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Students from white backgrounds are almost twice as likely as those from black backgrounds to pass the legal practice course (LPC), new figures have revealed. They also revealed a massive performance gap between LPC institutions, with one provider achieving a pass rate of 100%, compared to 30% for the worst performer.

Paralegals should be given rights of audience to enable them to do more legal aid work, an academic has argued. The head of the law and criminology department at the University of East London said “any future changes to legal aid policy should favour paralegals undertaking a larger amount of the caseload”.

Professor Chris Bones has been named the first chair of the CILEx Group as the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives presses ahead with its major governance restructuring. He has experience in the private, public and third sectors, notably becoming the first non-academic dean of Henley Business School.

Times are tough for claimant personal injury lawyers, but while many expect substantial consolidation in the market over the coming 18 months, competition is becoming fiercer than ever, according to new research. Advertising spend and costs were spiralling upwards both online and on TV as firms look to grab greater shares of the market.

There has been a surprise 14% increase in the number of students enrolling on the Bar professional training course, it has emerged. It comes despite concern among Bar leaders that the burden of student debt is having a negative impact on the junior Bar.

The leading unregulated provider of employment law services unfairly dismissed a senior employee, an employment tribunal has found. Peninsula, which describes itself as the UK’s “largest and leading” employment law firm, breached the employer’s implied duty of trust and confidence in imposing new terms and conditions.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has expressed surprise that City giant Clifford Chance was not charged with a lack of integrity or acting recklessly in its conduct of the Excalibur case, it has emerged. However, despite being “very troubled” by the limited nature of the allegations of misconduct, the tribunal concluded that it could not go behind the SRA’s charge sheet.

Lawyers have experienced a worrying level of bullying and intimidation, according to a massive international study, while diversity policies have failed to help women achieve equality in legal practice. It also found significant discrimination existed against women in the well-paid commercial law field, slowing their advancement.

The Land Registry is to publish how many incomplete applications it receives from the top 500 conveyancing firms as part of its commitment to opening up its data. It sends out 5,000 requisitions every day to conveyancers for further information or action before their applications can be completed.

Alternative business structure LegalZoom Legal Services is being sued in the United States as part of a claim that its American parent company is engaged in the unauthorised practice of law, Legal Futures can reveal. California-based LegalForce claims LegalZoom is using ownership of the ABS as a way to offer legal advice in the US.