Lawyers sanctioned for work done on behalf on unregulated business
A CILEx member and assistant solicitor have been rebuked and fined for not making clear that they were acting for the company that referred its customers to them, rather than the customers themselves. They also admitted not recommending that the customers seek independent legal advice.
Crowdsourcing “can accurately predict court decisions 80% of time” says study
Crowdsourcing is an accurate predictor of court judgments, at best proving accurate in over eight out of ten cases, according to a rigorous analysis. A team of academics arrived at the conclusion after assessing the results of a massive competition to predict the outcome of US Supreme Court cases.
SDT strikes off young solicitor who faked documents to cover insurance error
A three-year qualified solicitor has been struck off for dishonestly fabricating documents to cover up the fact she failed to negotiate an increase to after-the-event insurance cover. This meant her client or firm faced having to pay the other side’s costs.
Government to direct leaseholders who want to sue conveyancers for negligence
The government is to ensure that leaseholders know how to sue their conveyancer where they may have been negligent over escalating ground rents, it has revealed. It is one of several new measures to cut out unfair and abusive practices within the leasehold system, announced just before Christmas.
F1 NED – accident management boss convicted in ‘crash for number plate’ scam
The director of an accident claims company has been fined for inventing a crash in order to trace the owner of a private number plate he wanted to buy. He sent forms to the DVLA requesting the identity of the registered keeper of a 4×4 which he claimed had been involved in a collision in the city.
Revealed: White students twice as likely as black counterparts to pass LPC
Students from white backgrounds are almost twice as likely as those from black backgrounds to pass the legal practice course (LPC), new figures have revealed. They also revealed a massive performance gap between LPC institutions, with one provider achieving a pass rate of 100%, compared to 30% for the worst performer.
Give paralegals rights of audience “so they can do more legal aid work”
Paralegals should be given rights of audience to enable them to do more legal aid work, an academic has argued. The head of the law and criminology department at the University of East London said “any future changes to legal aid policy should favour paralegals undertaking a larger amount of the caseload”.
CILEx moves governance reform forward with first group chair as new Bar chief takes reins
Professor Chris Bones has been named the first chair of the CILEx Group as the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives presses ahead with its major governance restructuring. He has experience in the private, public and third sectors, notably becoming the first non-academic dean of Henley Business School.
Competition heats up in PI as firms look to survive upcoming reforms, survey finds
Times are tough for claimant personal injury lawyers, but while many expect substantial consolidation in the market over the coming 18 months, competition is becoming fiercer than ever, according to new research. Advertising spend and costs were spiralling upwards both online and on TV as firms look to grab greater shares of the market.
Revealed: Sudden increase in students enrolling on Bar training course
There has been a surprise 14% increase in the number of students enrolling on the Bar professional training course, it has emerged. It comes despite concern among Bar leaders that the burden of student debt is having a negative impact on the junior Bar.
