Regulation
‘Upskirting’ Brexit barrister banned for six months
A senior government barrister, who was one of the first people convicted of ‘upskirting’, has been banned from returning to practice for six months after he completes his sentence.
Quality of AML reports from solicitors “getting worse”
The quality of one of the two main kinds of anti-money laundering reports made by solicitors has got significantly worse, a senior manager at the National Crime Agency said yesterday.
Commercial property solicitor’s “outrageous failure” leads to strike-off
A solicitor whose conduct of several property transactions has triggered multi-million-pound negligence claims against his former firm has now been struck off.
PII market “only getting harder” after 17% premium increase
The market for professional indemnity insurance is likely to continue to worsen but future premium rises should not be at the average of 17% seen this autumn, a leading broker has predicted.
Solicitor ordered to repay small part of legal aid fraud proceeds
A solicitor and her partner who defrauded a law firm and the Legal Aid Agency of almost £95,000 in a translation scam will have to repay just £5,584, a court decided last week.
Transparency “will cure ills” of conveyancing referral fees
Transparency over referral fees in conveyancing work will drive out bad practice, a government official said yesterday, while also calling for greater consistency in how law firms publish their prices.
Barristers aim to end “shocking” lack of diversity on Western Circuit
A group of barristers has launched a bid to end what they describe as a “shocking” lack of diversity on the Western Circuit, where none of the full-time circuit judges are from BAM) backgrounds.
Barristers sanctioned for misconduct while working as or for solicitors
Two barristers who have faced the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal have now been sanctioned by the Bar’s counterpart, with one being disbarred and the other reprimanded.
Lord Chancellor rails against lawyers who “vaunt political views” online
The Lord Chancellor yesterday told lawyers who “vaunt their political views” on social media to raise their profile and attract work that they are giving the profession a bad name.
SRA beefs up NDA guidance to highlight conduct concerns
The SRA has revised its guidance on NDAs to make clear that it is concerned about the conduct of practitioners advising on and negotiating them, as well as the terms of the agreement.
Blog
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.
When AI adoption goes wrong, costs add up fast
City AM recently reported that London is fighting to claim the title of ‘global capital of legal AI’. However, it’s crucial we remember that adoption alone does not create value.
Gen Z lawyers vs identity, sacrifice and success
This conversation began with my training principal, who admitted something many senior lawyers quietly feel: “I struggle to understand what motivates Gen Z lawyers.”
