Covid hits numbers at the Bar and starting pupillages
Covid has flattened the number of new practising barristers and hit pupillages hard, but there was a sharp rise in the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Solicitor boss of listed law firm cashes in £61m worth of shares
The boss of listed law firm Knights, David Beech, has cashed in £61m worth of shares, the company announced today, just under half of his stake in the business.
Solicitor who retrospectively witnessed signatures is fined £20,000
A solicitor who ‘witnessed’ the signatures of a client’s father that were already on property documents, without checking their authenticity, has been fined £20,000.
Review of sanctions for barristers guilty of sexual misconduct underway
The sanctions imposed on barristers found guilty of sexual misconduct are within current guidelines – but those guidelines are being reviewed, Bar authorities confirmed today.
Solicitor can present winding-up petition against “successor” firm
The High Court has upheld a decision to refuse a North London law firm’s application to restrain the solicitor who transferred his business over to it from presenting a winding-up petition.
Barrister who smacked colleague on bottom “thought she was consenting”
The male barrister fined for whispering suggestively to a younger female colleague and then smacking her on the bottom said he thought she was consenting because she did not openly object, it has emerged.
Calls to LawCare about anxiety more than double
Calls from legal professionals about anxiety more than doubled in 2020, the chief executive of welfare charity LawCare has said – a third of all contacts related to Covid.
Lack of data leaves courts “flying blind” on impact of Covid, MPs told
The courts system is failing to collect vital information about the performance of judges and trials during the Covid-19 pandemic, an expert has told Parliament, leaving observers “flying blind”.
Parliament to debate call to extend SDLT holiday extension
MPs will next week debate a petition signed by over 130,000 people calling for a six-month extension to the stamp duty land tax holiday, which is due to end on 31 March.
ABS offers “litigation concession” inside law firms
A joint venture alternative business structure specialising in dispute resolution for SMEs is launching a new service for law firms which it compares to “a concession in a department store”.
