Latest news
Gender pay gap in law remains wide, Law Society report finds
Women in the largest law firms earn a fifth less than men on average, and the gender pay gap is 50% wider than for businesses nationally, a Law Society analysis has found.
Property search merger could lead to higher costs, warns watchdog
The merger of two of the four big property search providers faces an in-depth probe unless they can show it will not reduce competition and increase costs to conveyancers and others.
Pandemic earnings show “resilience and adaptability” of legal sector
Strong revenue figures from the largest UK law firms during the pandemic showed the “resilience and adaptability” of legal sector during this “difficult period”, the CityUK has said.
Litigants in person continue to shun Official Injury Claim portal
The number of claims begun in the Official Injury Claim portal increased in the second quarter of its operation but once more fewer than 10% of them were brought by litigants in person.
AML crackdown needed on lawyers who enable kleptocrats
An overhaul of anti-money laundering legislation – including targeting professional enablers like lawyers – is needed if the UK is to create a “hostile environment for the world’s kleptocrats”.
Solicitor convicted of assaulting elderly mother suspended indefinitely
A solicitor found guilty of assaulting his elderly mother with a pan has been indefinitely suspended to allow him the chance to address his problems with alcohol.
New analysis cannot explain why BAME lawyers and solicitors struggle to reach bench
Other factors do not explain why solicitors and lawyers from ethnic minorities fare worse when applying for judicial appointments, the Ministry of Justice has found.
The power of words: project aims to change the language of family law
A project seeks to make family law easier to understand and less hostile – between both parties and lawyers – has been launched by a London solicitor.
Barrister’s winding-up petition over ‘loan’ for solicitors’ fees struck out
The High Court has struck out a barrister’s petition to wind up a company he said he loaned £30,000 so it could pay the solicitors he introduced to them.
LSB paves way for “remedial action” to ensure lawyers’ competence
Regulators of legal services must develop plans for “remedial action to address competence issues” among lawyers, according to a draft policy statement published today by the Legal Services Board.
Blog
A letter from the SRA? Your first reaction matters
An email from the SRA has a way of rearranging a working day. It arrives in the same inbox as everything else, often in the same measured tone, yet it carries a different weight.
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
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