Practice Management
University creates ABS to fuse law degree with work experience
Sheffield Hallam University has set up a standalone law firm so it can offer a law degree that incorporates mandatory work experience into every year of the course.
“Time for quotas” to boost ranks of women partners
It is time to impose quotas on law firms for the number of women at both equity partner and management level as “years of talking” about diversity have failed to drive sufficient change.
Government pumps £6m into legal AI and analytics projects
The government has awarded grants totalling over £6.4m to 18 legal artificial intelligence and data analytics projects. The projects span the whole range of legal services, from City firms to a CAB.
Robot mediator settles first ever court case
A ‘robot mediator’ has been used to settle a dispute in the court system, for what is believed to be the first time. The online tool uses artificial intelligence algorithms in place of a human mediator.
Burnett calls for action on social diversity at top of profession
Addressing the “lack of social diversity at the top of the legal profession” is an important part of improving judicial diversity, the Lord Chief Justice declared yesterday.
Revised post-Dreamvar completion code splits conveyancers
The Law Society’s toughened up code for completion, which comes into force on 1 May and reflects last year’s Dreamvar ruling, has divided opinion among conveyancers.
Linklaters’ “women in the workplace” dispute settled
The legal dispute between City giant Linklaters and its former global business development director over his intention to discuss its “ongoing struggle… with women in the workplace” has ended.
LAG dips toe in water to provide online employment advice
A legal think tank and charity has launched an online employment rights advice service to fill a gap created by LASPO cuts in legal aid. It is starting in London with a view to rolling out nationally.
Law Society: Firms slow to adopt disruptive technology
Law firms are under increasing pressure to adopt lawtech, with the rewards “potentially huge”, but the profession has still been slow to embrace systems that would radically change legal services.
Raleys ruling “good news for law firms and their insurers”
Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling on solicitors’ professional negligence is good news for both law firms and their insurers, and should stem the flow of claims about the under-settlement of PI cases.
Supreme Court overturns law firm negligence decision
The Supreme Court has overturned a Court of Appeal ruling that a negligent law firm should have to compensate its former client for failing to make a claim.
Companies using contract AI to help with Brexit and GDPR
More than a quarter of corporations using artificial intelligence software to review contracts are doing so for Brexit-related reasons but the technology will not remove the need for lawyers.
From 100% to 37% – huge variation in LPC providers’ pass rates
Some institutions teaching the legal practice course have recorded 100% pass rates, while others are under 50%, and a performance gap based on student ethnicity continues.
Supreme Court to rule on damages in solicitors’ negligence claims
The Supreme Court is to decide when the prospects of success of a claim lost because of the negligence of a solicitor should be judged for the purposes of damages, it announced yesterday.
Court modernisation delivers £158m in savings so far
The court modernisation programme has realised £158m in “benefits” to date, more than was anticipated, the Ministry of Justice has revealed. It is also to create an advisory panel.
Blog
Judging proportionate risk requires confidence. Do law firms have it?
As of 30 June 2026, the money laundering regulations have been updated again, this time to make the regime more proportionate and addressing unnecessary over-compliance.
Is clients’ use of AI destroying legal privilege?
Much has been written about the risks of lawyers misusing AI. However, in my view, the greater challenge lies elsewhere: the routine use of AI by clients themselves.
Does the Lloyd review mark the end of the Legal Services Act?
The Legal Services Board often generates eye-rolls and irritation from the leaders of the frontline regulators it oversees and of the representative bodies attached to them.
