A partnership of the different Canadian law societies, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the Canadian Bar Association and the Université de Sherbrooke is coming together for a first-of-its-kind national study on the well-being of legal professionals. The study is based on the fact that legal practitioners are amongst the grouping of professionals most…
Law Society of Scotland to manage new legal aid trainee fund
On the 3rd of June the Scottish Government launched a new £1 million fund to support legal aid traineeships in Scotland, the fund and application will be managed by the Law Society of Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The fund will provide support for up to 40 new legal aid trainees, paying for…
England and Wales regulators launch new customer review pilot
A joint pilot project has launched by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), CILEx Regulation (CRL) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB), under which regulated law firms have been invited to help develop meaningful quality indicators, which will aid potential clients when choosing their legal service provider. The exercise has…
Law Society of New South Wales welcomes new advocacy service for cognitively impaired users
The Law Society of New South Wales (NSW) has welcomed the NSW Government’s decision to invest $28million in to the Justice Advocacy Service (JAS) and the establishment of a new court-based diversion program for individuals with a cognitive impairment. JAS is a support service provided to victims, witnesses and defendants with a cognitive impairment. The…
Nobody Can Really Afford Legal Services: The Price of Justice in Namibia
Abstract Nobody (except for the privileged few) can afford legal services in Namibia. In the light of this dawning awareness, how should the government and other stakeholders design the legal profession so that the greatest number of Namibians can access legal services and, ultimately, justice while preserving the profession’s financial viability? The predominantly economic nature of this question means that its solutions lie…
Clinic in the times of COVID-19
Abstract This paper considers the challenges faced by clinical legal education programs in responding effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. Client needs are different and more acute. They also need to be balanced with the safety of students and staff. Services will need to be delivered remotely. The article considers some of the key legal issues generated by the pandemic, highlighting the…
Protecting and Promoting Competition in Response to ‘Disruptive’ Innovations in Legal Services: OECD Background Paper
Abstract Despite traditional resistance to change in legal professions, pro-competitive “disruptive” innovations are beginning to transform legal services and the manner in which they are delivered. Online service delivery is allowing both legal professionals and unlicensed providers to serve clients remotely while taking advantage of the scalability of digital platforms. In addition, ranking and review information regarding legal professionals is becoming increasingly accessible, and…
Event: Kingsley Napley Spotlight Series – Insights into Legal Services Regulation in 2021: promoting professional behaviours
June; 16, 2021 Online How can firms better identify behaviours amongst lawyers and staff that pose a risk to its culture and its compliance with SRA regulatory obligations? Can firms learn to recognise antecedents, structures and behaviours that pose a reputational and regulatory risk and take action to eradicate or at least minimise their prevalence?…
Legal Services Board of England and Wales releases diversity dashboard for England and Wales profession
The Legal Services Board of England and Wales (LSB), which acts as the oversight regulator for professional frontline regulators in England and Wales has released a dashboard of diversity statistics collected from each of the frontline regulators it oversees, alongside the publication of an independent report into regulator diversity. The report was produced by the…
California State Bar Board of Trustees approve updated law school accreditation rules
At its meeting on May 13, 2021, the California State Bar Board of Trustees adopted new accreditation rules for California accredited law schools. The new rules will come into effect on January 1st, 2022, with law schools required to demonstrate compliance by January 1, 2024, and are designed to incorporate best practices and provide a…