Latest news
Government opens new front in criminal legal aid fight by bulking up Public Defender Service
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is bulking up the Public Defender Service (PDS) “as a way of breaking the dispute with advocates over fees”, it was claimed yesterday. The MoJ said last year that it viewed the PDS in part “as a safeguard against market failure”.
QASA given green light by High Court as JR fails
A judicial review of the Legal Services Board’s approval of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocacy (QASA) has today been comprehensively rejected by the High Court.
High Court stiffens penalties against solicitors over “opaque” conveyancing quotes
A law firm whose clients were unaware of the true cost of their conveyancing after being reeled in with low quotes did not take unfair advantage of them, the High Court has ruled. However, the fines imposed by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal were too low.
SRA reveals some of 136 firms without PII insurance have “failed to close”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a list of 136 firms that failed to renew their professional indemnity insurance since October, but said a small number have failed to close properly.
Cypriot construction consultancy becomes ABS for its international kudos
An international construction law consultancy has become an alternative business structure (ABS) in order to take advantage of the esteem in which English firms are held elsewhere in the world, in one of the more unusual ABSs seen to date.
Clifford Chance focuses on process as it trains all lawyers in ‘Continuous Improvement’ principles
Global giant Clifford Chance is rolling out firm-wide training in Continuous Improvement (CI) methodologies as it embraces the concept of law as a process. It has already reported increased efficiencies in several areas of operation.
SME legal advice website returns to crowdfunding for investment
An online legal service aimed at small businesses yesterday launched its second round of ‘crowdfunding’ in less than a year, while awaiting an alternative business structure (ABS) licence with a view to obtaining further equity.
STEP volunteers will writing code of practice to fill regulatory vacuum
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners members will have to abide by a code of practice when they write wills, part of an attempt by the society to fill the regulatory vacuum.
City solicitors struck off after private prosecution win High Court appeal
Two City solicitors struck off following a rare private prosecution before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal have won a High Court battle that gives them a second chance to fight the allegations against them.
Time to reform the Law Society council? Senior figure thinks it might be
The chairman of the body responsible for the make-up of the Law Society’s ruling council will today start the ball rolling on possible governance reforms amid concern over ever-falling interest among solicitors in who represents them.
Blog
Preparing people for the pace of technological change
While technology often dominates the conversation, I believe the most important challenge facing law firms is not adopting new tools – it is preparing people to adapt alongside them.
Reorientation in the AI era must begin with the client
Much of the discussion about AI in the legal industry focuses on technology: which tools to adopt and which tasks might get automated. But this misses the deeper story.
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
