Practice Management
Start-ups boosted by £1.2m investment and top judge hire
PocketLaw, a start-up aiming to provide a one-stop shop for the legal needs of SMEs, has secured further funding of £1.2m, while an online divorce service has named a top judge as an advisor.
Major study proposes ODR to handle small business debt cases
An online dispute resolution platform would help solve the problem of late payment debt by providing SMEs with a quick and cheap alternative to traditional lawyer-based solutions.
Law Society: Solicitors must not use AI without clients’ consent
Clients should be put at the heart of legal technology by law firms, including being asked for consent before artificial intelligence is deployed, solicitors have been told.
Technology and innovation “step-change” in last year but barriers persist
The past year has seen a “step change” in the adoption of legal technology and innovation, in part as a result of Covid-19, a major piece of new research has found. However, significant barriers remain.
Fears about using judicial data to predict judges’ actions “exaggerated”
Access to judicial data should be made easier to increase public trust, while fears it will be used to create accurate predictions of what judges will do are overblown, a seminar heard last week.
Investment in lawtech companies doubles but firms lag behind
The average annual growth rate for investment in UK lawtech companies over the past three years has hit 101%, a much bigger number than that seen in sectors such as finance or health.
Blockchain network aims to provide “missing link” for conveyancing
A house in Kent is the first being sold using a blockchain network that connects conveyancers with estate agents and mortgage lenders.
Public supports stronger ongoing competence checks for lawyers
There is near unanimity among the public that lawyers should have to demonstrate more actively than now that they remain competent throughout their careers, the Legal Services Board has found.
Pregnant trainee fails in claim over no post-qualification job offer
A solicitor who claimed she was not offered a job after completing her training contract because she was pregnant has lost her discrimination claim in the employment tribunal.
Child sex offender loses appeal based on inadequate legal advice
The Court of Appeal has rejected the claim that a man convicted of a sexual offence after a police officer posed online as a child was given inadequate legal advice.
Blog
What challenges will the Bar face in the next five years?
As we look towards the end of 2021 and at how the Bar has adapted to the harsh realities of the pandemic, the question beckons as to what the future holds.
The rise of cyber-criminal threat for law firms since Covid-19
The global coronavirus pandemic, and the rise in people working from home, has unfortunately provoked a growth in cyber-crime. The UK government estimates that the cost of cyber-crime is £27bn per annum.
How to ensure your ATE cover is adequate security for costs
When does an after-the-event insurance policy provide adequate security for a defendant’s costs? The short answer is that it very much depends on the wording of the particular policy.
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