Barristers

Law schools are not taking advantage of the “enormous regulatory freedom” they have and instead are largely all offering the same kind of law degree, new research has found.

Chambers should give barristers the right to return to work after two or three years of parental leave, the Western Circuit Women’s Forum has said.

Communications giant BT has handed over ownership of its alternative business structure to listed law firm DWF, it has emerged. Meanwhile, an Italian law firm has set up a BSB-regulated ABS.

The Competition and Markets Authority has ramped up the pressure on the Bar Standards Board over its decision to stop funding the cross-regulator Legal Choices website.

The Legal Services Board has issued a thinly veiled warning to the Bar Standards Board over the need to invest “substantially” in consumer information after withdrawing from funding Legal Choices.

The Bar Council has strongly criticised the Bar Standards Board for bombarding barristers with updates to its handbook which risked becoming “overwhelming”.

An employment tribunal has rejected all the claims of discrimination, victimisation and whistleblowing made by a barrister who also acted as the chambers manager.

A barrister who posted a number of offensive and disparaging comments about a member of the public on Facebook has been suspended from practice.

Barristers who use social media inappropriately will face disciplinary action even if they believe they are doing so in their private capacity, the Bar Standards Board has warned.

The Legal Services Board could steal a march on the Solicitors Regulation Authority by holding at least one of its board meetings in public, it has emerged.