Practice Management
Government ensures paper-based access to online courts
The Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons yesterday after the government added further protection for those unable or unwilling to use online processes.
Law firms “doing more training” since end of hours-based CPD
Four in ten law firms are doing more professional training following the end of the hours-based approach, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.
BLM launches robot claims handler – but “it won’t replace humans”
A robot claims handler which can take “subjective decisions” about the reliability of witnesses will not replace its human colleagues, the law firm behind it has said.
VC fund targets lawtech with focus on big data
Venture capitalists have launched a fund aimed at lawtech start-ups, with an emphasis on businesses that hope to exploit big data for corporate decision making.
Advice app backed by Slater & Gordon rolls out nationally
An app that offers users the full range of consumer legal advice and support for up to £24 a month is being rolled out after a pilot saw 70% of users renew their subscription.
Complete online process for money claims “ready next year”
Technology allowing litigants to run a civil money claim online from beginning to end should be in place by this time next year, with nearly 70,000 having already used the more limited version available now.
Susskind clashes with MPs on digital exclusion
Professor Richard Susskind, IT adviser to the Lord Chief Justice, clashed with MPs yesterday over whether the government’s court modernisation programme is doing enough to combat digital exclusion.
Bias still hindering women targeting partnership at big firms
Only 33% of new partners at Europe’s biggest law firms are women with bias from both male colleagues and male clients the main reason for gender imbalance, a report has found.
Peers back greater role for Lord Chief in online court rules
Former Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge yesterday defeated government efforts to limit the extent to which future holders of the post will have a veto over the work of the online procedure rule committee.
Digital conveyancing used to market high-value commercial property
The march of blockchain-backed property transactions accelerated this week when a high-value commercial building went on the market with online execution offered by a digital estate agent.
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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