Practice Management
Female lawyers anxious over disproportionate impact of Covid
Almost a quarter of women in the profession have not seen their incomes return to pre-Covid levels with one in five still on less than their previous working hours, a survey has found.
Consumers use “limited criteria” when shopping around for lawyers
Consumers of legal services apply “relatively limited criteria” when shopping around, research has found – which 46% of those polled did, while 27% went to the first adviser they looked at.
Top PI firms reveal mixed profits as another hits TV to build brand
Two leading personal injury law firms have recorded contrasting results that take lockdown into account, while Minster Law has launched its first national TV advert to promote its PI work.
PI firms “failing to understand” what clients look for in a lawyer
Many personal injury law firms fail to understand what potential clients are looking for and are wasting their marketing budgets as a result, according to research published today.
City solicitor fails in claim for pay reduced during Covid
A City solicitor who agreed to lower wages during lockdown has failed in his claim for full pay for his last month after handing in his notice.
Reduced legal budgets seen as biggest virus challenge
Lawyers have identified reduced client budgets for legal work as the biggest threat to the profession from the pandemic in a new report.
Court reforms data collection progress “disappointing”
The government’s £1bn court reforms have had a “disappointingly slow” start in collecting the information required to ensure the justice system is fair, according to researchers.
“Don’t drain law firms of Black talent”, GCs told
General counsel have become so insistent in demanding that law firms give them Black candidates for secondments and legal work that they are in danger of draining them of Black talent.
Remote hearings “can bring horror into your home”, says judge
A particularly unwelcome issue for judges hearing cases remotely is that some of the most disturbing elements of serious family cases are being heard at home, a High Court judge has reported.
Remote hearing success means no backlog in some family courts
The family court system has adapted so well to remote working that some courts do not have a backlog of cases, the president of the Family Division said yesterday.
Ethics worry with lawyers and lawtech firms “not speaking same language”
Solicitors are concerned that some new legal technology they buy does not take into account their professional rules and ethical duties because lawtech firms are “not speaking the same language”.
Bullying at the Bar “tolerated”, with pupils suffering most
Bullying, discrimination and harassment at the Bar is perceived to be tolerated “to a certain extent” due to its “adversarial, male-dominated culture and competitive nature”, new research has found.
In-house solicitor wins unfair dismissal claim against insurer
A solicitor working in-house at a leading insurer has won his claim for unfair dismissal. But had it followed the correct procedure, the dismissal would likely have been justified, the tribunal said.
Obelisk adds paralegals and junior lawyers to freelance pool
Flexible resourcing pioneer Obelisk Support has launched a new paralegal service for law firms and in-house teams, with plans to add 500 full-time paralegals and junior lawyers to its talent pool.
Employee ownership move like “rocket fuel”, says firm
A niche law firm which advises on employee share ownership and executive pay has become the latest to convert to an employee ownership trust.












