Corporate law firms widen the recruitment net – The Guardian

Posted March 24th, 2011 in law firms, legal profession, news, universities by sally

“News that top firms are to recruit students from less traditional universities has not been welcomed by all.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New timetable for the introduction of the Aptitude Test – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 18th, 2011 in barristers, examinations, legal profession, press releases by sally

“The Bar Standards Board, the regulator of barristers in England and Wales, has issued a new timetable for the introduction of an Aptitude Test for the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).”

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 18th March 2011

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Family lawyers face up to challenges ahead – Law Society’s Gazette

“Family law is facing an unprecedented year of change, with practitioners under intense pressure to be innovative if they want to maintain the viability of their practices. Some family law departments are already downsizing, or are being closed, as experienced practitioners move firms or set up their own niche practices. However, others are embracing change and are among their firms’ top teams in terms of fee income and profitability.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

If lawyers’ independence starts being undermined, we are in a danger zone – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2011 in citizens advice bureaux, legal profession, Legal Services Board, news by sally

“Changes concerning the Legal Services Board and Citizens Advice, including the closure of the LSB’s website, have brought the independence issue to the fore again.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Women lawyers believe they are paid less than male peers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 10th, 2011 in equal pay, legal profession, news, women by sally

“Most women lawyers believe their male colleagues earn more than they do, research has suggested.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal Profession Lawcast (2): Neil Rose on ABS – Jackson – Funding – Regulation and the state of the profession today – Charon QC

Posted March 7th, 2011 in legal aid, legal profession, legal services, podcasts by sally

“Today I am talking to Neil Rose of Legal Futures about the changing legal landscape in 2011. Legal Futures is the brainchild of Neil Rose, who has been writing about the Legal Services Act since its genesis in the OFT report of 2001. Neil is a highly experienced legal journalist, having spent 12 years working on the Law Society’s Gazette, latterly as Deputy Editor and including a lengthy spell as Acting Editor in 2007. A qualified solicitor, he went freelance in January 2008.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 7th March 2011

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

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

Queen’s counsel: the merits of giving the best advocates a badge of excellence – The Guardian

Posted March 3rd, 2011 in barristers, legal profession, news, queen's counsel, solicitors by sally

“The increase in the proportion of women and ethnic minorities on the new Queen’s counsel list is something the Ministry of Justice should celebrate.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Justice system delays endemic, research shows – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 24th, 2011 in criminal justice, criminal procedure, delay, legal profession, news, police, probation by sally

“Law Society research submitted to the government last week has identified a ‘lack of communication’ pervading the justice system that is causing delays throughout the process.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 24th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

How a lawyer can change their specialist practice area – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 24th, 2011 in legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“It is a common observation among middle-aged lawyers that the increasing need to specialise very early in a legal career has changed the face of the profession. Time spent in a more general or rounded practice has been much reduced, leading to a situation where lawyers are making key decisions about their future specialism much earlier.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 24th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Rethinking the legal profession in the 21st century – future models for delivering legal services – justice for users – new structures on old foundations – Speech by Lord Justice Carnwath

Posted February 16th, 2011 in legal profession, legal services, news, speeches by sally

Rethinking the legal profession in the 21st century – future models for delivering legal services – justice for users – new structures on old foundations (PDF)

Speech by Lord Justice Carnwath, Senior President of Tribunals

Commonwealth Law Conference, 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

LSB to quiz all lawyers on parents’ education – The Lawyer

Posted February 14th, 2011 in diversity, education, legal profession, news by sally

“Lawyers will be asked to reveal where their parents attended university under far-reaching proposals by the Legal Services Board (LSB) to monitor social mobility across the profession.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 14th February 2011

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Why lawyers who fall foul of the legal watchdog should be named – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2011 in complaints, legal ombudsman, legal profession, news, public interest by sally

“Complaints are the legal profession’s achilles heel. It was the Law Society’s failure to deal properly with complaints against solicitors in the late 1990s that helped trigger the reform process that led to the Legal Services Act 2007 – and a key element of the act is the new, independent Legal Ombudsman (LEO) service.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Of Smoke and Snails – Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

Posted January 18th, 2011 in legal profession, speeches by sally

Of Smoke and Snails (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

King’s College, London’s Bar Society Annual Dinner, 13 January 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

What to do with your law intern – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2011 in employment, legal education, legal profession, news by sally

“Employers are under pressure to up their game when it comes to temporary placements.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prominent legal figures give their predictions for 2011 – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 6th, 2011 in legal profession, news by sally

“No one from whom the Gazette sought a prediction sees the year ahead as dull – 2011, according to lawyers, people who provide services to the legal profession, a government minister, and the profession’s leaders, will be a year in which the economic context will remain extremely challenging. Firms’ finances will come under close scrutiny, serious new competitors will emerge, and lawyers will be moving firms in ever greater numbers. And there is, of course, huge concern about the future provision of legal aid.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 6th January 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Motion to widen Society membership withdrawn – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 17th, 2010 in Law Society, legal profession, news by sally

“Law Society Council member Derek French withdrew his motion proposing to allow barristers and legal executives to become members of the Law Society, at the Society’s council last week.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th December 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Time for legal profession to lay down the law on training – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2010 in legal education, legal profession, news by sally

“A forthcoming review of the way lawyers are trained provides an ideal opportunity to overhaul a dysfunctional system.”

Full story

The Guardian, 10th December 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid lawyers were struggling even before the cuts – The Guardian

Posted December 6th, 2010 in budgets, legal aid, legal profession, news, remuneration by sally

“These are dark days for junior legal aid lawyers. Even before the cuts to the legal aid budget were announced last month, they were struggling to get by on salaries that are among the lowest in the public sector (£16,650 for trainee solicitors and £10,000 for trainee barristers, rising to little more than £25,000 after several years in the job). Now they’re bracing themselves for their practices to be decimated as many of their clients lose eligibility for state funding.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd December 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Creating a legal training framework that will breed diversity – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2010 in legal education, legal profession, news by sally

“As the legal professions – dominated by ex-private school pupils – seek to open up, getting it right is more important than doing it quickly.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th November 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Proportion of lawyers educated at public school far outstrips national average – The Lawyer

Posted November 16th, 2010 in education, legal profession, news by sally

“The legal profession has become increasingly elitist over the past 20 years, with 15 per cent of lawyers being public school educated while just 2 per cent of the population is.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 15th November 2010

Source: www.thelawyer.com