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The government’s consultation on compulsory mediation closed yesterday. The proposals are based around having mandatory mediation for all defended small claims in the county court.

It is a year since the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination – the biggest change in legal education for three decades. Much has gone well, but there are areas for improvement.

In recent years, there has been a marked change in the approach taken by law firms to allegations of partner misconduct. You need to avoid knee-jerk decisions that could compromise the investigation.

Unlawful property investment schemes have now failed in huge numbers across the UK. At one point, even burial plots were being sold unlawfully to unwitting investors.

Law firms should be on their toes, at least considering or preparing strategies to understand or even enter new virtual worlds if they haven’t already started to activate them.

Paralegals are the backbone of the UK legal sector, with many lawyers simply unable to do their jobs without the support of skilled paralegals. An estimated 100,000 paralegals work in the UK.

What should the external counsel relationship look like in 2022? GCs want a level of service that extends well beyond technical legal advice and support. But are law firms really ready to respond?

A brand refresh, particularly one that amounts to a full rebrand involving a change to the name and visual identity, is not something to be undertaken lightly.

Let’s assume that the scary part is over, and you’ve started your own law firm. Congratulations! It’s now time to turn to the next burning issue: how to get clients for a firm that no one has heard of.

Cyber-attacks are not the only threat to law firms’ data. Incidents like power outages, equipment failures, terrorist attacks and natural disasters all pose a risk to business data and infrastructure.