Police station duty lawyer: ‘You have to be brave in this job’ – The Guardian

Posted September 7th, 2011 in news, police, prisons, solicitors by sally

“After another night on call at Hastings police station, duty lawyer Kim Evans struggles to retain her Buddhist calm.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Solicitors from Hell owner launches £1m defamation claim against Law Soc CEO – The Lawyer

Posted September 5th, 2011 in defamation, internet, news, solicitors by sally

“The fight between the Law Society and Solicitors from Hell website owner Rick Kordowski has taken a further twist with Kordowski launching a defamation claim against Law Society chief executive Des Hudson.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 2nd September 2011

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Mortgage lenders cut lists of ‘approved’ solicitors for conveyancing – The Guardian

Posted September 5th, 2011 in conveyancing, mortgages, news, solicitors by sally

“As if finding a property, saving for a deposit and passing credit and salary checks weren’t enough for would-be homebuyers, lenders have thrown in a new issue: your solicitor. An increasing number of borrowers are finding that their lender will not work with the law firm they have chosen to do their conveyancing – a situation that is reducing consumer choice and can add costs, hassle and delay to the homebuying process. And the problem is likely to grow.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

LSB to make a recommendation for Order under S.80 of Legal Services Act – Legal Services Board

“The LSB has today (17 August) published its decision document and the Order that it will recommend to the Lord Chancellor should be made under section 80 of the Legal Services Act 2007 about the appeal mechanism for decisions of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) if it is designated as a Licensing Authority. This follows the consultation Alternative business structures: appeal arrangements which ran from 5 May 2011 to 2 June 2011 and our decision to recommend to the Lord Chancellor that the SRA should be designated as a Licensing Authority.”

Full story

Legal Services Board, 17th August 2011

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Solicitors fined £20,000 for sending intimidating letters – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 2nd, 2011 in costs, disciplinary procedures, fines, news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

“Two London solicitors have been fined and suspended for three months by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal for sending intimidating letters accusing people of illegal filesharing.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 2nd August 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

SRA probes solicitors’ handling of Hackgate – The Lawyer

“The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a formal investigation into the role played by solicitors in the News International phone-hacking scandal.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 22nd July 2011

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Law Society takes on Solicitors from Hell website – BBC News

Posted July 21st, 2011 in defamation, internet, Law Society, news, solicitors by sally

“A website which claims to name and shame under-performing lawyers is facing legal action from the Law Society for alleged defamation.”

Full story

BBC News, 21st July 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

File-sharing cases settled – Law Society’s Gazette

“The long running file-sharing cases brought by London firm ACS:Law have come to an end, as the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has published the charges faced by the solicitor at the heart of the controversial claims.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 15th July 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Solicitor wins right to bring age bias claim against law firm – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 8th, 2011 in age discrimination, law firms, news, solicitors by tracey

“A solicitor dismissed for failing to meet billing targets has won the right to bring an age discrimination claim against his former employer.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 7th July 2011

Soruce: www.lawgazette.co.uk

JAG submits QASA application to the Legal Services Board – Bar Standards Board

Posted July 7th, 2011 in advocacy, barristers, legal executives, news, quality assurance, solicitors by sally

“The Joint Advocacy Group (JAG) – made up of the Bar Standards Board, Solicitors Regulatory Authority and ILEX Professional Standards – has submitted an application to the Legal Services Board (LSB) for consideration of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (crime) – QASA.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 6th July 2011

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Legal aid awards: Doreen Lawrence presents prizes at upbeat ceremony – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2011 in barristers, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

“Despite £350m cuts threatening the entire legal aid system, the focus was on its lawyers’ many achievements.”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal profession needs more than an aptitude test to cut graduate surplus – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2011 in legal education, news, reports, solicitors by sally

“With not enough training contracts for all its students, the legal practice course needs to find ways of reducing its intake.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Guidance to barristers undertaking civil legal aid work – The Bar Council

Posted June 7th, 2011 in barristers, legal aid, news, solicitors by michael

“When an assisted (legally aided) person succeeds in a civil case and recovers a costs order against the unassisted (privately funded) party, the assisted person’s solicitor will then submit a bill to the paying party which will include fees for solicitors and counsel at full inter-partes rates (not at restricted legal aid rates). That bill will then be agreed or assessed. The sum due will be paid to the assisted person’s solicitor and the solicitor should pay counsel.”

Full text of guidance

The Bar Council, 6th June 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Hogan Lovells dismisses senior litigator over £1m of false expenses – The Lawyer

Posted May 18th, 2011 in dismissal, expenses, false accounting, news, solicitors by tracey

“Hogan Lovells senior litigator Christopher Grierson has been dismissed from the partnership after claiming over £1m in false expenses over the course of four years.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 17th May 2011

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Solicitors from Hell to face legal action – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 13th, 2011 in injunctions, internet, law firms, news, solicitors by tracey

“The Law Society is set to launch legal proceedings against the owner of Solicitors from Hell, the website that blacklists law firms and solicitors. Chancery Lane will seek two injunctions against the site and its owner Rick Kordowski: one on behalf of solicitors and firms named on the site, and a second on behalf of the wider profession.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 12th May 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lane v Cullens Solicitors and others – WLR Daily

Posted May 13th, 2011 in intestacy, law reports, limitations, negligence, solicitors by tracey

Lane v Cullens Solicitors and others [2011] EWCA Civ 547; [2011] WLR (D) 157

“Where a personal representative had distributed sums out of the relevant estate notwithstanding a notified third party claim against the estate, and sought to sue solicitors in professional negligence, the applicable limitation period could be found to run from the time at which the legal position had altered, viz upon payment out, regardless of the question whether the third party claim was correctly to be characterised as a vested or a contingent claim.”

WLR Daily, 11th May 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Please note that once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed

Sex discrimination case begins – Law Society’s Gazette

“A woman solicitor who alleges that her boss remarked she had ‘all the traits of a blonde’ and should find herself a rich husband has begun tribunal proceedings for sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 12th May 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

BSB gives go ahead for barristers to sue solicitors over fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 6th, 2011 in barristers, contracts, fees, news, solicitors by sally

“The Bar Standards Board has given the green light for the introduction of standard contractual terms that will enable barristers to sue solicitors for unpaid fees.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 5th May 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal education’s oversupply is unethical – The Lawyer

Posted April 26th, 2011 in legal education, news, solicitors by sally

“Too many people are looking to become solicitors in England and Wales. This is not an opinion, it is a fact based on the most recent annual report from the Law Society.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 25th April 2011

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Prisoners sign up for law degrees – The Guardian

Posted April 26th, 2011 in legal education, news, rehabilitation, solicitors by sally

“Legal degrees are proving popular with prisoners and ex-convicts – but can they ever become solicitors?”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk