Practice Management
“Don’t drain law firms of Black talent”, GCs told
General counsel have become so insistent in demanding that law firms give them Black candidates for secondments and legal work that they are in danger of draining them of Black talent.
Remote hearings “can bring horror into your home”, says judge
A particularly unwelcome issue for judges hearing cases remotely is that some of the most disturbing elements of serious family cases are being heard at home, a High Court judge has reported.
Remote hearing success means no backlog in some family courts
The family court system has adapted so well to remote working that some courts do not have a backlog of cases, the president of the Family Division said yesterday.
Ethics worry with lawyers and lawtech firms “not speaking same language”
Solicitors are concerned that some new legal technology they buy does not take into account their professional rules and ethical duties because lawtech firms are “not speaking the same language”.
Bullying at the Bar “tolerated”, with pupils suffering most
Bullying, discrimination and harassment at the Bar is perceived to be tolerated “to a certain extent” due to its “adversarial, male-dominated culture and competitive nature”, new research has found.
In-house solicitor wins unfair dismissal claim against insurer
A solicitor working in-house at a leading insurer has won his claim for unfair dismissal. But had it followed the correct procedure, the dismissal would likely have been justified, the tribunal said.
Obelisk adds paralegals and junior lawyers to freelance pool
Flexible resourcing pioneer Obelisk Support has launched a new paralegal service for law firms and in-house teams, with plans to add 500 full-time paralegals and junior lawyers to its talent pool.
Employee ownership move like “rocket fuel”, says firm
A niche law firm which advises on employee share ownership and executive pay has become the latest to convert to an employee ownership trust.
Race equality and inclusion in law firms “totally achievable”
Bonuses for managers could be made contingent on improvements in social mobility and the representation of minority ethnic people in law firms, it was suggested yesterday.
Bar Council: Positive action like ‘preferential briefing’ can aid diversity
Positive action – such as giving female barristers preferential access to briefs after returning to chambers from career breaks – can help address diversity problems, the Bar Council says.
Blog
Containing the spread of unapproved AI
Nearly 60% of fee-earners admit to using unapproved tools (like free versions of ChatGPT). Yet 68% of firm leaders are confident there is zero risk of unapproved AI being used for client work.
When AI adoption goes wrong, costs add up fast
City AM recently reported that London is fighting to claim the title of ‘global capital of legal AI’. However, it’s crucial we remember that adoption alone does not create value.
Gen Z lawyers vs identity, sacrifice and success
This conversation began with my training principal, who admitted something many senior lawyers quietly feel: “I struggle to understand what motivates Gen Z lawyers.”
