“Engaged and in Control” – Incoming Bar Chairman sets Vision for Future – The Bar Council

Posted December 11th, 2012 in barristers, legal profession, news, speeches by sally

“Maura McGowan QC, the incoming Chairman of the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, will this evening deliver her inaugural address at the Bar Council’s offices, in which she will set out a vision for a profession which is engaged and in control of its future.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 10th December 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Related link: Engaged and in Control (PDF)

Legal Academics: Forgotten Players or Interlopers? – The Hon. Mr Justice Beatson

Posted December 7th, 2012 in judgments, judiciary, lectures, legal profession by sally

Legal Academics: Forgotten Players or Interlopers? (PDF)

The Hon. Mr Justice Beatson

Inner Temple Reader’s Lecture Series, November 2012

Source: www.innertemple.org.uk

Points of review – The Lawyer

Posted November 28th, 2012 in consumer protection, legal education, legal profession, news, reports by sally

“The widely criticised Legal Education and Training Review is in its final stages. Opinion is divided on whether it will achieve its objectives.”

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The Lawyer, 26th November 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

MoJ plans for judicial review reform face sceptical response from lawyers – Legal Week

Posted November 20th, 2012 in judicial review, legal profession, news by sally

“The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to reform the judicial review process in an attempt to reduce the number of ‘weak or ill-conceived cases’ the Government says are clogging up courts, with the news greeted with a sceptical response from the legal profession.”

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Legal Week, 19th November 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Lawyers say Clarke’s justice bill smacks of repressive and undemocratic regimes – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2012 in bills, closed material, evidence, legal profession, news, private hearings by sally

“Secret trials and withholding evidence are reminiscent of ‘repressive regimes and undemocratic societies’, the legal profession warns in a letter opposing the government’s justice and security bill.”

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The Guardian, 17th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Chancery Lane hits out at LETR over claim – Law Society’s Gazette

“The Law Society has hit back at claims that the current system of legal education and training is unfit for purpose. In a critical response to a discussion paper published by the cross-professional Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), the Society says it is ‘not aware of clear evidence that the current system is broken’.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 8th November 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Charon UK Tour Report #6: Professor Moorhead on legal ethics – Charon QC

Posted November 8th, 2012 in legal profession, news, professional conduct by sally

“Today, I am at University College London talking with Professor Richard Moorhead, Professor of Law and Professional Ethics.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 7th November 2012

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Fitness to Practice, Integrity: should you be able to buy a used car from this person? – 11 KBW

Posted November 7th, 2012 in financial advice, fraud, legal profession, mortgages, news, professional conduct by sally

“An important function for regulators of the professions is to ensure that the ‘wrong’ people do not tarnish the reputation and standing of their peers. In this paper, I shall discuss some recent examples of professional misconduct, and identify some common threads between different regulatory regimes”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 31st October 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

Pro bono: do we need to rethink the formula post legal aid? – The Guardian

Posted November 6th, 2012 in law firms, legal profession, news, pro bono work by sally

“A survey shows that most law firms have not planned to change their pro bono activity to respond to the cuts in legal aid.”

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The Guardian, 6th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Litigators: Survive & Thrive – Speech by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls

Posted October 19th, 2012 in costs, fees, legal aid, legal profession, speeches by sally

Litigators: Survive & Thrive (PDF)

Speech by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls

Civil Justice Section Conference, 18th October 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Brace yourself for unprecedented change, says master of rolls – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 19th, 2012 in costs, fees, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

“Implementing the Jackson costs reforms will inevitably lead to satellite litigation, the master of the rolls has warned. He urged courts and lawyers to ‘do what they can’ to minimise it.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 19th October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Helena Kennedy: ‘Women’s struggles are not over’ – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2012 in barristers, domestic violence, legal profession, news, women by sally

“Baroness Helena Kennedy QC on the huge changes she has seen in the way the law treats women, and the ongoing battle to force the police to take domestic abuse seriously.”

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The Guardian, 17th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Don’t be afraid to complain about your lawyer says Legal Ombudsman – The Guardian

Posted October 16th, 2012 in complaints, law firms, legal ombudsman, legal profession, news by sally

“Clients of law firms are scared to complain when things go wrong and are confused about the complaints system.”

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The Guardian, 15th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council eyes greater retention with launch of bar nursery – The Lawyer

Posted October 8th, 2012 in barristers, children, inns of court, legal profession, news by sally

“The Bar Council plans to roll out childcare services to barristers in London before the end of the year in a bid to halt the brain drain among young lawyers with parenting responsibilities”

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The Lawyer, 8th October 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

The unwritten rules of clerking – Legal Week

Posted September 13th, 2012 in barristers' clerks, legal profession, news by sally

“I have been extremely fortunate in my career to work for some excellent senior clerks. They have all had their own styles and idiosyncrasies which must in some way have molded my own brand of clerking. They all had two things in common; they needed a steady supply of hot beverages to get them through the day and they all adhered to The Rules.”

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Legal Week, 12th September 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Criminal bar chief: unity can help resist ‘extinction’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 13th, 2012 in barristers, fees, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“Criminal solicitors and barristers should stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ to oppose further fee cuts or risk ‘virtual extinction’ within five years, the new chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has warned.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 13th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Calm in a crisis: lawyers and the internet age – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 6th, 2012 in internet, law firms, legal profession, media, news by sally

“There are events in the life-cycle of any business that have the potential to snowball into a crisis of unforeseen proportions. It could be a bad set of financial results or a scuppered merger. Or perhaps employee lay-offs, a high-profile desertion to a rival or allegations of misconduct by senior staff. Or it might be a testing issue with a client. But while difficult business decisions may not be avoidable, especially in this tough economic climate, a crisis played out in the media can be managed or averted by taking the right steps.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 6th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Fresh faces at justice ministry after reshuffle – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 5th, 2012 in legal profession, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“A criminal law barrister and former Labour-supporting law firm founder are among the new faces at the Ministry of Justice after a sweeping reshuffle of ministerial posts.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 5th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Chris Grayling, justice secretary: non-lawyer and ‘on the up’ politician – The Guardian

Posted September 5th, 2012 in criminal justice, judiciary, legal profession, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“Grayling’s main qualifications for justice minister are that he is perceived to be right-wing and once shadowed prisons.”

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The Guardian, 4th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tracking changes to legal ethics – LSB research suggests the way ahead – Legal Services Board

Posted September 5th, 2012 in legal profession, Legal Services Board, news, professional conduct, reports by sally

“The Legal Services Board today publishes a report by a team led by Professor Richard Moorhead of University College, Director of the Centre for Ethics and Law at London, outlining how professional ethics in the legal sector may be tracked over time. The LSB commissioned the research to support the ongoing evaluation of the impact of the Legal Services Act 2007.”

Full story (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 5th September 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Related link: Designing Ethics Indicators for Legal Services Provision (PDF)