Barristers
Now barrister ‘named and shamed’ by LeO is suspended for not paying other barristers
Tariq Rehman, the first lawyer to be ‘named and shamed’ by the Legal Ombudsman for a series of complaints, has been suspended by a Bar disciplinary tribunal. The tribunal suspended him for failing to pay three other barristers for work they had carried out.
SRA pokes hornets’ nest as it asks whether to drop referral fee ban in legal aid cases
The Solicitors Regulation Authority yesterday started an “open” debate about allowing solicitors to pay referral fees for legal aid and criminal work, saying the present ban acts as a barrier to consumer choice. The move is likely to be met with anger by the Bar Council.
Single statement of skills for solicitors and barristers “not possible”, BSB admits
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said that producing a “common document” on the knowledge and skills required by solicitors and barristers has “not proved possible”.
First 15 BSB-regulated entities ‘on verge’ of providing legal services to clients
The Bar Standards Board has approved 15 new businesses as it enters the world of entity regulation – but they remain unnamed as they have first to confirm that they have professional indemnity insurance in place.
Regulation round-up: the first US law firm ABS that wasn’t – thanks to SRA error
Jenner & Block has not become the first US law firm licensed as an alternative business structure, it has emerged – rather it was an error by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Plus, call for QC to be open for all, and new members of LeO’s board.
Keep legal executives out of the Crown Court, Rivlin report demands
A report for the Bar Council on the future of criminal justice and advocacy has recommended that legal executives are kept out of the Crown Courts, while solicitors should only be granted rights of audience if they have undergone the same level of training as barristers.
BSB mulls replacing prescriptive cab-rank rule with guiding principle
The Bar Standards Board has finally published a consultation on changes to the standard contractual terms and the cab-rank rule – almost eight months later than it had originally promised.
Struck off and now disbarred: lawyer who defrauded the Law Society
A former solicitor and non-practising barrister who was convicted of a string of offences – including assaulting two police officers and defrauding the Law Society of £23,000 while a member of its council – has been disbarred two months after she was struck off the roll of solicitors.
LSB: regulators better on diversity but barristers still coy about backgrounds
More than 80% of barristers have declined to disclose information about their socio-economic backgrounds when asked to do so by their professional regulator, it has emerged.
Businesses line up to be regulated by Bar Standards Board
Sixteen businesses have so far completed their applications to be regulated by the Bar Standards Board, it has emerged. The barristers’ regulator will issue its first licences next month.
Blog
The lonely role of a COFA: sharing the burden of risk management
Compliance officers for finance and administration in law firms can often find themselves walking a solitary path. But what if we could create a collaborative culture of shared accountability?
Mind the (justice) gap: Why are RTAs going up but claims still down?
The gap between the number of road traffic accident injuries and the number of motor injury claims continues to widen, according to the latest government data.
Five key issues to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech
As generative AI starts to play a bigger role in our working lives, there are some key issues that your law firm needs to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech.
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