A year in the world of Legal Cheek: The top 15 stories of 2019

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By Legal Cheek on

Magic circle salaries, lavish lawyer Insta lifestyles and, of course, Lady Hale on the Tube — but can you guess which story clocked up the most views over the past 12 months?

It’s been quite the year for the legal profession.

Plans to overhaul legal education with a new solicitor super-exam continued to gather pace, while the magic circle quintet splashed the cash and bumped junior lawyer pay to reach sweltering six-figure sums.

It’s also a year that has seen one lawyer turn to sex work as a side-hustle, another claim that her career was hampered by her good looks, and a third offer fans a glimpse into her glam lifestyle through her well-followed Instagram account.

And who can forget the Supreme Court saying goodbye to Lady Hale? Although not officially retiring from the top bench until next month, the Beyoncé of the law — who was recently snapped riding the Tube — said a fond farewell to her fellow bench mates at a valedictory ceremony last week.

But which stories have Legal Cheek readers enjoyed most? Here are our 15 most-read stories this year.

15. ‘Sex is fun, and I can get paid for it’, says criminal lawyer who side hustles as prostitute

[Read the story in full]

14. Junior solicitor struck off for fare dodging just two years after qualifying

[Read the story in full]

13. Eve Cornwell bumps into Lady Hale on the Tube

[Read the story in full]

12. Sainsbury’s shelf-stacker turned Doughty Street barrister becomes one of Inner Temple’s youngest benchers

Tunde Okewale (credit: Instagram @tundeokewale)

[Read the story in full]

11. Instagramming junior lawyer living super-glam lifestyle racks up over 330,000 followers

Credit: xlindalux

[Read the story in full]

10. Freshfields raises newly qualified solicitor pay to £100,000

[Read the story in full]

9. This Question Time audience member thinks all solicitors earn over £80,000 a year

Audience member and Labour’s Richard Burgon MP (Credit: BBC)

[Read the story in full]

8. Ferrari-toting barrister sparks LinkedIn beef

[Read the story in full]

7. Law school sweethearts land training contracts at same national firm where they both work as paralegals

[Read the story in full]

6. Children of lawyers 17 TIMES more likely to become lawyers themselves

[Read the story in full]

5. Drug suspension barrister goes viral after pro-Brexit rant on BBC Question Time

[Read the story in full]

4. ‘Don’t wear brown shoes with a blue suit’, City law firm partner tells trainees

Wikicommons: sweeticecreamphotography

[Read the story in full]

3. Law graduate claims good looks ruined her career

[Read the story in full]

2. Criminal defence solicitor expecting child with Celebrity Big Brother reality star

[Read the story in full]

1. Revealed: Law firms’ average arrive and leave the office times 2019-20

[Read the story in full]

Thank you to all our readers who have visited the site in 2019. Here’s to another year of Legal Cheek.

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