Issue: Vol 171, Issue 7917

The Justice First Fellowship scheme now has more than 100 Fellows working in the social justice sector

There may be trouble ahead, not least with IT security, business uncertainty, the pandemic and Brexit

John Bowers QC examines some ground-breaking decisions on religious dress & calls for balance between competing perspectives

Fiona Bawdon explains why this ground‑breaking scheme is aimed at firms, as well as not-for-profit agencies

David Burrows calls for clarity and fairness for families and practitioners and highlights some priorities for the year ahead

Jon Robins questions the government’s decision to rule out a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Pat Finucane

Lack of clarity and insufficient legal aid provision aside, what areas of family law need reform most?

Risk & compliance: Frank Maher provides expert analysis on the challenges ahead

Mental health, diversity and inclusion should be top priorities and more can be done to further efforts, according to a survey of litigation lawyers

In a special NLJ report, Grania Langdon-Down talks to Mrs Justice Cockerill, head of the Commercial Court, and litigators about the challenges of 2020 and what 2021 will bring in relation to work-flow, procedural reform, diversity and well-being. She also draws on responses from the latest London Solicitors Litigation Association (LSLA) and NLJ Litigation Trends Survey. Overall, most responders were positive that the litigation market would grow or, at least, remain unchanged. There was overwhelming support for virtual hearings and agile working. But there was also a strong message to the profession’s leaders that the legal community needs to do more to promote both diversity and inclusion and the importance of good mental health.