‘Solicitor’s agents’ yet again – no rights of audience? – Nearly Legal

‘What is more, there is updated guidance from the Bar Council to ‘unregistered barristers acting as solicitor’s agents’ (ie, barristers who have been called, even passed the BPTC, but do not have pupillage or have qualified). The effect of which is that “many individuals currently exercising rights of audience in reliance on this provision (Sch 3 Legal Services Act 2007) are at risk of contravening the Act”. Which is a potentially criminal offence.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 29th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Legal services at forefront of Global Britain – Ministry of Justice

‘A bold and bright future awaits the UK’s world-leading legal services as we prepare to leave the EU, Lord Chancellor Elizabeth Truss declared today.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 19th January 2017

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Reform is about much more than just Online Court, top judges remind profession – Legal Futures

Posted January 9th, 2017 in courts, enforcement, judges, judiciary, jurisdiction, legal profession, news, reports by sally

‘The senior judiciary has acted to remind the profession that implementation of Lord Justice Briggs’ Civil Courts Structure Review will cover much more than just the introduction of the Online Court.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 6th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Whiplash reforms treat victims ‘like an inconvenience’ – APIL – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 5th, 2017 in consultations, fraud, legal profession, news, personal injuries, small claims, victims by tracey

‘Claimant lawyers have mounted an all-out attack on the government’s plans to overhaul the personal injury sector as the deadline approaches for responses to a consultation.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 4th January 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

CMA responses: Law Society and SRA at odds, but McKenzie Friends are happy – Legal Futures

Posted December 16th, 2016 in competition, legal profession, legal services, McKenzie friends, news by tracey

‘The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) report on legal services yesterday provoked a predictably mixed response that pitted the Law Society against the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and found support from the body representing paid McKenzie Friends.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 16th May 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council on Brexit: UK lawyers could lose “vast amount of work” – Legal Futures

Posted December 13th, 2016 in barristers, brexit, EC law, legal profession, news, treaties by sally

‘A “vast amount” of complex and lucrative international commercial work could be lost by UK lawyers if they are denied access to the EU legal services market as a result of Brexit, the Bar Council has warned.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 13th December 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Oversupply of law graduates and growing number of LiPs are solution to each other’s problem, says MR – Legal Futures

‘The combination of an oversupply of law graduates shut out of the profession due to fewer training contracts or pupillages and the growing number of litigants in person (LiPs) offers an opportunity to enhance access to justice while helping students into practice, the Master of the Rolls has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 7th December 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The QC profile – Counsel

Posted December 9th, 2016 in diversity, legal profession, news, queen's counsel, women by sally

‘Challenging the concept of a ‘stereotypical’ QC, Peter Purvis talks to five of this year’s more diverse Silk successes, with some healthy criticism of the selection process and advice for would-be applicants.’

Full story

Counsel, December 2016

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

APIL legal threat forces Ministry of Justice to announce outcome of 2012 discount rate review – Litigation Futures

Posted December 8th, 2016 in compensation, consultations, damages, legal profession, news, personal injuries by tracey

‘The government is finally set to announce the result of its review of the discount rate for personal injury claims – more than four years since issuing a consultation – in the face of legal action by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 7th December 2016

Source: www.litigationfutres.com

Lord Pannick vs Jeremy Wright: Who are the top lawyers doing battle over Brexit? – Daily Telegraph

‘Lord Pannick QC, 52, is a veteran of hundreds of cases in the House of Lords, the UK Supreme Court and the Privy Council.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 2nd December 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

BSB extends Future Bar Training consultation to include a new proposal from COIC and the Bar Council – Bar Standards Board

Posted December 1st, 2016 in barristers, consultations, inns of court, legal profession, news by sally

‘On 3 October, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) issued a consultation document outlining three possible approaches towards the future of Bar training.’

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 1st December 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

CBA chairman on solicitor-advocates: “The label matters less than the content of the bottle” – Legal Futures

Posted November 22nd, 2016 in advocacy, legal profession, news, solicitor advocates, speeches by sally

‘The chairman of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) yesterday tried to cool emotions after former Lord Chancellor Michael Gove’s criticism of solicitor-advocates, saying that “the label matters less than the content of the bottle”.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 22nd November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Child sex abuse inquiry receives letters from four senior lawyers – The Guardian

Posted November 22nd, 2016 in child abuse, inquiries, legal profession, news, select committees, sexual offences by sally

‘The Commons home affairs committee is to hold talks on the future direction of the independent inquiry into child sex abuse after receiving letters detailing the concerns of four senior lawyers who have quit the inquest.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Hearing into handling of child abuse allegations against Lord Janner delayed – The Guardian

Posted November 17th, 2016 in child abuse, delay, inquiries, legal profession, news, witnesses by sally

‘A public hearing into allegations of child abuse against the late Lord Janner is to be put back to an undisclosed date, the national inquiry into institutional abuse has said.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal profession part of the problem as commission says social mobility is getting worse – Legal Futures

Posted November 17th, 2016 in diversity, legal education, legal profession, news, reports by sally

‘Privately educated people still dominate the legal profession, with barriers to entry for those from less affluent backgrounds are even more acute at the Bar than among solicitors, the Social Mobility Commission said yesterday.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 17th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.com

Female lawyers fear “Trump effect” – Legal Futures

Posted November 10th, 2016 in legal profession, news, speeches, women by sally

‘Leading women lawyers have expressed their concerns that Donald Trump’s victory in the race for US president will have a negative impact on the legal profession in this country.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 10th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Upholding the Values of the Profession Comment by Eleena Misra, Head of Professional Discipline & Regulatory Law Group – Littleton Chambers

Posted November 9th, 2016 in codes of practice, legal profession, news, professional conduct by sally

‘Whether it is a barrister struck off for evading train fares (recent press reports of the tribunal hearing of Peter Barnett) or for posting anti-Semitic tweets (Ian Millard – see below), to name but two recent high-profile instances of conduct found to be disreputable by disciplinary tribunals, or a British Olympic gymnastics champion subjected to a two-month competition ban for apparently laughing at a wedding as another gymnast pokes fun at a call to prayer (Louis Smith), it is clear that the prevailing climate is one of expecting the great and the good to be, well, great and good. Indeed, it might be said that just being famous is being seen as attracting a moral price tag or responsibility by virtue of the opportunity to influence people. There is currently no formal code of conduct applicable to celebrities, though perhaps sporting bodies are becoming more paternalistic in this regard, but it is certainly still the case that being a member of a profession comes with its own responsibilities.’

Full story

Littleton Chambers, 3rd November 2016

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Look on bright side of diversity progress, says Sikh top judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 28th, 2016 in diversity, judiciary, legal profession, news by sally

‘The first Sikh High Court judge has urged solicitors to be optimistic about diversity in the judiciary, despite acknowledging recruitment challenges.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 27th October 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

MoJ set to press ahead with regulatory independence – Legal Futures

Posted October 28th, 2016 in alternative business structures, legal ombudsman, legal profession, news by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has no intention of dropping its plans to separate the legal regulators from their representative bodies, it said yesterday as it unveiled reviews of how the Legal Services Board (LSB) and Legal Ombudsman (LeO) are operating.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 28th October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder: Raising the Bar: Innovation and global opportunity for a forward thinking profession – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted October 20th, 2016 in barristers, courts, legal profession, speeches, tribunals by tracey

‘Keynote address at the Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference 2016.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 17th October 2016

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk