Compliance & Regulation
CLC launches accelerated ‘experience’ route to qualification
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has launched an accelerated route to qualification for fee-earners who have been working for at least four years in conveyancing or probate.
Regulatory reform “will help legal sector” enter next growth phase
The legal sector of the future “may look very different to the one we know today”, with further regulatory reform needed, a report for the Ministry of Justice has said.
Subpostmasters “pressured by their lawyers” into pleading guilty
Many subpostmaster victims of the Post Office scandal felt “bullied by the inevitability of pleading guilty as their lawyers advised”, a report has found.
High Court grants rights to audience to struck-off solicitor
The High Court has given a struck-off solicitor rights of audience to represent companies of which he was only made a director for that purpose.
Judge blames law firm not solicitor for fake AI cases
A judge has decided against referring a solicitor to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for citing two fake cases generated by artificial intelligence.
Peers say lawyers need stronger ethical training
The House of Lords constitution committee has called for the ethical training of lawyers to be “reviewed and strengthened” and given throughout their careers.
Conveyancer cleared after exchanging contracts on day of instruction
A solicitor has been cleared of misconduct when acting on the exchange of contracts for an elderly client’s property on the same day he was instructed.
SDT’s cost to the profession set to fall next year
The Legal Services Board has approved a reduced budget for the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal of just over £3m for 2026, a drop of 2.5% from this year.
CILEX applies to appeal Mazur ruling
CILEX has applied for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the Mazur judgment, even though it was not a party to the original case, it announced today.
Solicitor struck off for misconduct as company director
A solicitor who provided false information to a loan company in his capacity as a company director has been struck off, as his actions crossed into professional misconduct.
Partners give SRA undertakings over clearing residual balances
A law firm that continued to allow residual balances to accrue on dozens of files for nearly a decade, even after being warned by the SRA, has been rebuked.
Suspension for solicitor who recruited disbarred barrister fraudster
A veteran solicitor “duped” when recruiting a disbarred barrister with a fraud conviction – having not checked his background – has been suspended for 18 months.
SRA closes down practice of leading sports lawyer
The Solicitors Regulation Authority yesterday closed down the practice of a high-profile sports lawyer who has acted for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Tyson Fury.
Volume litigation and law firm consolidators on LSB’s agenda
Volume litigation, consolidator law firms and unregulated legal service providers are the focus of a new consumer protection programme launched by the Legal Services Board.
CAT strikes out challenge to Scottish Bar rules
The Competition Appeal Tribunal has struck out a challenge to the rules of the Faculty of Advocates, the Scottish Bar, over a restriction on who can instruct barristers.
Blog
Don’t be fooled by the civil court statistics
The latest civil justice figures look deceptively upbeat, with faster claims. But these numbers mask a deeper truth: people are still waiting more than a year for justice.
SEO is changing: Are you measuring the right things?
AI means firms may see falling organic traffic and wonder if SEO is still working. The more interesting question is whether traffic is still the right measure of success.
Forms are evolving – and more interesting than you might think
I have spent much of my working life thinking about something most people would probably prefer not to think about at all: legal forms.
Reports
Associates
