Commercial awareness resources – legal blogs

Our curated list of recommended legal and commercial blogs to follow to help you with your commercial awareness.

Trends in the law, diversity and inclusion, application advice and more.

You've heard about this thing called commercial awareness, right? You need it. A key way of learning about the latest developments in law and business is reading legal blogs.

Brexit

Kingsley Napley Brexit Blog
This blog from Kingsley Napley looks at commercial, public law and private client issues.
Matrix Brexit Hub
A weekly roundup of legislative and other developments from Matrix Chambers.
Inside Brexit
Lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright look at the effects of Brexit on areas including finance, life sciences and regulation.
Brexit: Navigating the unknown
Clyde & Co on what Brexit means for energy, employment, competition, tax, contracts, insurance etc.
Brexit Hub
Ashurst's lawyers on the effects of Brexit on financial services, real estate, energy and other sectors.
Waiting for Godot
Blog by tax barrister Jolyon Maugham; mostly about Brexit these days.
Brexit Blog
Insight and analysis from barristers at Monckton Chambers on subjects including trade, EU law and Article 50.

Corporate and transactional

Global Business and Human Rights Blog
Blog from Freshfields on human rights, business and regulation in the UK, EU and around the world.
Global M&A Hub
Cross-border M&A news from Ashurst.
Commercial law and live at the Bar
Podcast by 4 New Square.
Talking Business
Commercial law updates from Gateley.
Global Energy Blog
The latest developments in global energy law and policy from Dentons.
BBC Business
News blog on business and the financial markets by BBC Business editor Simon Jack.
SDLT questions and answers
Ex-City solicitor and tax lawyer Ann L Humphrey answers questions about Stamp Duty Land Tax.

Creative industries

Lawfully Chic
Fabulously named fashion blog written mostly by lawyers at Mishcon de Reya.
Art Law and More
Microsite from Boodle Hatfield about the fascinating and mysterious world of art law.
Bristows Cookie Jar
A sweet resource from Bristows' tech, media and telecoms team looking at legal opportunities and challenges in the tech sector.
Freshfields Digital
Insights on the legal implications of the digital revolution.
The IPKat
Intellectual property news from academics and lawyers; headed up by Eleonora Rosati of Bird & Bird and Annsley Merelle Ward of Bristows.
Global media and communications watch
Blog from Hogan Lovells on tech, media and telecoms issues from around the world.

Litigation and crime

The Secret Barrister
Blog by an anonymous criminal barrister covering all kinds.
Civil Litigation Brief
Updates and commentary on civil procedure, costs and more from barrister Gordon Exall.
The Cycling Lawyer
Blog by keen cyclist Martin Porter QC of 2 Temple Gardens looking at personal injury cases and legal protections for cyclists.
Insurance Hub
Cases, reports and commentary on the insurance industry from Clyde & Co.
Costs Barrister
Blog on legal costs from Nottingham barrister Andrew Hogan.
Current awareness
Case law, changes in legislation, and legal news from the Inner Temple Library.
Legal Insights & Resources
Articles covering the basic facts of different areas of criminal law from Chambers-ranked crime firm Lawtons.

Family and private client

Pink Tape
A blog about family law from barrister Lucy Reed.
Family Law Blog
A consumer-focused blog from regional firm Woolley & Co.
The Transparency Project
Blog from a charity aimed at improving understanding of family law and the family courts.
The Small Places
Blog on health and social care law by dr Lucy Series of Cardiff Law School.
The Wealth Lawyer UK
Blog on private client law from Helena Luckhurst, a partner at Fladgate.

Property and construction

Nearly Legal
Blog and resources on housing, leasehold and landlord/tenant law from from a partner at Anthony Gold.
Talking Property Law
All things leasing, licensing and commercial property from Gateley.
Housing Blog
News, comments and insights on housing law from Addleshaw Goddard.
Infrastructure Hub
Projects and construction law updates from Clyde & Co.
Practical Completion
Commentary on construction and engineering matters from Mills & Reeve.

Employment

Be Aware UK
News and views from DLA Piper's employment law team.
Kingsley Napley Employment Law Blog
Insight from Kingsley Napley's lawyers.
Employment Law Blog
Blog by Birmingham-based barrister Charles Price.

Public law

UK Constitutional Law Association
Constitutional law blog; a June 2016 blogpost here was the impetus for the Article 50 Miller case.
UK Human Rights Blog
Insightful blog on UK human rights written by barristers from 1 Crown Office Row.
RightsInfo
Devoted to spreading knowledge about the advances in human rights protections brought about by the UK Human Rights Act. Founded by barrister Adam Wagner, this blog has developed into a news website and campaign organisation with nine staff led by journalists Alex Feis-Bryce, Sarah Wishart and Jem Collins.
Barrister Blogger
London barrister blogging on crime, public law and the courts.
UKSC Blog
Blog about cases appearing before the UK Supreme Court started in 2009; written by barristers from Matrix Chambers and solicitors from CMS.
ECHR Blog
A look at cases and other matters related to the ECHR written by a Dutch legal academic.
Comp Law Blog
Commentary on competition law from various industry experts.
Privacy Matters
European and global privacy and data protection blog from DLA Piper.
Inside Privacy
Blog about privacy law in the US from Covington & Burling.
Free Movement
Blog on all things immigration from Garden Court Chambers barrister Colin Yeo.
IntLawGrrls
International human rights blog written by women and started by Diane Marie Amann of the University of Georgia.
Public Law for Everyone
Blog on administrative, constitutional and human rights law from Cambridge law professor Mark Elliott.

Legal technology

Future of Law
Blog from publishers LexisNexis on legal technology, training and diversity.
Artificial Lawyer
News and views on artificial intelligence and legal automation.
3 Geeks and a Law Blog
Blog by three US lawyers on law firm marketing, resources and knowledge management.
Law, Technology and Access to Justice
Blog on the use of technology to advance access to justice around the world.
eDisclosure Information Project
Blog about the the rules, the technology and the practice of eDiscovery.
Lawyer Watch
Personal blog of UCL law professor Richard Moorhead. Recent posts cover barrister earnings, legal aid, compliance, recruitment and diversity.
Legal Solutions UK & Ireland Blog
Blog from publishers Thomson Reuters about legal technology; has a careers section too.

Scroll down for recommended blogs

It's important to stay up to speed with the latest developments in the areas of business or law that you're interested in. Following the news and social media are both good ways of doing this. Another key way to stay commercially aware is by exploring the legal blogosphere.

Did you know the Article 50 Brexit case brought by Gina Miller in 2016/17 was prompted by a blog post? Well, it was. This one. We're not suggesting that reading blogs is likely to lead you to become part of the most important constitutional law case of our generation, but it will benefit you in other ways.

Commercial awareness is a key requirement if you want a job in law; it's important that you can speak confidently about the commercial and legal trends affecting law firms, their clients and the legal and business world in general. And blogs are a great way of staying informed about these trends.

Below we've curated a list of recommended legal blogs to help boost your commercial awareness. They are listed by broad subject/field, so you can narrow things down. The blogs are written by a mix of barristers, solicitors and law firms.

Let us know if there are any blogs you think we should add to the list below. We'll be continually updating this list and adding to it.

Listening and viewing

Tired of reading? Here are some podcasts, films and documentaries that can help boost your understanding of business and law. Once again, recommendations are welcome.

Podcasts

Law in Action
Joshua Rozenberg's excellent Radio 4 show about law; it tends to focus on public law, crime, policy, the courts and family law.

The Pupillage Podcast
This charming and well-made podcast from 5 Essex Court barristers Georgina Wolfe and Beatrice Collier gives fantastic insight and advice on how to gain pupillage, covering everything from the Inns of Court and pro bono to applications and interviews.

The Hearing
Freeths employment partner Kevin Poulter interviews interesting characters from the world of law.

Northpod Law
Amateur podcast from three Manchester barristers looking at criminal law issues such as sentencing, murder, drug dealing and sexual abuse.

11KBW Knowledge & Events Podcasts
Podcast from barristers' chambers 11KBW on employment, education, local authority and data protection law and other public law topics.

The Economist podcasts
Podcast on global economics from the world's leading publication on the subject.

Best of Today
Daily business updates from Radio 4's Today programme presented as podcasts online.

Business Daily
The BBC World Service's daily business and money podcast.

The Bottom Line
Evan Davis' business programme on BBC Radio 4.

Freakonomics Radio
Quirky podcast from one of the co-authors of Freakonomics. Not all the episodes are relevant, but some focus on interesting global economic issues.

Planet Money
Podcast from NPR (the US equivalent of Radio 4) about economics and business. Mostly focused on the US, but still insightful.

Film and TV

Denial
This 2016 film stars Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall and Andrew Scott. It focuses on the 2000 libel case in which Holocaust denier David Irving sued academic Deborah Lipstadt. Andrew Scott plays solicitor Anthony Julius, who we recently interviewed.

The Good Fight
Spin-off of The Good Wife covering the life and legal exploits of Diana Lockhart (played by Christine Baranski) and young lawyer Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie).

A Very English Scandal
2018 BBC drama starring Hugh Grant and Ben Wishaw about liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe relationship with Norman Scott. The final episode covers Thorpe's infamous trial for conspiracy to murder, in which his lawyers managed to get him acquitted despite the evidence against him.

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Gripping 2016 drama series about O.J. Simpson's 1994 murder trial. It has an impressive cast inluding Sarah Paulson, John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr and David Schwimmer. It's all about the American courts and legal system, but still fascinating.

The Big Short
2015 Hollywood movie starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt giving the inside story of the trading and financial wizardry that led to the massive balls-up that was the 2007/08 financial crisis.

Too Big to Fail
HBO TV film showing the political machinations behind the failed efforts by the US government to save Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy. Contains some insightful and startling explanations of how certain financial instruments and systems work.

The Ascent of Money
2009 documentary by historian Niall Ferguson about the history of the global financial system made in the wake of the 2007/08 financial crisis. There's a book with the same name too.

Bear in mind you can't achieve everything sitting behind a laptop, clicking from site to site. A great way to improve your commercial awareness is getting work experience, networking and talking to people in law.

This page was first published in February 2017.

Please note: linking does not indicate approval of or agreement with the opinions which may be expressed in any of these blogs.

Commercial awareness resources – legal blogs

Our curated list of recommended legal and commercial blogs to follow to help you with your commercial awareness.

Jargonbuster

Trends affecting the legal profession

Pro bono and volunteering