Ombudsman to track impact of legal aid cuts on quality of legal services
The impending legal aid cuts make it a greater priority than ever to ensure poorer people complain if legal services deteriorate, the Legal Ombudsman has declared in the wake of a government decision to scrap a duty on public authorities to reduce inequality caused by socio-economic factors.
SRA audits indemnity insurers to check they reported premium income accurately
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has launched an audit of professional indemnity insurers to check they have correctly declared the amount of premium income they received during the recent renewal.
Scrap training contract and make LPC the “gateway” to legal practice, says think tank
The solicitors’ training contract should be abolished and frontline regulators compelled to co-operate on standards of training for reserved activities, a legal think tank argues in a report published this week.
Solicitors innocently caught up in mortgage fraud liable for whole loss
Solicitors innocently caught up in frauds on mortgage lenders can find themselves liable for the whole loss if they release funds before receiving documents needed to prove title, even if the lender is negligent.
Lawyers “markedly” worse at business development than other professionals
Law firms are “markedly” worse at business development and client management than other professional services practices, research has found. The study also revealed that just 58% of lawyers who should be involved in business development at their firms actually are, far lower than other professionals.
BSB to toughen up equality rules as research shows solicitors have a way to go too
Concerns over a worsening diversity picture at the Bar have prompted the Bar Standards Board to consider making aspects of its guidelines on diversity mandatory. The news came as research published by the Law Society showed that significant obstacles still face women and ethnic minorities in accessing the upper reaches of the solicitors’ profession.
Edmonds: cut length of legal education to shrink student debt
Growing student debt means the length of time would-be lawyers spend studying needs to shrink, the chairman of the Legal Services Board has declared. David Edmonds also floated the idea of adopting the accountants’ training model, in which professional training takes place during full-time employment, while appearing to throw cold water on the idea of aptitude testing for students before they begin postgraduate legal education.
Thomson Reuters moves into LPO as Susskind’s prediction starts to come true
Professor Richard Susskind’s prediction that law firms could find themselves competing with legal publishers moved a step closer to reality today after Thomson Reuters moved into legal process outsourcing by acquiring ambitious provider Pangea3.
Regulators set out terms of training review
The three biggest legal regulators have set out the terms of their two-year joint review of education and training. The review – being undertaken by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Bar Standards Board and ILEX Professional Standards – will examine the educational requirements placed upon individuals entering the sector and their regulatory function.
TV’s Sarah Beeny backs ABSs but warns of challenges to firms and regulators
TV property guru Sarah Beeny has welcomed alternative business structures as a “positive step forward” so long as they deliver increased choice, lower prices and better service for consumers – but warned that their regulation must be robust to maintain standards.
