Latest news
Supreme Court refuses to hear two cases on solicitors’ rights
The Supreme Court has let down both the profession and clients by refusing to hear two cases on solicitors’ rights brought by a specialist London law firm, its managing partner has argued.
New chair of LSB viewed single regulator for lawyers as “inevitable”
A vastly experienced regulator who once described the prospect of a single regulator for lawyers as “inevitable” has been named as the new chair of the Legal Services Board.
Solicitor struck off for lying over legal aid debt fails in appeal
A solicitor who lied about not having a bank account or any income other than benefits to avoid repaying a debt to the Legal Aid Agency has failed in his appeal against being struck off.
“No sensible reason” for split profession anymore, says leading KC
There is in principle “no sensible reason for a split profession”, with the distinction between solicitors and barristers making little sense in the modern world, a leading silk said yesterday.
Fast-growing ABS expands again but this year’s focus is on profit
An alternative business structure which launched as a specialist conveyancing firm with three staff in March 2019 now has more than 100 in multiple practice areas as it opens a fifth office.
Crypto world opens up opportunities for solicitors, says SRA
Solicitors could improve their productivity by using distributed ledger technology but need to take care if a client wants to pay by cryptocurrency, the SRA has cautioned.
Will-writing clients increasingly interested in add-on services
Consumers are increasingly interested in add-on services to will-writing, such as funeral plans, and are also more open to online delivery of those services, new research has found.
Barrister wins nine-year fight to overturn critical tribunal findings
The employment tribunal has set aside a ruling from 2014 that a former law firm director, now a barrister, was guilty of serious financial impropriety.
Solicitors may now avoid SDT for significant but inadvertent breaches
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s new fining powers mean that significant but inadvertent breaches need no longer be referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, the pair have agreed.
Law firms flock to support National Conveyancing Week
Some 67 law firms have so far pledged their support for the first ever National Conveyancing Week in March, an initiative which aims to boost the profile and understanding of conveyancing.
Blog
The profession can play a greater role in improving access to justice
In this, the third blog of my series, I focus on what lawyers in the UK can do to improve access to justice through greater professional stewardship.
Does AI work for conveyancers? We asked those on the front line
What is the view on AI from conveyancers themselves? Based on a Dye & Durham’s roundtable discussion on AI, the answer is: it depends.
Is the legal profession ready for agentic AI?
An AI agent is difficult to supervise. By design, it works in the background. It means a solicitor can be held responsible for work they had no real means to oversee.
Reports
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