SQE will become part of law degrees and make LPC “redundant” – Legal Futures

Posted October 28th, 2016 in legal education, news, solicitors, universities by sally

‘Some universities will incorporate the first stage of the proposed Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) into their law degrees, the education and training director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has predicted.’

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Legal Futures, 28th October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Supreme Court upholds clause excluding professional indemnity cover for commercial arrangements – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 27th, 2016 in appeals, contracts, insurance, law firms, legal services, news, solicitors, Supreme Court by sally

‘Loans provided to the clients of a firm of solicitors by a third party funder were not ‘legal services’, and so were not covered by the terms of the firm’s professional indemnity (PI) policy, the UK’s highest court has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 26th October 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

High Court bids to minimise delay in bitter costs dispute between solicitors – Litigation Futures

Posted October 25th, 2016 in civil procedure rules, costs, delay, law firms, news, solicitors by michael

‘A High Court master has rejected an application from a Leicestershire solicitor for trial of a preliminary issue in a costs claim involving another law firm, citing the “high degree of personal animosity between the parties”.’

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Litigation Futures, 18th October 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Solicitor accepts rebuke for involvement in £2m SDLT schemes – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor involved in conveyancing transactions that resulted in the non-payment of £2m in stamp duty land tax (SDLT) has accepted a rebuke from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).’

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Legal Futures, 24th October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Jail again for fraudulent ex-solicitor who hijacked law firm’s identity – Legal Futures

Posted October 25th, 2016 in costs, fraud, identity fraud, law firms, news, recidivists, sentencing, solicitors by michael

‘An ex-solicitor has been found guilty and jailed for five years for five counts of fraud by false representation – his second spell in jail for fraud after he previously stole from his firm’s client account’

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Legal Future, 21st October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Cost benefit analysis – New Law Journal

Posted October 24th, 2016 in costs, news, privilege, solicitors, wasted costs orders by michael

‘Wasted costs orders can only be made against a representative, whereas non-party costs orders can be made against anyone, including a representative.’

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New Law Journal, 20th October 2016

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Solicitor banned for nine-fold overcharging of deceased clients – Law Society Gazette

Posted October 24th, 2016 in disciplinary procedures, forgery, news, solicitors by michael

‘A solicitor who misappropriated money from deceased clients’ estates over several years and created a ‘work of fiction’ to confuse investigators has been struck off.”

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Law Society Gazette, 24th October 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Hundreds of UK lawyers register in Ireland in Brexit insurance move – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2016 in brexit, courts, EC law, Ireland, legal profession, news, rights of audience, solicitors by sally

‘More than 700 British solicitors have applied to register with the Law Society of Ireland this year as lawyers scramble to secure professional rights of audience in European courts.’

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The Guardian, 17th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New advocates lack “basic knowledge” of ethical rules, report finds – Legal Futures

‘Significant numbers of new advocates are “weaker than might be hoped on basic knowledge” of ethical rules, a major report has found.’

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Legal Futures, 5th October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society and Bar Council condemn regulators for “attacks” on profession – Legal Futures

Posted September 23rd, 2016 in barristers, consumer protection, legal services, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Law Society has raised its opposition to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) plan to allow practising solicitors to operate from unregulated law firms to an unprecedented level, issuing a report that said there would be little or no economic benefit from the move.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd September 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Research exposes £60k gender pay gap – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 21st, 2016 in gender, news, remuneration, solicitors by tracey

‘Men are earning on average nearly 20% more than women, latest Law Society research suggests, despite the gender pay gap falling to its narrowest since 2008. A survey of private practice solicitors’ salaries shows that male salaried partners at the top end of the earnings bracket make as much as £60,000 more than women in the same category.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 21st September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

PI cold-calling ban will stay in place, says SRA, as Law Society steps up attack on Handbook rewrite – Legal Futures

‘Fears that the rewritten SRA Handbook might not continue the ban on law firms cold-calling potential personal injury clients have been allayed by the regulator.’

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Legal Futures, 20th September 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Iraq abuse claims ‘often very poor’ says former DPP – Daily Telegraph

‘Alleged Iraq abuse claims brought against British troops by a leading human rights law firm have often been made up of poor, inaccurate information, a review by a former director of public prosecutions has said. Sir David Calvert-Smith said investigators tasked with wading through hundreds of alleged abuse claims had found key details such as names, dates and times were often wrong.’

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Full report

Daily Telegraph, 15th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lawyers aghast at SRA plans to lift cold-calling ban – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Personal injury lawyers have warned that Solicitors Regulation Authority plans to remove a ban on cold calling will only encourage the shadier elements of the profession.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 15th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Litigation aftermath of failed partnership returns to High Court – Litigation Futures

Posted September 12th, 2016 in news, partnerships, solicitors by sally

‘The latest skirmish in a long-running row between two solicitors whose partnership dissolved in acrimony, has seen the High Court rule that the failure of one to mention to his creditors that he had been struck off was a “material irregularity”.’

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Litigation Futures, 12th September 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk

Solicitors slam The Archers for creating ‘unrealistic’ expections of British legal system – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 12th, 2016 in barristers, BBC, domestic violence, legal profession, media, news, solicitors, trials by sally

‘Leading solicitors have complained they are being sidelined by The Archers’ trial plot which has given those accused of crimes unrealistic expectations from barristers.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Claimant slapped with costs order after erroneous CFA letter – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 1st, 2016 in costs, law firms, news, solicitors by sally

‘The County Court has refused costs protection to a claimant after his solicitors had wrongly told the defendants that a funding agreement was in place.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 31st August 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Defending public interest lawyers – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘After months of rumours that staff were leaving the firm and that its founder Phil Shiner was buckling under of the pressure, Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) has announced its closure.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 30th August 2016

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Insurance fraudster who tried to blame his solicitor jailed for eight months – Litigation Futures

Posted August 26th, 2016 in contempt of court, fraud, insurance, news, personal injuries, sentencing, solicitors by sally

‘A man who brought a fraudulent personal injury claim, and then tried to blame his solicitor for bringing the action without his knowledge, has been jailed for eight months for contempt of court.’

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Litigation Futures, 25th August 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind small – Nearly Legal

Posted August 26th, 2016 in costs, disciplinary procedures, news, solicitors by sally

‘Or how to end up with a personal liability for £100,000 within 5 years of qualification as a solicitor.’

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Nearly Legal, 26th August 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk