Compliance & Regulation
Barrister jailed for obtaining drugs from criminal clients
A barrister infamous for his conviction for possession of drugs that led to the death of his boyfriend has been jailed for 14 months after obtaining drugs from clients he was representing.
City solicitor sexually obsessed with teenage co-worker struck off
A City lawyer who shared intimate pictures with a teenage apprentice and sent her a video of him pleasuring himself was yesterday struck off.
Acting for “environment-harming” clients “not about access to justice”
Decisions taken by law firms to act for clients, including “environment-harming” fossil fuel companies and others, are not about access to justice or legal ethics, a leading academic has argued.
Government finally unveils laws to clamp down on SLAPPs
The government is to define in law what a SLAPP is in relation to economic crime and require claimants to prove it has a reasonable chance of success to advance it in court.
CILEX move “could open door to single regulator”
The dispute between CILEX and its regulator opens the door to a single regulator for the legal profession, another of the regulators has cautioned.
Solicitor handed record SRA fine for accounts rules breaches
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has fined a senior partner £18,750 for accounts rules breaches – the biggest fine for an individual since the regulator was given increased powers last year.
Pandemic experience has given lawyers more confidence in tech
The experience of the pandemic has given lawyers greater confidence in innovation and technology, leading to a “step change” in their use over the past three years, major research has found.
Solicitor failed to tell clients their claims had been struck out
A senior solicitor who misled two clients for three years over the progress of their personal injury claims – when they had actually been struck out – has been struck off.
“About time” – Post Office replaces HSF as Horizon inquiry lawyers
The Post Office has replaced City giant Herbert Smith Freehills as its solicitors for the ongoing Horizon IT Inquiry, it announced yesterday, a move observers suggested was overdue.
Career barriers “could widen ethnicity attainment gap” in SQE
Career barriers facing law students from ethnic minority backgrounds could affect their performance in the SQE if they feel there is little point in doing well.
Blog
The best legal AI doesn’t replace rules-based engines – it completes them
There is a belief circulating in legal tech that AI can solve everything – that LLMs are universally superior to what came before. It is not always true, however.
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%.
