Plan to smooth paralegals’ path to CILEx qualification sparks “confusion” claim
A proposal by CILEx Regulation to make it easier for paralegals to become qualified legal executives has been fiercely rejected as likely to cause “confusion to employers and consumers” by the new voluntary paralegals regulator.
First law firm regulated by the SRA gains access to BARCO
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued its first waiver to a law firm it regulates to allow it to use the Bar Council’s escrow service BARCO, with three other firms in the pipeline, it has emerged.
Legal regulators should work “much more closely together”, Conservative MP says
An influential Conservative MP has said he is “very keen” to see how the legal regulators could work “much more closely together”. Alberto Costa is a solicitor and member of the justice select committee.
New Bar chairman: the BSB is independent enough
The current arrangements for the regulation of barristers are “relatively cost-efficient” and there is no need to make the Bar Standards Board (BSB) fully independent, the incoming chairman of the Bar Council has said.
SRA puts Solicitors Qualifying Examination at centre of training revolution
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has set out plans for a centralised assessment test, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, for all those wanting to join the profession. The new exam would not be introduced before the 2018/19 academic year.
New advocacy panel could confuse public, CILEx Regulation warns
Setting up a new panel of criminal defence advocates could confuse the public, CILEx Regulation has warned. It said the legal regulators should control standards and quality.
Professional negligence warning over PI, commercial and family work
Personal injury, commercial and family work will all fuel negligence claims against lawyers, insurance specialist BLM has warned in a white paper. It also predicted that a new source of claims could come from the “rapid pace of reform” in legal services, testing new systems and processes “to their limit”.
Riverview unveils technology behind ‘virtual assistants’
Riverview Law has unveiled the technology which will power a range of legal ‘virtual assistants’ it is preparing to launch next year. Riverview said ‘Kim’ was already being used outside the legal world.
LegalZoom makes its move with Beaumont Legal acquisition
US online legal services provider LegalZoom has made its much-anticipated move in the UK, announcing today that it is to acquire Yorkshire firm Beaumont Legal for its 2016 launch, with more deals potentially to come.
Demise of Veyo is “green light” for Free2Convey, LSSA chair says
The demise of the Law Society and Mastek’s online conveyancing portal Veyo gives the “green light” to rival system Free2Convey, the chair of the Legal Software Suppliers Association has said. Matt Lancaster said Free2Convey could now become the “central conveyancing portal”.
