Latest news
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”.
Firm’s failure to pay lawyer’s bonus or promote her was unfair
A law firm that tried to change its head of family’s bonus scheme without notice and failed to promote her as agreed fundamentally breached her contract, a tribunal has ruled.
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.
Law firms failing to help general counsel stay up-to-date
Most general counsel spend at least five hours a week keeping up-to-date with legal developments but law firms are not delivering the content they need.
Ex-solicitor “tried to fraudulently extract money” from escrow account
A disgraced struck-off solicitor has made a “concerted effort” to fraudulently obtain judgment from two courts in a bid to extract money to which he is not entitled, a court has ruled.
Judge deprecates LiPs for impugning opposing lawyers’ integrity
The High Court has sharply criticised two litigants in person for making “baseless accusations” that impugned the integrity of their opponent’s legal team.
Profession “gives least support to lawyers caring for relatives”
The legal profession gives least support to lawyers caring for relatives who are not their children, while lawyers without children are also often overlooked, a poll of freelance lawyers has found.
City law firm staff banned after indecent photos convictions
Two support staff at leading City practices have been banned from the profession after being convicted of possessing indecent photographs of children.
Litigators given deadline to issue and avoid new fixed costs
Civil litigators will have until 29 September to issue claims if they want to avoid the new fixed recoverable costs but personal injury lawyers will not face a similar rush.
More than one in 10 salaried judges bullied in last two years
More than one in 10 of salaried judges have been bullied in the two years, double the figure for fee-paid judges, research commissioned by the judiciary has found.
Blog
The power of participation for trainees and apprentices
It’s important as a trainee or an apprentice to get involved in the life of your firm – even under the pressure of discovering how to navigate professional life and now the demands of the SQE.
Is it time to change how law firms view compliance?
Although COFAs often hold senior positions and play an essential role in a firm’s financial and regulatory integrity, the perception of the compliance function itself is still evolving.
From templates to culture change: Lessons from the SRA on source of funds
The SRA’s new thematic review into source of funds and wealth reveals both progress and persistent blind spots, with source-of-funds checks too often thought of as a procedural hurdle.
