Regulation
90% of law firms “breaching transparency rules”
The vast majority of law firms are still failing to comply with the SRA rules on price transparency, a survey has found. The news comes with the regulator planning to step up its checks.
GMC can investigate solicitor doctor over legal advice
A claim that a solicitor who is also a doctor provided dishonest advice to his clients can be subject to the General Medical Council’s disciplinary process, the High Court has ruled
EHRC urges compulsory disability training for lawyers
Disability awareness should be a professional requirement, and a mandatory element of criminal lawyers’ CPD, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has recommended.
Trainee falsified LPC certificate to trick SRA
A trainee solicitor who applied to join the roll with a falsified certificate that he had passed the legal practice course has been banned from the profession.
Legal regulators cool on the idea of being abolished
Legal regulators have reacted coolly to the recommendation of Professor Stephen Mayson that they be replaced by a single organisation, arguing instead the case for specialism.
Mayson calls for single regulator of all legal services
All providers of legal services, whether legally qualified or not, should be registered and regulated by a single regulator, Professor Stephen Mayson’s two-year review has concluded.
SRA to beef up AML monitoring of law firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to beef up its monitoring of firms’ anti-money laundering efforts and begin a review of continuing competence, its draft 2020/21 business plan has revealed.
Law Society maintains £134m budget for next year
The cost of practising as a solicitor is set to fall marginally as a result of lower compensation fund contributions, while the Law Society’s £134m budget for 2020-21 remains virtually static.
SRA to press ahead with launch of SQE in autumn 2021
The Covid-19 crisis will not stop the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam in September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said as it published the exam’s final design.
Publishing data could counter “gender brief gap”
Solicitors and barristers should publish data on which advocates are instructed in certain criminal cases as a way to counter the “gender brief gap”, a QC has suggested.
Blog
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
