Practice Management
Conveyancing platform aims to be “central source of truth”
A conveyancing platform which aims to provide a “central source of truth” for buyers, sellers, estate agents and lawyers is being tested by law firms in Kent.
Ban for law firm revenue controller who diverted payments to own bank account
A law firm revenue controller given a suspended jail sentence after diverting £32,000 in payments meant for suppliers to his own bank account has been banned from working in the profession.
SRA keeps SIF open in face of hardening insurance market
A hardening indemnity insurance market and pressure from the Law Society have persuaded the Solicitors Regulation Authority to keep the Solicitors Indemnity Fund open for a further year.
Top firms “need to get clients paying faster” to prepare for next crisis
The top 50 law firms had nearly £6bn of unpaid client invoices on their balance sheets last year and would be better prepared for another crisis like Covid if they reduced this, an analysis has argued.
Google’s Black Founders Fund backs UK lawtech start-up
A contract drafting and review business founded by former Freshfields associates is one of 30 companies to receive funding from the Google for Startups inaugural European Black Founders Fund.
Susskind: “Trainees will learn like astronauts – with virtual reality”
Trainee lawyers in future may do their legal training by using immersive virtual reality software simulating the practice environment, like astronauts preparing for space, Professor Richard Susskind has predicted.
Smaller firms lead the pack on website performance
Two of the smaller firms in the UK top 200 law firms are leading the way on website performance, new research has found. Stephensons and Lindsays ousted Pinsent Masons and DLA.
Swedish start-up brings one-stop business law advice shop to UK
A Swedish start-up which aims to provide a one-stop shop for the legal needs of small and medium-sized businesses launched in the UK this week.
Law firms faced major premium rises in spring PII renewal season
The spring renewal season saw law firms pay a lot more for their PII, with the surge in conveyancing work a concern and contentious probate an increasing problem.
Pandemic has “undermined cohesiveness” of firms, lawyers say
Nearly half of lawyers believe that working remotely during the pandemic has damaged the cohesiveness of their firms, a global study has found.
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.”
