Compliance & Regulation
Lawyers should have to take competence tests “every 10 years”
Lawyers should have to take online tests every 10 years to prove that they remain competent in their specialist fields, the chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel said yesterday.
Solicitor jailed for defrauding firm of £2.3m over seven years
A partner who defrauded his firm of £2.3m over seven years – some of which was done with the help of a client – has been jailed for four years and also struck off as a solicitor.
Solicitor rebuked for failing to report staff member’s conviction
A solicitor who failed to report that a fee-earner he employed had been convicted of an immigration offence has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Solicitors fined for failing to prevent £3.3m property fraud
Two directors of an alternative business structure have been fined for not supervising a branch office where a fellow director and a bogus solicitor carried out a £3.3m property fraud.
SRA fines six firms for failing to provide AML compliance declaration
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published details of fines levied against six law firms for failing to confirm in time that they had a compliant anti-money laundering firm-wide risk assessment.
Solicitor who charged £9,000 for doing nothing is struck off
A solicitor who charged a client’s estate fees of over £9,000 during a period of “complete inactivity” has been struck off. He was both its executor and residuary beneficiary.
Solicitor suspended for “complete dereliction of duty”
A solicitor who held nearly 1,500 historical client balances and whose failure to remedy accounts rule breaches was described as a “complete dereliction of duty”, has been suspended for two years.
Supreme Court lays out “new legal roadmap” for professional negligence
The Supreme Court has provided a “wholly new legal roadmap” for professional negligence after its ruling last week in two linked cases, the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association has said.
Review to probe impact of Post Office scandal on lawyer regulation
A probe into the lessons of the Post Office scandal for corporate governance, criminal justice and lawyer regulation has been launched and will push regulators to effect change.
SRA to follow FCA on capping claims management fees
The SRA is to follow the approach of the Financial Conduct Authority when capping the fees law firms charge for financial services claims management work – and will leave personal injury work alone for now.
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.”
