Practice Management
Partners want to work less but have more time for unbillable activities
Three in 10 partners at large firms are unhappy with their working hours, with many also not keen to undertake non-billable work unrelated to business development, research has found.
Top 50 law firms heading for “two-track” future
Variations in progress among the top 50 law firms over the past five years is leading to a “two-track” market where one group is likely to “accelerate past” the rest, a report has argued.
“Misconception” that review websites are bad for small firms
The belief that review websites favour big law firms which can provide large numbers of reviews is a misconception, a leading provider has argued.
Working days “could be replaced by aggregated maximum time”
Future professionals’ working lives could be based not on “working days or even patterns” but on “aggregated maximum time” during which they are accountable to their employer.
Flexible working overtakes pay as top priority for job-seeking lawyers
Flexible working has overtaken pay as the top priority for lawyers looking for a change of job, a survey has found. Meanwhile, feelings of job security have increased massively over the past year.
Leading firms prepare to offer part-time working to all trainees
Two large law firms – Osborne Clarke and Eversheds Sutherland – have said that they will offer all their trainees the opportunity to work part-time from September 2024.
Reduce AML officers’ billable targets, regulator tells firms
Firms should relieve lawyers who hold their anti-money laundering compliance roles of some of their fee-earning workload and consider appointing deputies too, the SRA has said.
Leading firm vets clients for conflicts with social purpose
The law firm leading the new wave of firms balancing profit with social purpose has turned down “quite a lot” of potential clients for ethical reasons, its managing partner revealed last week.
Pandemic has hindered lawyers’ careers, survey finds
Half of all legal professionals think that the pandemic has been detrimental to their career, with many now looking for new roles, according to a survey conducted by a Kent law firm.
“Basic errors” keep law firms scoring low for customer experience
Law firms record lower scores for customer experience than other professional sectors, with a host of “basic and avoidable errors” costing them new business, a survey has found.
Blog
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
Recruitment, retention and reward in the legal accounts world
Understanding the legal finance market is important – not just for those actively involved in it day-to-day but also for leaders within law firms.
