Parliamentarians hear call for quotas to boost profession’s diversity
There is a “lead ceiling” hampering the advancement of ethnic minority lawyers to the senior ranks of the profession and quotas are needed to bring about change, parliamentarians have been told.
First4Lawyers sets up law firm to handle road traffic claims
Legal marketing business First4Lawyers is to create an alternative business structure to handle road traffic accident claims after the whiplash reforms are introduced in May.
“Ignorance” the main barrier to law firm EOTs, says newest adopter
The managing director of the latest law firm to become an employee ownership trust has said the biggest barrier is the “ignorance” of solicitors.
Solicitor’s mismanagement combined with COFA’s incompetence
A solicitor whose “reckless mismanagement” of her law firm’s finances damaged the profession’s reputation has been struck off, and her COFA banned for “manifest incompetence”.
Profession claims victory in fight against extended court hours
The legal profession claimed victory last night in the fight against extended operating hours in the criminal courts – although the Ministry of Justice has not yet confirmed it.
Conveyancer blamed secretary to “cover up lack of progress”
A solicitor who lied to a lender, a client, his law firm and the Land Registry to cover up the lack of progress made on his clients’ matters – but blamed his secretary – has been struck off.
AI can form part of anti-money laundering armoury, law firms told
New technologies such as biometrics, machine learning and artificial intelligence can now form part of the anti-money laundering armoury, law firms have been told.
MPs warn of dangers of stamp duty “cliff edge”
Conservative and Labour MPs have warned of the danger that the property market will fall off a “cliff edge” when the stamp duty holiday ends at the end of March.
LeO “setting itself up to fail” with budget plans
The Legal Ombudsman is “setting itself up to fail” by proposing to give itself more work than it can cope with and asking for an “extraordinary high” budget increase of 19%.
Solicitor jailed for money laundering returns to profession
A solicitor who was jailed for four years for money laundering offences has been readmitted to the roll after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found he had been “totally rehabilitated”.
