Compliance & Regulation
City partner struck off for “bizarre” inflated billing
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has described as “bizarre and not credible” an account given by a City partner of how she valued at £220,000 legal work for a client she had billed at only £3,800.
Technology and innovation “step-change” in last year but barriers persist
The past year has seen a “step change” in the adoption of legal technology and innovation, in part as a result of Covid-19, a major piece of new research has found. However, significant barriers remain.
Men four times more likely than women to appear before SDT
Men are four times more likely than women to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, despite gender parity in the profession, academics have found.
Dishonest but “humanitarian” solicitor avoids strike-off
A solicitor found to have misled a court, lied to a client about receiving money from them and falsely held himself out as a notary public has avoided being struck off.
Call for law to enforce undertakings given by incorporated law firms
Parliament should extend the courts’ supervisory jurisdiction over solicitors’ undertakings to cover those given by incorporated law firms, particularly LLPs, the Supreme Court said today.
SRA: Number of workplace bullying investigations on the rise
Solicitors under investigation by their regulator are increasingly citing workplace bullying as a reason for their misconduct, according to a report published yesterday.
High Court criticises Bar Standards Board for “unjust” decisions
The High Court has ruled that the Bar Standards Board made “unjust and unsustainable” decisions in refusing a Bar student’s application for an exemption from the vocational element of his training.
Firms “overlooking compliance implications” of homeworking
Most law firms are planning to formalise hybrid working arrangements for staff but a significant number have yet to deal with all the compliance implications, research has found.
We need more judges with CILEX backgrounds, says Buckland
The Lord Chancellor yesterday described CILEX lawyers as some of the most impressive lawyers he has seen and said the country needed more judges from their ranks.
Regulators target inconsistencies in approach to bullying and harassment
Work has begun to create a consistent approach across all the legal regulators to sexual misconduct, racial harassment, bullying and other forms of “anti-inclusive misconduct”.
Blog
Containing the spread of unapproved AI
Nearly 60% of fee-earners admit to using unapproved tools (like free versions of ChatGPT). Yet 68% of firm leaders are confident there is zero risk of unapproved AI being used for client work.
When AI adoption goes wrong, costs add up fast
City AM recently reported that London is fighting to claim the title of ‘global capital of legal AI’. However, it’s crucial we remember that adoption alone does not create value.
Gen Z lawyers vs identity, sacrifice and success
This conversation began with my training principal, who admitted something many senior lawyers quietly feel: “I struggle to understand what motivates Gen Z lawyers.”
