BSB to lower standard of proof in disciplinary cases as it names new chair
The standard of proof in disciplinary cases involving barristers is being lowered to the balance of probabilities following a decision yesterday by the Bar Standards Board. Meanwhile, a former Labour minister has been appointed as the next chair of the board.
Solicitor who faked SRA email to help trainee qualify is struck off
A solicitor has been struck off for dishonestly creating a false email that he sent to a law firm supervising his wife’s training contract, purporting to be from a Solicitors Regulation Authority authorisation officer. He claimed its purpose was to break a logjam preventing his wife from completing her training.
Lawyers more concerned with access to profit than justice, says union boss
The co-founder of the only wholly owned trade union alternative business structure has described the legal sector as not concerned with the general public’s access to justice but “access to profit”. He said the legal industry still “seems to be obsessed by debt, profit and finance”, with hardly a thought for the client.
Chatbot entrepreneur predicts automated legal future
Up to 70% of the law can be carried out by robots and all legal documents will be automated within a decade, according to the student entrepreneur who created the ground-breaking DoNotPay chatbot. He painted a picture of the future in which voice-activated chatbots would assist litigants-in-person and online courts would interact with chatbot
ASA puts onus on law firms to stop using Law Society’s “misleading” CQS claim
All of the 3,000 law firms accredited under the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme need to ensure they are not using in their own marketing the society’s description of the scheme that was yesterday ruled to be misleading, it has emerged.
Partners fined for involvement in ‘rare earth metals’ investment scheme
Two partners in a Cheshire law firm have been fined by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for their part in a failed ‘rare earth metal’ investment scheme. The firm processed transactions worth almost £2m for a company, based in Hong Kong, on behalf of a local businessman.
Legal Futures Conference: “Third of top 300 law firms will disappear by 2022”
A third of the top 300 UK law firms will have disappeared by 2022, a law firm finance expert predicted at yesterday’s Legal Futures Innovation Conference. John Llewellyn-Lloyd, who advised London firm Gordon Dadds on its recent flotation, said that by then there would also be at least 10 listed law firms, with a combined capitalisation of £2bn.
Advertising watchdog rules Law Society advert “exaggerated” quality of CQS firms
Law Society advertising of its Conveyancing Quality Scheme “misleadingly exaggerated the membership requirements” to make it sound like the accreditation process is more rigorous than is actually the case, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled.
Law firm diversity “blocked by unconscious bias”
Unconscious bias in legal businesses is hampering their success, inhibiting a diverse and inclusive sector, and damaging the experience of women and minorities in the workplace, according to a report. Law firms need to train senior personnel to recognise their prejudices and introduce ‘disruptors’ – such as transparent work allocation practices – to prevent it.
ABS considers listing as it becomes first law firm to join stock exchange growth programme
Pioneering alternative business structure (ABS) rradar has become the first law firm to be selected for the London Stock Exchange ELITE programme, which helps innovative new companies grow. Gary Gallen, chief executive of rradar, told Legal Futures that listing was “certainly something we’re looking at”, and being part of the programme would give the firm “all the tools and skills you need to do that effectively”.
