Regulation
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.
“Under pressure” lawyer misled court after amending attendance note
A defendant personal injury lawyer who inaccurately recorded a telephone conversation with the other side in an attendance note – which led to the court being misled – has been fined.
Law firms “doing more training” since end of hours-based CPD
Four in ten law firms are doing more professional training following the end of the hours-based approach, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.
Reprimand for legal executive who asked SRA to keep quiet
A chartered legal executive has been reprimanded for asking the SRA not to tell his own regulator that it had investigated him. Unfortunately for him, they have an information-sharing agreement.
CMC boss faces £1.4m confiscation order over illegal PI data
A man found guilty of illegally obtaining people’s personal data and selling it to personal injury solicitors has been fined for breaches of data protection and issued with a £1.4m confiscation order.
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.
Guidelines “preserve GCs’ independence amidst corporate tension”
Comprehensive guidelines to boost the roles of and relationships between in-house lawyers and non-executive directors have been drawn up, in the hope of minimising the chances of an ethical lapse.
Privy Council backs law firm in battle over “franchise arrangement”
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has backed a leading offshore law firm after it was denied permission to open an office in Bermuda by the local bar council.
“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.
£13k fine for ops chief who resold firm’s mobiles highlights ABS anomaly
The former head of operations at well-known media law firm Schillings has been banned from working for solicitors after reselling the firm’s used mobile phones and pocketing the proceeds.
Blog
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.
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.
