Are you gay? Did your parents go to university? The LSB wants to know
All workers at law firms and chambers will be asked whether they are straight, gay or bisexual, about their parents’ educational background and what kind of school they attended as part of the Legal Services Board’s push to improve transparency about diversity in the legal profession.
End of single renewal will put focus on firms’ risk strategies, warns top broker
Law firms’ anti-risk measures are likely to be probed more thoroughly by insurers if the common professional indemnity insurance renewal date is abolished, according to a leading industry insider. He also revealed in detail a number of “creative accounting” techniques used by insurers to reduce their exposure to the assigned risks pool by declaring premiums that may be £60m less than actually received.
Advocacy training for solicitors is “not fit for purpose”, leaked report claims
The regime for training and supporting solicitor-advocates is not fit for purpose, a major Law Society report leaked to Legal Futures has claimed. The report by Nick Smedley sets out a comprehensive new approach to advocacy, including a full-time course of two to six months for solicitors who want to gain higher rights, and creation of an Academy for Solicitor Advocates. Practitioners with higher rights would have a title such as “Fellow of the Solicitor Advocate Academy”.
ABS beneficial owners to be public, but those with “material interest” may not be
Details of investors in alternative business structures that will be made public should include the beneficial owner but might exclude the names of people with a “significant influence” over the business, the Legal Services Board has proposed.
Will-writers a bit worse than solicitors as charities highlight shoddy wills
Half of charities have experienced a poorly drafted will from a will-writer, a new survey has revealed – but a third have also seen shoddy work from a solicitor. A survey of over 50 charities by Remember A Charity found unanimous support for regulation of the will-writing sector.
Half of solicitors “impossible to get hold of” after 5pm, clients say
Nearly half of solicitors are impossible to get hold of after 5pm, a poll of 2,000 clients has found. The survey of consumers who had recently used a solicitor, carried out by solicitors’ network Contact Law, found that 47% considered it impossible, while 15% said they could rarely reach their lawyer after 5pm. Just 38% said their legal adviser could be easily contacted after that time.
Recession encourages in-house lawyers to instruct “business minded” Bar directly
The recession has encouraged in-house lawyers to make more use of what they see as a new, business-minded Bar by instructing them directly, research has revealed. The report, commissioned by Hardwicke Chambers and conducted by Legal Futures Associate Jures, found greater expertise and better value for money than solicitors were also factors.
LSB to 'mystery shop' solicitors and will-writers
The Legal Services Board has unveiled plans to ‘mystery shop’ solicitors and will-writers as part of its research into the market – and is looking for a panel of both to assess the quality of what is produced.
SRA to establish £3m redundancy fund
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is seeking to establish a £3 million contingency fund to cover the cost of redundancies among its 600 staff, Legal Futures can reveal. Implementation of a new IT system and the introduction of outcomes-focused regulation next year are the reasons why the SRA has requested the Law Society to put the money aside.
No decision on will-writer regulation until 2012
A decision by the Legal Services Board (LSB) on whether will-writing should become a regulated activity will not be made until 2012, it emerged today. The LSB’s draft business plan 2011/12, published today for consultation, revealed that the board is also considering what it calls a “deep dive” investigation of conveyancing.
