Barristers
Consumer panel attacks BSB over price transparency
Access to justice includes information about lawyers’ fees, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has told the Bar Standards Board. It also called for more focus on barristers’ communication skills.
Bar Council calls for review of rules on fair allocation of work
The Bar Council has called on the Bar Standards Board to review the rules on fair allocation of work for barristers, saying that regulatory attention on diversity should focus on career progression.
Government urges on legal regulators over NDA action
The government is “strongly” encouraging legal regulators to take action over lawyers who advise on the use of potentially unenforceable provisions in non-disclosure agreements.
QC appointment reforms aim to help women apply
Changes to the QC appointment regime aimed to help women apply for silk are to be introduced for the 2019 round, the body in charge of the scheme has announced.
Drunk barrister “cannot remember” misconduct at Bar Mess event
An experienced barrister told a disciplinary tribunal that he was so drunk at a Bar Mess event he “cannot remember” his “entirely unacceptable” behaviour towards a male pupil.
Law Society’s £30m cut of practising fees faces scrutiny
The £30m that the Law Society levies on solicitors for its representative work is to be put under the microscope by the Legal Services Board next year.
Scandal of barrister who informed on clients to police
A criminal barrister has caused a scandal in Australia after it emerged that she was acting as a police informant about her gangland clients at the same as she was defending them.
Incoming Bar chair warns of “nightmare scenario” over regulation
The Bar could be “sleep walking into a nightmare scenario” where new rules mean it has no involvement with its regulator, the incoming chairman of the Bar Council has warned.
Sexual harassment at Bar still a “serious problem”
Young female barristers have been urged to stand firm in the profession despite a widespread prevalence of sexual harassment at the Bar, especially at the level of inappropriate comments.
Some 125 barristers earned more than £1m last year
There were around 125 barristers reporting fees of more than £1m last year, and another 200 who brought in more than £500,000, new figures from the Bar Council have suggested.
Blog
Small steps, big impact: how SME law firms are making legal tech work
For SME law firms, the priority is turning the potential of tech into measurable impact: success is driven not just by the technology, but by how firms approach planning and implementation.
Why housing disrepair claims against councils have leapt by nearly 400%
Housing disrepair claims against councils have surged dramatically in recent years, with some areas reporting increases approaching a staggering 400%.
Client accounts: Opportunity, obligation and the risks in between
The profitability gap between well-run firms and the rest is not primarily a function of size, location or practice area – it is a function of financial management.
