Compliance & Regulation
SDT chief defends role in policing solicitors’ personal conduct
It is “impossible for solicitors to leave their practising certificates at home completely” when it comes to behaviour in their personal lives, the president of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has said.
Law Society: Solicitors must not use AI without clients’ consent
Clients should be put at the heart of legal technology by law firms, including being asked for consent before artificial intelligence is deployed, solicitors have been told.
High-profile solicitor Todner to face disciplinary tribunal
High-profile solicitor Karen Todner is to face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over allegations of financial mismanagement. The tribunal is also to hear a case involving leading London firm Mishcon de Reya.
Solicitor lost unencrypted USB stick full of client information
A solicitor who lost an unencrypted USB stick full of client information that was subsequently found by a member of the public has been rebuked by the SRA.
City partner struck off for “bizarre” inflated billing
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has described as “bizarre and not credible” an account given by a City partner of how she valued at £220,000 legal work for a client she had billed at only £3,800.
Technology and innovation “step-change” in last year but barriers persist
The past year has seen a “step change” in the adoption of legal technology and innovation, in part as a result of Covid-19, a major piece of new research has found. However, significant barriers remain.
Men four times more likely than women to appear before SDT
Men are four times more likely than women to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, despite gender parity in the profession, academics have found.
Dishonest but “humanitarian” solicitor avoids strike-off
A solicitor found to have misled a court, lied to a client about receiving money from them and falsely held himself out as a notary public has avoided being struck off.
Call for law to enforce undertakings given by incorporated law firms
Parliament should extend the courts’ supervisory jurisdiction over solicitors’ undertakings to cover those given by incorporated law firms, particularly LLPs, the Supreme Court said today.
SRA: Number of workplace bullying investigations on the rise
Solicitors under investigation by their regulator are increasingly citing workplace bullying as a reason for their misconduct, according to a report published yesterday.
High Court criticises Bar Standards Board for “unjust” decisions
The High Court has ruled that the Bar Standards Board made “unjust and unsustainable” decisions in refusing a Bar student’s application for an exemption from the vocational element of his training.
Firms “overlooking compliance implications” of homeworking
Most law firms are planning to formalise hybrid working arrangements for staff but a significant number have yet to deal with all the compliance implications, research has found.
We need more judges with CILEX backgrounds, says Buckland
The Lord Chancellor yesterday described CILEX lawyers as some of the most impressive lawyers he has seen and said the country needed more judges from their ranks.
Regulators target inconsistencies in approach to bullying and harassment
Work has begun to create a consistent approach across all the legal regulators to sexual misconduct, racial harassment, bullying and other forms of “anti-inclusive misconduct”.
Solicitor struck off for “reckless” prison legal aid claims
The joint head of a law firm’s prison law department has agreed to be struck off after making legal aid claims for prison visits which never took place.
Blog
Another nail in the coffin of solicitors’ undertakings?
Every solicitor knows that an undertaking is serious stuff. Arguably it is the greatest power available to a solicitor – a promise, if broken, that will lead to immediate and serious consequences for the giver.
Litigators reap the benefits of technology adoption
The coronavirus pandemic has plunged many litigators head-first into a new world of digital case management, and virtual and hybrid hearings.
Can data analytics unlock the potential for diversity in the law?
Data, equity and inclusion analytics can play a pivotal role in increasing diversity and inclusion efforts by enabling organisations to effectively identify gaps, prioritise action and measure progress.
Reports
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