Barristers
Cry freedom: New rules “strengthen regulators’ independence”
The Legal Services Board has finalised revised rules to ensure clearer separation of regulatory and representative functions at bodies like the Law Society and Bar Council.
BSB reduces publication periods for misbehaving barristers
The Bar Standards Board is to cut the length of time that sanctions imposed on misbehaving barristers appear on its website, on the Bar Register and when it responds to requests for information.
Consumer panel urges regulators to publish complaints data
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has criticised legal regulators’ continuing “resistance” to publishing complaints data about the lawyers they oversee.
Inns of Court to be first provider of new Bar training course
The Inns of Court College of Advocacy is set to be the first organisation approved to run the new Bar training course, which it is doing on a not-for-profit basis.
Chambers “must publish” data on sexual orientation and religion
The Legal Services Board has approved a new rule requiring chambers to include sexual orientation and religion in the diversity data they publish on their websites, whether or not all of their barristers agree.
“I need a good PA,” says barrister who practised illegally for four years
A barrister who worked without a practising certificate for more than four years – which is a criminal offence – told a disciplinary tribunal he could do with “a good PA”.
White students still way out ahead in race for pupillages
White students are significantly more likely to obtain pupillage than those from BAME backgrounds, with the gap widest among those who have not achieved the highest results, new figures have shown.
Exclusive: First Bar Standards Board ABS closes down
The first alternative business structure licensed by the Bar Standards Board – a combination of barristers and football agents – has shut down, Legal Futures can reveal.
“Formal periodic reaccreditation” for lawyers back on the table
The Legal Services Board is set to begin work on a a review of continuing competence that will revisit the possibility of formal periodic reaccreditation for lawyers.
LSB agrees to limit price transparency to public access barristers
The Legal Services Board has approved Bar Standards Board plans which will require public access barristers, but not other self-employed barristers, to publish fees for routine legal services on their websites.
Blog
Could unpredictable AI costs finally lead firms to true value pricing?
For years, the legal profession has talked of moving away from the billable hour to value-based pricing without quite managing it.
Is your Google Ads budget funding your competitors’ AI visibility?
If your cost-per-click has crept up again this year, you’ve probably assumed the market simply got more expensive. That’s the wrong way to read what’s happening.
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.
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