Dress codes at work are one of those things that normally start out simple and easy to interpret but can easily degenerate into mayhem when indiduals get the opportunity for a bit of self-expression. This probably happened in the early days of dress-down Friday (for those old enough to remember that dawning) but over time stringent codes were deployed to restore order and keep things nice and simple.

So reviewing this experience – new dress category, inappropriate dressing, ‘practical guidance’ …

As the time approaches for the start of summer vacation schemes, the ones that are still going ahead at least, one or two students may be in need of some pointers. Granted these have a distinctly American flavour coming from the font of the Bitter Lawyer’s knowledge pool but they are delivered with the wisdom that comes from experience and provide a handy nine point guide. For all those that see their own vac schemes as distant …

25. It is illegal for a cab in the City of London to carry rabid dogs or corpses.

24. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.

23. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside down.

22. In France, it is forbidden to call a pig Napoleon.

21. Under the UK’s Tax Avoidance Schemes Regulations 2006, it is illegal not to tell the taxman anything you don’t want …

It may be that you won’t get a lot of choice in the matter at the moment with firms swinging the axe all over the place and the recruitment market saturated with out of work lawyers. Each time we get news of redundancies, which is pretty regularly at the moment let’s face it, there is a nagging feeling that people need a bit of positive news. Whilst that is not always possible given the bigger picture, there is normally …

The grass is always greener as they say. The traditional view of paralegaling for many in the UK is as a stepping stone to becoming a fully qualified lawyer. However, that is not to say that there aren’t also plenty of satisfied paralegals out there who have no desire to become lawyers. When it comes to assessing who has the juciest leaves to chew, our North American cousins have come up with a new comprehensive ranking of jobs at …

Some of you will have had your Christmas parties already so we’re guessing that the damage has already been done or you managed to juggle the situation without too much trouble.

For everyone else, here is some lighthearted advice from ATL :

"Casino Themes . Casino-themed parties are landmines. People lose all reason when they hear that a "Dinner for Two at Rosa Mexicano " or an iPod Nano is at stake, and I’ve personally seen the power of fake money …

The first step in dealing with a problem is normally identifying that problem. Procrastination is something most law students (probably any students actually) will become well versed in by the end of their degree and its a habit that is difficult to break even when one starts work (how many files gather dust until a transaction actually begins in earnest??). With nearly everything being computer-based these days internet access is at our finger tips most of the time so …

With the end of the recent law fair season, eager students will have mountains of brochures and websites to wade through in the coming weeks. Whilst a copious amount of reading is nothing new to scholars of the law, it’s always useful to have an efficient method in place so you can get back to Guitar Hero and Pro-e.

Well if the tomes of Megarry & Wade don’t phase you in the slightest then you might not need to worry …

Most people apply the adage ‘you’re never to old to start’ to learning the piano or some other skilled hobby. A plucky, if somewhat older, Yorkshireman has taken this to a new lengths by beginning a legal career at an age when most people would be starting to look forward to endless days of [golfing, cruise holidays [preferred retirement activity ]].

Steve Willey aged 56 from Skipton has secured a training contract with west Yorkshire firm Last Cawthra Feather and …

With the economy crashing and law firms wielding the axe all over the shop, how do experienced, highly qualified entrants into the job market stand out from the crowd? Well there are many answers to that question and what better way to demonstrate than by giving an example. This chap obviously doesn’t have a strictly ‘legal’ background but his advert from the "Employment Wanted" section of the Financial Post in Toronto does have some admirable qualities…

"Having successfully completed a …