Practice Management
“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.
Platform aims to give SMEs legal advice without lawyers
A barrister entrepreneur has launched a DIY platform aimed at giving small businesses subscription access to straightforward legal advice without recourse to a human lawyer.
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.
