Compliance & Regulation
No sanction for trainee who billed “in anticipation” of doing work
An under-pressure trainee solicitor who billed for work she anticipated doing has not been sanctioned by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, even though she did not eventually do it.
LSB issues wide-ranging list of weaknesses in legal market
The LSB has issued a damning diagnosis of weaknesses in the structure of the market, including inadequate transparency by law firms and smaller regulators unable to cope with the change needed.
Solicitor agrees to leave profession over offensive emails and tweets
A solicitor who sent hundreds of offensive emails and tweets to the law firm acting for him in a dispute – and was convicted of a public order offence – has agreed to remove himself from the roll.
Company lawyers open to idea of regulating in-house departments
A proposal that in-house legal departments should be regulated as a separate regulated business unit within their organisations has been broadly welcomed by senior company lawyers.
Barrister misled Google in review take-down request
A barrister has been reprimanded and fined for misleading Google in trying to get a negative review taken down. He said he had been subjected to “distressing online trolling”.
Defence QC’s accusation against prosecutor was not misconduct
A QC who accused prosecution counsel of bad faith without reasonable grounds was in breach of Bar Standards Board rules but not to the level of professional misconduct, a tribunal has ruled.
Barrister sanctioned for “positive discrimination” jibe at judge
A barrister has been reprimanded and fined for suggesting that a female Asian judge only secured her position as a result of “positive discrimination”.
Students “could save up to £38k” by qualifying with SQE
Students could save as much as £38,000 when qualifying as a solicitor following the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination next September, a report has estimated.
Second time unlucky as sham marriage solicitor is struck off again
A solicitor recorded by an undercover TV reporter giving advice on what he knew was a sham marriage has been struck off for the second time by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Law firm principal reported by solicitor for improper transfers
A law firm owner whose practice of making improper transfers from client to office account was reported to the regulator “with a heavy heart” by a member of staff.
SQE decision delayed as legal academics urge rejection
The decision on whether to approve the Solicitors Qualifying Examination has been delayed amid a call from groups representing more than 4,000 legal academics to reject it.
Jailed solicitor struck off for historic child abuse convictions
A veteran solicitor serving nearly nine years in prison after being convicted of multiple counts of historic indecent assault against children has been struck off.
£60k fine and JR ban for immigration solicitor
An immigration solicitor who brought meritless judicial reviews has been fined £60,000 and banned for an indefinite period from making further applications.
Law Society’s “sympathy” with indemnity insurers’ frustrations
The Law Society has expressed sympathy with professional indemnity insurers over their call for the right to cancel policies when solicitors do not pay the premium or excess.
Council shuts down law firm’s offices for “flouting” Covid-19 rules
A law firm linked with 18 cases of Covid-19 was ordered to shut its office with immediate effect last week after being accused of showing “disregard” for the health of its staff.
Blog
Our vision for 2026: A shared approach to AML
We want to see law firms start taking AML compliance as seriously as it deserves. This means treating it not as a tick-box exercise or a procedural necessity, but as a serious part of company culture.
Why later-life divorce requires a distinct professional framework
Later-life divorce, often described as ‘silver splitter’ or ‘grey divorce’ cases, is no longer a marginal feature of family law practice. It challenges long-standing assumptions about how divorce work is done.
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
