Practice Management
Supreme Court backs miner’s claim against solicitors
A miner who lost the chance of compensation due to the negligence of his solicitors is entitled to damages because later evidence indicating that he was not eligible was irrelevant, the Supreme Court has ruled.
Digital assets “are property” under English law
Blockchain and smart contracts were given a major boost yesterday, when the expert panel charged with giving the technology legal certainty declared they should be treated in principal as property.
Supreme Court judge calls for independent algorithm regulator
A Supreme Court justice has called for the creation of an expert commission to act as “a sort of independent regulator” of algorithms, staffed by coding technicians, with lawyers and ethicists.
Boxer’s banker fails in negligence claim against lawyers
A solicitor, his law firm and the barrister they instructed have been granted summary judgment on a negligence claim brought against them by a banker fired for his work with boxer David Haye.
Top judge tells business lawyers: Get ready for the future
The Chancellor of the High Court has urged commercial lawyers to prepare for the disruptive impact of technology on the law, the legal system and legal profession before others “steal a march” on them.
Susskind calls for global online court revolution
Professor Richard Susskind has called for the development of a “standard, adaptable, global platform for online courts” that can be rolled out to fortify access to justice around the world.
Scully: Not having gone to university was “terrible stigma”
A leading personal injury lawyer has described how working for a “posh law firm” while not having gone to university felt like “a terrible stigma”.
Solicitors “need to get out more” to boost profession’s image
Sixteen-year-olds have been invited to compete in a competition aimed at educating them about the work of a solicitor and testing their aptitude, with the winner receiving financial support to become one.
Approval of SQE not a foregone conclusion, LSB warns
Approval of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam is not a foregone conclusion, the Legal Services Board is to make clear to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Issues such as quality and cost must be addressed.
Law firms’ “shocking” vulnerability to cyber criminals
The vast majority of major law firms still have significant unaddressed cyber-risk, despite repeated urging by regulators, insurers and others to shore up their defences, according to new research.
Law degrees unnecessarily homogenous, research finds
Law schools are not taking advantage of the “enormous regulatory freedom” they have and instead are largely all offering the same kind of law degree, new research has found.
Niche ABS takes on external funding and non-lawyers
A niche alternative business structure working with companies that build the global infrastructure of technology has used it to take on external funding and non-lawyers who can help the business grow.
Firm fights off age discrimination claim over birthday wishes
A legal secretary who claimed she felt humiliated and insulted by a colleague commenting on her 50th birthday has lost her claim for harassment and age discrimination against the law firm.
Court reforms may not be completed in time, PAC warns
The government’s court modernisation programme may not be completed by the deadline of 2023, the House of Commons public accounts committee has warned.
Law firm EOT “gives staff security against sale”
Transferring the ownership of law firms to employee ownership trusts (EOTs) boosts staff loyalty by giving them more security if the firm is sold, the chief executive of the latest firm to create an EOT has said.
Blog
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
On good authority? GenAI and the reputational risks to law firms
As GenAI’s influence grows, so do the risks which are already playing out in courtrooms across England and Wales, where some early adopters are setting precedents they would rather not.
