Practice Management
“Nobody listens to the Law Society”, says leading academic
Professor Avrom Sherr, one of the country’s leading legal academics, has said that “nobody listens to the Law Society” since it lost its regulatory role.
Law school chiefs warn against central assessment test for would-be solicitors
Legal education providers have warned that the possible introduction of a new, centralised assessment test for all would-be solicitors by the Solicitors Regulation Authority could be “a step back”.
Mass confusion over PII cover as SRA warns 1,863 firms that they are entering shut-down
Many of the 1,863 law firms e-mailed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority last Thursday that their apparent lack of professional indemnity insurance meant they would have to move into a period of shut-down had cover after all, it emerged.
Barrister entrepreneur launches drafting service for lawyers
Barrister entrepreneur William Rees has launched an online drafting service aimed at mainly at solicitors in small firms. The business provides “customised templates”, which aim to be more tailored to lawyers’ requirements and individual cases than traditional precedents.
Law firms and chambers told to up their game on diversity or face “nuclear” option of quotas
Law firms and chambers need to accelerate the increase in workforce diversity if they are to ward off the “nuclear” option of quotas being imposed, the Black Solicitors Network (BSN) has warned.
“Beyond comprehension” why struggling law firm failed to make HMRC arrangement
A tribunal judge has described as “beyond comprehension” the failure of a financially struggling law firm to make special arrangements with HMRC under the ‘time to pay’ scheme.
Government plugs hole in inducement ban by stopping solicitors using third parties
The government has secured an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill banning inducements for personal injury claims offered by unregulated third parties linked to law firms.
SRA’s competence statement wins high marks from solicitors
Solicitors, consumers and businesses who took part in research for the Solicitors Regulation Authority have given high marks to a draft competence statement, which aims to define the standards needed to enter and remain in the profession.
Average big firm PEP tops £1m but fee income per hour falls
Average profit per equity partner (PEP) for the top 10 law firms has exceeded £1m for first time since 2008, reaching £1.03m, while they also recorded a record average profit margin of 40%, PwC has reported.
Rating and review website recruits 1,300 solicitors
Over 1,300 solicitors – from small practices to some of the biggest in the City – have joined rating and review website VouchedFor, and 1,100 client reviews have already been posted, the company has said.
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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