Legal Services Board
Hires round-up: Competition Commission director joins LSB as Jordans makes first post-ABS hire
The focus of the Legal Services Board on competition in the legal market looks set to intensify after it appointed the inquiry director at the Competition Commission as its new strategy chief. It is one of several key appointments announced recently.
LSB calls for 50-fold increase in SRA fining power
A consultation on a fresh attempt by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to increase its powers to fine law firms has closed with familiar battle lines drawn, with the Legal Services Board backing the move and the Law Society opposing it.
Legal Futures interview lands Bar Council chief in hot water with LSB
Comments made by the new Bar Council chairman in an interview with Legal Futures have led the Legal Services Board to doubt whether the Bar Council truly accepted the recent findings that it improperly influenced its regulatory arm.
Kenny: reviving self-regulation would see a return to the bad old days
Resurrecting self-regulation of lawyers – as the Law Society and Bar Council are urging the government to do – would be “an obstacle to progress” for legal services providers and consumers alike, the Legal Services Board has warned.
Gulf opens between profession and consumer groups over LSB lay chairs proposal
The Legal Services Board’s consultation on its plan to oblige frontline regulators to have lay chairs has met a barrage of opposition from regulators and lawyers, pitted against consumer advocates, which strongly backed the measure.
New Bar Council chief hits out at LSB independence investigation
The Legal Services Board made “a mountain out of a molehill” with its investigation into Bar Council interference with its independent regulator, the new chairman of the Bar has claimed.
Lawyers and regulators reject LSB plan to direct future of education and training
Responses to the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) legal education and training framework have revealed broad opposition to its proposal to invoke statutory powers to ensure frontline regulators fall into line behind the LSB’s vision.
Attorney General “warned LSB about regulatory creep” but indicates no roll-back of Clementi
The Attorney General has warned about the “danger” of regulators micro-managing the legal profession, but also indicated that the government is unlikely to roll back the Clementi reforms that led to the creation of independent regulators.
Papers reveal Bar intransigence over BSB independence row
The Legal Services Board was on the verge of issuing an unprecedented public censure of the Bar Council over its interference with the independence of the Bar Standards Board, new papers have revealed.
Legal executives to enjoy same rights as solicitors
Chartered legal executives are set to have full parity with solicitors after the Legal Services Board gave them the right to practise litigation and advocacy independently.
Blog
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
The SRA’s 2025 AML report: What law firms need to know
The SRA has released its 2024-25 anti-money laundering report and the scale of supervision is striking – it carried out 935 proactive engagements in the year to 5 April 2025.
