Category: legal profession

State of the sector report: one in three legal aid practitioners fearful of redundancy – Legal Voice

Posted April 5th, 2013 in legal profession, news, redundancy, reports by sally

“Nearly one in three civil legal aid practitioners reckon the LASPO cuts leave them at risk of redundancy. A report drawing on an on-line survey of 674 individuals working in legal aid found that almost two-thirds of specialist advisers felt at risk of redundancy (63.4%) and almost half of those fearing redundancy (44.8%) had more than 10 years’ experience.”

Full story

Legal Voice, 5th April 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Jackson: lawyers welcome implementation of long-awaited reforms – The Lawyer

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in budgets, costs, disclosure, legal profession, news by sally

“Disputes lawyers across the market have broadly welcomed the Jackson Reforms, which come into force today, saying they will ease the burden created by disclosure.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 1st April 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

And so it begins – Litigation Futures

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in fees, Law Society, legal profession, news by sally

“So here we are at last, nearly five years since the then Master of the Rolls, Lord Clarke, announced his intention to launch what turned out to be the Jackson review (a story I broke, if I can be allowed the immodesty of mentioning it). It has certainly had its ups and downs since then, the biggest up undoubtedly being the 2010 election result, without which Sir Rupert’s report may well still be lying in the long grass.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 2nd April 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Our justice system is being turned into Profit & Growth plc – The Guardian

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in criminal justice, legal profession, news, quality assurance, tenders by sally

“Under Chris Grayling’s plans, lawyers will become unit-shifters employed by large corporations.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

QASA: part of a sustained attack on legal aid? – LegalVoice

Posted March 21st, 2013 in advocacy, barristers, legal aid, legal profession, news, quality assurance by sally

“Amongst criminal lawyers, the issues surrounding QASA – the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates – that have been rumbling on for a few years, is coming to a head, writes Dan Bunting. The Criminal Bar Association have come out very strongly against it which prompted a strong response from Baroness Ruth Deech, the Chair of the Bar Standards Board. It has also managed to achieve the impossible – uniting barristers and solicitors.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 21st March 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Are future criminal barristers out of touch with reality? – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in barristers, crime, legal profession, news by sally

“The criminal bar may be facing its darkest moment but applications for bar school continue to rise.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The “noisy minority” of barristers opposed to QASA hit back at BSB claims – Legal Futures

Posted March 21st, 2013 in advocacy, barristers, legal profession, news, quality assurance by sally

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) chair’s description of opponents of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) as ‘a noisy minority of dissenters’ received an immediate high-powered response from criminal law barristers.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 21st March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Equal pay in City law: is there a light at the end of the tunnel? – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2013 in equal pay, equality, legal profession, news, women by tracey

“We urgently need up to date research on gender and equality pay within the legal sector, say LSB.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family Mediation Council’s Professional Practice Consultants Conference 2013 – Speech by Lord McNally

Posted March 15th, 2013 in arbitration, dispute resolution, families, legal profession, speeches by tracey

“Family Mediation Council’s Professional Practice Consultants Conference 2013, speech by Lord McNally, 14th March 2013.”

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 14th March 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Reform agenda to create “two-tier Bar”, with bulk of chambers to suffer – Legal Futures

Posted March 12th, 2013 in barristers, fees, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

“Legal aid cuts, the Jackson reforms and the introduction of competitive tendering for criminal law work will split the Bar into a two-tier profession, with mid-sized generalist chambers set to suffer, a specialist Bar consultant has predicted.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 12th March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government backs Level 4 apprenticeships to offer new route into law – Legal Futures

Posted March 11th, 2013 in legal education, legal profession, news, universities by sally

“A new route into the legal profession is launched today in a bid to improve access and diversity in the law.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 11th March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal professional privilege and employment law – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted February 27th, 2013 in accountants, employment tribunals, legal profession, news, privilege by sally

“In R (on the application of Prudential Plc and another) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and another [2013] UKSC 1 a majority of the Supreme Court held that legal advice privilege does not extend to protect legal advice given by professionals who are not lawyers and that it is for Parliament, not the courts, to decide whether and how the privilege should be extended.”

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 19th February 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Ian Brady’s mental health advocate will not face charges – BBC News

Posted February 12th, 2013 in legal profession, mental health, murder, news, preventing lawful & decent burial by tracey

“Moors murderer Ian Brady’s mental health advocate will not face charges over
allegations she failed to disclose information about the location of one of his
victims’ remains.”

Full story

BBC News, 11th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK law is a booming export but at home crime work doesn’t pay – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2013 in legal aid, legal profession, legal services, news, remuneration by sally

“While financial law mushrooms, legal aid cuts are threatening basic access to the system and the future of high street solicitors.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council and Law Society at loggerheads as standard terms of contract come into force – Legal Futures

Posted January 31st, 2013 in barristers, contract of employment, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“Barristers could end up uninsured and in financial hardship if they agree to variations of their new standard terms of contract recommended by the Law Society, the Bar Council has warned.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st January 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council welcomes BSB proposed changes to public access – The Bar Council

Posted January 30th, 2013 in barristers, continuing professional development, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has welcomed the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) proposed changes to Public Access training, which look to ‘enhance the course content and introduce an element of formal assessment’ to ensure barristers have the requisite knowledge and skills to carry out public access work.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 29th January 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

A new generation of lawyers – LegalVoice

Posted January 30th, 2013 in alternative business structures, legal aid, legal profession, legal services, news by sally

“As the Skills Minister Matthew Hancock gives his backing for Apprentice Lawyers, Nick Skeet of Skills for Justice discusses the impact on the industry and what this could mean for legal aid.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 30th January 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Setting the matter straight – The Bar Council

Posted January 29th, 2013 in barristers, legal executives, legal profession, Legal Services Board, news, solicitors by sally

“The merits of joining forces with the Law Society and CILEx; the need to help facilitate the transition to the new world, even if its flaws are readily apparent; the Bar as guardians of the Rule of Law; and a fond farewell.”

Full story (PDF)

The Bar Council, December 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Simplify complaints procedures, OFT tells profession – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 28th, 2013 in alternative business structures, complaints, consumer protection, legal profession, Legal Services Board, news by sally

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has urged the legal profession to simplify its complaints procedures, following the publication of research showing that only one in eight dissatisfied customers goes on to make a formal complaint.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 28th January 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal professional privilege fight goes on – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 28th, 2013 in accountants, legal profession, news, privilege by sally

“The fight to defend legal professional privilege looks set to continue, despite last week’s landmark victory for the profession in the Supreme Court. Parliament was urged to consider extending the scope of LPP in the wake of the judgment by the 140,000-member Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 28th January 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk