Practice Management
Tribunal rejects paralegal’s disability discrimination claim
An employment tribunal has comprehensively rejected a disability discrimination claim brought by a paralegal who worked for well-known personal injury firm Ralli.
Government ensures paper-based access to online courts
The Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons yesterday after the government added further protection for those unable or unwilling to use online processes.
Law firms “doing more training” since end of hours-based CPD
Four in ten law firms are doing more professional training following the end of the hours-based approach, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.
BLM launches robot claims handler – but “it won’t replace humans”
A robot claims handler which can take “subjective decisions” about the reliability of witnesses will not replace its human colleagues, the law firm behind it has said.
VC fund targets lawtech with focus on big data
Venture capitalists have launched a fund aimed at lawtech start-ups, with an emphasis on businesses that hope to exploit big data for corporate decision making.
Advice app backed by Slater & Gordon rolls out nationally
An app that offers users the full range of consumer legal advice and support for up to £24 a month is being rolled out after a pilot saw 70% of users renew their subscription.
Complete online process for money claims “ready next year”
Technology allowing litigants to run a civil money claim online from beginning to end should be in place by this time next year, with nearly 70,000 having already used the more limited version available now.
Susskind clashes with MPs on digital exclusion
Professor Richard Susskind, IT adviser to the Lord Chief Justice, clashed with MPs yesterday over whether the government’s court modernisation programme is doing enough to combat digital exclusion.
Bias still hindering women targeting partnership at big firms
Only 33% of new partners at Europe’s biggest law firms are women with bias from both male colleagues and male clients the main reason for gender imbalance, a report has found.
Peers back greater role for Lord Chief in online court rules
Former Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge yesterday defeated government efforts to limit the extent to which future holders of the post will have a veto over the work of the online procedure rule committee.
Digital conveyancing used to market high-value commercial property
The march of blockchain-backed property transactions accelerated this week when a high-value commercial building went on the market with online execution offered by a digital estate agent.
AI-backed contract review “decodes obscure language”
Artificial intelligence has been deployed to bridge the gap between ‘legalease’ and plain English, standardising something that has long been the exclusive preserve of lawyers.
PII reform views “evolving” due to market changes
There are powerful reasons why the SRA and Law Society could reverse their positions respectively in favour of and against reform of professional indemnity insurance, it has been claimed.
Legal profession launches pledge to achieve gender equality
Solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives, supported by Lord Chancellor David Gauke, have launched a pledge to “achieve gender equality in senior ranks of the profession”.
Women lawyers face uphill struggle on fees and salaries
Some clients expect discounts on fees for using a female lawyer while women who push for higher salaries are likely to be labelled “aggressive”, a global survey by the Law Society has found. The report concluded that quotas could help… Read More
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.
