Getting debt management right
In the first of a regular series of articles from the Institute of Legal Finance and Management (formerly the Institute of Legal Cashiers and Administrators), Lisa Dixon outlines the strategies law firms should be adopting to ensure they manage their debts properly
SGM threat recedes as SRA refutes suggestions that it changed ABS stance
The Solicitor Sole Practitioners Group has backed away from its threat to call a special general meeting and postal vote of the profession to gauge support for alternative business structures (ABSs). Meanwhile, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has refuted suggestions that it shifted position on how it will regulate ABSs ahead of this week’s Law Society vote.
LeO has first vexatious complainant – and its own complaints ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has identified its first vexatious complainant, it emerged last night – but it is a lawyer, not a member of the public. It has also appointed former Financial Services Ombudsman Walter Merricks to adjudicate on complaints over LeO’s own service.
Clients to push law firm engagment with social media, says survey
A large majority of law firms believe they need to devote resources to social media because clients will increasingly be influenced by the strength of their presence in the sector, according to a survey.
SRA agrees compromises to help ABS application through council vote
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has compromised on aspects of its application to become an alternative business structure regulator, it emerged last night. Agreement was reached between the society and its regulatory arm on various changes to the application which the SRA’s board agreed last week.
Breaking news: Law Society council gives green light to SRA regulating ABSs
The Law Society council has today approved the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s application to become a regulator of alternative business structures. It means the SRA should be ready to start taking applications from prospective ABSs from 6 August.
Anti-ABS group could decide as soon as tomorrow on calling Law Society SGM
The Solicitor Sole Practitioners Group could decide tomorrow whether to seek a special general meeting of the Law Society that would authorise a profession-wide poll on solicitors’ opposition to alternative business structures.
Exclusive: Ambitious plan to pull together major anti-Jackson coalition fails
An ambitious bid to build a coalition of claimant personal injury interests to offer the government a compromise on the Jackson report has failed, Legal Futures can reveal. Those involved included the Law Society, APIL and TUC.
Women and BME lawyers still struggling to progress at the Bar, figures show
There has been a rise in the number of female QCs, but a massive mismatch with the number of women at the Bar remains, figures released today have shown. The “Bar Barometer also shows the extreme difficulties black and minority ethnic (BME) students have in securing pupillages.
“Litigious” solicitors not helping barristers facing disciplinary action
Barristers are increasingly instructing “fairly litigious” solicitors and other counsel to defend them in disciplinary proceedings, but to little effect, the Bar Standards Board has said. The BSB was still successful in 91% of cases referred for disciplinary action in 2010.
