my fourth seat at a magic circle firm. I have the option to qualify into one of the departments that I have completed a seat in, but my interest has long been in IP/IT law.

I have previous industry experience of the IT sector, and in future I think I would enjoy going in-house in this area.

"Should I leave the firm I'm at and try to qualify into this area at a different firm, or would this be a bad idea? Should I just stick with what I have, and maybe try to move in a few years?"

Read the full article on the Legal Week website.

We’ve collected together 10 of the best online legal resources. Each site is a wealth of easy-to-access information from those that specialise in media law or European Law, to those that have huge databases of court reports, and law and legislation. If you’re not already using these sites, you will be soon.

British and Irish Legal Information Institute: A great website for finding British and Irish case law and legislation, as well as European Union case law and Law Commission reports. 

5rb: A leading set of media and entertainment barristers, their website is a great resource for those wishing to specialise in media and entertainment law.

The Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales: With around 75,000 case reports and free case summaries, as well as applications for Supreme Court appeals.

Eur-Lex: EUR-Lex provides free access to European Union law and other documents including legislation in force, preparatory acts, case-law, parliamentary questions, summaries of EU Legislation, The ABC of European Union law, and legislative drafting.

Google Books: Access to thousands of free law books.

Westlaw: Case law, legislation, expert analysis, journals, business information and news.

LexisLibrary: Law research databases, plus, all England Law Reports, Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents and Atkins Court Forms.

Lawtel: Up-to-the-minute case law, PI quantum reports, statutory law, SIs, parliamentary bills, command papers, practice directions and an index of articles from law journals.

ProbonoUK: A site with an online community for sharing information and resources for lawyers involved in Probono work.

The Law Society: Represents solicitors in England and Wales, negotiating with and lobbying the profession's regulators, government and others. The site has a regularly updated news section.

Enshrined in convention, the privacy of the court is as sacred today as it ever has been, but perhaps not for much longer. Plans to introduce television cameras in court are currently being reviewed by the British Government, potentially signalling the end of a practice that has long sought to protect the integrity of the judiciary and the anonymity of the jury.

As the government ponders its position on the issue, it ought to be noted that the Supreme Court already permits the use of cameras; in fact, according to former Justice Minister, Lord Bach, the Supreme Court was established in part to provide "much, much more access" to the public than the House of Lords.

Upon the request of the media, proceedings undertaken by the Supreme Court, including all decision-making, are broadcast on television. Cameras are permanently installed in the Supreme Court to provide a clearer separation of the judiciary and the executive.

The government is seemingly not content with there being only one court in the land to televise legal proceedings. In September, a spokesperson for Number 10 announced, "we are considering proposals put forward by broadcasters to allow limited recording and transmission from courts in specific circumstances. However, before any firm proposals are developed, the Lord Chancellor will wish to consult on the principle of broadcasting from court with the senior judiciary."

Although introducing cameras to courts throughout England and Wales (limited broadcasts are already permitted in Scotland) could threaten the security of the jury, the move would also probably improve transparency, which is the hallmark of any fair and just legal system. Curiously, however, the decision to review the banning of cameras in UK courts was instigated by the boss of Sky News, John Ryley, who wrote a letter to Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary, in January to suggest that proceedings be televised.

After Prime Minister David Cameron was reported to have backed the move, Mr Ryley stated that Sky News "looked forward to working with the judiciary to bring about more transparency in our justice system."

Possibly buoyed by public concerns over the handling of recent high-profile cases, not least those involving rioters and celebrity super-injunctions, the government is obviously keen to improve transparency at the cost of privacy (not that such a tort truly exists in the common law). If cameras are installed in courts, the government does risk some controversy.

While caution should be exercised in curtailing transparency to any extent, it is essential that judicial proceedings are not compromised or hindered by the presence of televised broadcasts. It is for this reason that the introduction of cameras is only being suggested in a limited capacity; only sentencing would be broadcast, not the verdict of the jury or any other aspect of the trial, at least initially. If cameras are introduced in court, it is perhaps only a matter of time before complete transparency is achieved. How much of an achievement that would prove remains to be seen.