Compliance & Regulation
LSB to put focus on “ethical competence” of lawyers
There needs to be more focus on the “ethical competence” of lawyers throughout their careers, the Legal Services Board has suggested.
Solicitor convicted of exposing himself while jogging struck off
A senior director of a West Midlands law firm who was convicted of exposing himself to young girls while jogging in Dorset has been struck off.
APIL in new bid to ban all cold calling
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers is seeking an amendment to a data protection bill currently going through the House of Commons to ban all cold calling.
CILEX can press ahead with talking to SRA about switching regulator
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives has the power, in principle, to change its regulator to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Legal Services Board has decided.
SDT rejects US firm’s “astonishing” bid to see ex-trainee’s evidence
The SDT has dismissed as “astonishing” arguments put by a US law firm to see all the evidence in the prosecution of a former trainee solicitor before its witnesses give evidence.
Major project to examine legal ethics after the Post Office scandal
A three-year project to understand the ethical problems that arose for lawyers involved in the Post Office scandal, and how they can be avoided in future, has been launched.
Strike-off for solicitor who kept charity in dark while overcharging estate
A solicitor who overcharged a deceased client’s estate by £35,000 and sold his house to a company owned by a trust of which she was a beneficiary has been struck off.
SDT “went easy” on solicitor who tried to trick farmer out of tenancy
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal was wrong to find that an agricultural law solicitor who used a ‘common’ ruse to trick an opponent was not dishonest.
Big fine for solicitor’s sexual harassment “a clear message”, says SDT
A male City solicitor who sexually harassed a female solicitor at a work event has been fined £30,000 in what a tribunal said was a “clear message” that such behaviour is “completely unacceptable”.
SQE stands up in the era of ChatGPT, says SRA chief
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination holds up well in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, the boss of the Solicitors Regulation Authority says today.
Blog
Why this is the year for law firms to embrace generative AI
After more than a year of pilots, proofs of value and early experimentation, firms are increasingly embedding AI into day-to-day workflows.
Client account interest is not spare change
The proposed Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts scheme is being framed as a sensible, international, “tried and tested” way for the profession to help fund a justice system under strain.
The formula for finance-enabled business development
Client concentration or over-dependence now counts as a top strategic risk for 26% of firms. Cross-selling is an antidote – a way to bolster revenue resilience without relying on client acquisition.
