Regulation
Publishing prices “will encourage small businesses to use solicitors”
Publishing prices is likely to encourage small businesses that are wary of the cost of legal advice to start using lawyers, new research has suggested.
Multiple choice in SQE ‘better than people think’
Multiple choice questions will enhance the Solicitors Qualifying Examination if done well, according to the person charged with designing it.
Barristers not making harassment complaints to regulator
Reports of sexual harassment at the Bar are not turning into formal complaints to barristers’ regulator, new figures have shown.
New law firm compliance role for insurance goes live
A new compliance role for many law firms goes live today, with an insurance distribution officer required for those that advise clients on insurance policies.
Online quote generators “must give instant results”
Consumers using an online estimate generator should not have to give lawyers their contact details before receiving the figure, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has said.
High-profile solicitor facing tribunal over online spats with “neo-Nazis”
Renowned media lawyer Mark Lewis is to face a disciplinary tribunal over allegations that he posted offensive messages on social media, believed to be in response to alleged “neo-Nazi” trolls.
Solicitor cleared over advice to wrongly convicted client
A solicitor has been cleared by a disciplinary tribunal over an accusation that a failure to do his job properly led to a client being wrongly convicted of assault.
Non-solicitor fee-earners sanctioned for creating false letters
Non-solicitor fee-earners at two law firms who created fake letters – one for his own direct benefit – have been sanctioned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
SRA pushes for lay majorities on disciplinary panels
Panels sitting in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal should have a lay majority under a new regime where the civil standard of proof applies, the SRA has argued.
London firm sanctioned for breach of undertaking
A London law firm that breached an undertaking given during a property transaction – in part because of a recalcitrant client – has been rebuked and fined £2,000.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
