Practice Management
SRA mulls centralised assessment of would-be solicitors as City firm launches ‘earn as you learn’ qualification
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has begun work on developing a “centralised assessment of competence” that potential solicitors would have to pass to qualify, it has emerged. It comes as Mayer Brown became the first City law firm to unveil a six-year ‘articled apprenticeship’ programme.
New video platform is “missing link” for direct access barristers
A new video platform has been hailed as the “missing link” in improving the ability of direct access barristers to attract more clients. Virtual chambers ShenSmith has been trialling ODRO Vision.
“Veyo will fail”, predicts CEO of UK’s biggest conveyancer
The chief executive of Britain’s biggest conveyancing firm, myhomemove, has predicted that Veyo, the online portal launched yesterday by the Law Society and Mastek, “will fail”. Doug Crawford was unveiling a new version of myhomemove’s eWay.
Veyo gets off the ground with 80 firms
Veyo, the online conveyancing portal developed by the Law Society and IT giant Mastek, went live today with around 80 law firms taking part in the first phase. A much larger group of 1,800 firms which expressed an interest in the system will be able to join shortly.
Get solicitors to triage legal problems pro bono, says Law Society
Solicitors working pro bono could offer a triage system to people who cannot, or think they cannot, afford a lawyer so that they can understand their options for resolving legal disputes, the Law Society has told the new government.
Judge castigates “by far the worst solicitor witness I have ever seen”
A judge has launched an extraordinary attack on “by far the worst solicitor witness I have ever seen giving evidence in the witness box”. Edward Abenson told Legal Futures that the judge was “very harsh” on him.
Dentons creates legal business accelerator to push forward innovation in the law
International law firm Dentons has launched NextLaw Labs, “a global collaborative innovation platform” to develop and invest in new technologies and “transform the practice of law around the world”.
GC Hub aims to save in-house lawyers and law firms time and money
A former Addleshaw Goddard partner has set up a website to help in-house lawyers and law firms work together more effectively. Richard Fleetwood is working on GC Hub with the former head of legal at Rolls-Royce.
Solicitors urged to learn from retailers to help improve client satisfaction
Problems with communication continue to dog solicitors, the results of the largest-ever client research have shown, while the way they follow up potential leads is another area where major improvement is needed.
Gap in the market for “go-to employment advice website”
There is still a gap in the market for an “essential, go-to website for employment law”, Professor Roger Smith, solicitor and former director of JUSTICE, has said in an update to his report on digital delivery for people on low incomes.
Blog
Why good governance matters when managing Law Society forms
Everyday legal transactions rely on Law Society forms. But they are often treated as static templates rather than what they really are: living documents that change over time.
A letter from the SRA? Your first reaction matters
An email from the SRA has a way of rearranging a working day. It arrives in the same inbox as everything else, often in the same measured tone, yet it carries a different weight.
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
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