Compliance & Regulation
SRA moves language checks to point of admission
The SRA is going ahead with plans to move its English or Welsh language proficiency checks from the point where solicitors apply for their first practising certificates to the point of admission.
Bar Council clashes with BSB over scrapping degree requirement
The Bar Council has strongly attacked plans by the Bar Standards Board to scrap the requirement that Bar students must have at least a lower second-class degree.
SQE “working well” as firms get to grips with qualifying work experience
Around 2,750 students who took one or both parts of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination have now qualified, new Solicitors Regulation Authority figures have shown.
Lack of immigration advisers “encourages illegal services”
A lack of immigration advisers “encourages those who seek to provide advice illegally”, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner has warned.
SRA pulls prosecution after Foreign Office warning
The SRA has withdrawn all its allegations against a solicitor and non-lawyer after the Foreign Office advised against taking evidence remotely from a crucial witness in Dubai.
Law Society seeks extra £1.76m from solicitors to fund activities
The Law Society wants solicitors to pay £1.76m more towards its operations next year, taking the amount the profession contributes to nearly £37m.
Solicitor’s tweets moved from legitimate argument to antisemitism
The solicitor struck off for tweets on Israel and Palestine shifted from making potentially valid political points “to being purely offensive and stooping to use racist and antisemitic language”.
Treasury seeks to improve “proportionality” of AML rules
HM Treasury is seeking improved “proportionality” and “additional clarity” in plans for technical changes to the 2017 Money Laundering Regulations.
LSB chief: Why are lawyers forced to pay for professional bodies?
The outgoing head of the LSB has questioned why ‘trade associations’ like the Law Society and Bar Council receive a “statutory funding stream” from regulatory fees paid by lawyers.
Legal Ombudsman delays – still lengthy but falling
Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman that require investigation will have to wait for nearly three months before work begins and up to nine months for a conclusion.
Blog
Small steps, big impact: how SME law firms are making legal tech work
For SME law firms, the priority is turning the potential of tech into measurable impact: success is driven not just by the technology, but by how firms approach planning and implementation.
Why housing disrepair claims against councils have leapt by nearly 400%
Housing disrepair claims against councils have surged dramatically in recent years, with some areas reporting increases approaching a staggering 400%.
Client accounts: Opportunity, obligation and the risks in between
The profitability gap between well-run firms and the rest is not primarily a function of size, location or practice area – it is a function of financial management.
