Latest news
Bullying and harassment calls to legal helpline double
Calls from lawyers complaining of bullying and harassment to health support charity LawCare almost doubled last year, but there has been no massive spike in calls about sexual harassment.
Panel questions future of underperforming regulator
The position of the smaller legal regulators has been thrust into the spotlight, with the chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel suggesting that one may be at risk of losing its right to regulate.
Research to probe ethical issues raised by legal technology
A project that will look at the ethical and others issues that technology raises for legal services and their regulation has been launched by the Legal Services Board.
Regulators “must be pressured” to publish lawyers’ disciplinary records
The Legal Services Board is not putting enough pressure on the frontline regulators to publish details of lawyers’ disciplinary records on their online registers, it has been claimed.
Solicitor who took £1m from clients jailed
A solicitor who took almost £1m from the estates of dead clients has been jailed for six years. He charged hugely inflated fees to deal with probate, in one case charging 50 times the estimated fee.
Vos: “Court technology can speed up progress on diversity”
Lawtech can provide a “virtuous circle” that simultaneously both improves access to justice and delivers social and gender mobility to the upper reaches of the judiciary, according to a senior judge.
Female barristers highlight clash between work and family
Research led by female barristers has highlighted the stark choices faced by women trying to balance working in private practice with looking after children.
Mini-pupillages could “indirectly discriminate”, BSB review finds
Unpaid mini-pupillages could “indirectly discriminate” against would-be barristers from poorer backgrounds, a review by the Bar Standards Board has found.
Listed law firm’s shares soar on positive trading update
Keystone Law – the most successful listed law firm in 2018 when judged by share price – saw it soar a further 15% yesterday after a positive trading update.
VAT risk for law firms handling insurers’ claims work
New guidance on delegated authority claims handling by lawyers may create additional VAT costs for law firms and lead to disputes with their insurance clients, accountants have warned.
Blog
Why is Andrew Malkinson still paying for a crime he didn’t commit?
Like many in my profession and beyond, I have been moved by the case of Andrew Malkinson, the man who spent 17 years in prison for an awful crime he did not commit.
What is tech bloat and why is it a problem for law firms?
Too many law firms are adopting shiny new tech without first retiring their legacy systems, causing duplication and unnecessary costs.
The civil courts and the digital divide
Despite the government’s decision to increase Ministry of Justice funding, its budget for 2025-26 is still 14% lower in real terms than in 2007-08.
