Solicitors
LPC applicants refuse en masse to disclose ethnicity
Nearly 60% of applicants for the legal practice course refused to disclose their ethnicity last year – an extraordinary rise from the 2.3% who refused in 2019.
Lawyers agree ‘baseline document’ for standardised NDA
An initiative to create a standard non-disclosure agreement for use when beginning negotiations over corporate transactions has completed its first phase, with the publication of a ‘baseline document’.
Tribunal refuses to restore sanctioned solicitor’s “pride”
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has refused to remove conditions on the practising certificate of a 63-year-old solicitor who said he wanted to recover his “pride and dignity”.
Tribunal rejects solicitor’s plea to end indefinite suspension
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has refused to terminate an indefinite suspension imposed on a solicitor a decade ago, saying he had not proved he was ready to return to practise.
Black solicitors occupying senior roles is “key to success”
One-off training sessions and wellbeing schemes do not go far enough to ensure diversity and inclusion, and nothing short of ethnic minority lawyers occupying senior roles in firms will show real change.
Ban for law firm consultant jailed after secret mobile calls to prisoner
A law firm consultant jailed for communicating with a prisoner on mobile phones that were smuggled into prison has been banned from working in the profession.
Cost of practising set to remain static for solicitors
The cost of practising for solicitors is set to stay the same even though the Law Society is unable to say at the moment what its budget will be for the next financial year.
LSB diversity report finds multiple failings by regulators
Measures taken by frontline legal regulators to improve diversity and inclusion are insufficient and based on inadequate evidence, according to a report published today.
Law firm to recoup money paid out of client account without consent
A businessman who refused to repay a £626,000 loan made by a law firm partner from a client’s funds without their consent has been ordered to make good the money.
Solicitor who misused vulnerable clients’ compensation struck off
A solicitor used “vulnerable” clients’ money for his own purposes, as well as holding onto cash for disbursements and leaving client damages in his office account, has been struck off.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
