Law company Elevate has been granted an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) license by the Arizona Supreme Court, making Elevate and its affiliated law firm, ElevateNext, a single entity. This makes Elevate the first non-lawyer-owned law firm in the United States. In 2020 Arizona became the first state to remove the prohibition of non-lawyers owning law…
From rule of law to statute drafting: legal issues for algorithms in government decision-making
Governments are increasingly relying on algorithms to automate decision-making in diverse areas, including social welfare, criminal justice, healthcare, law enforcement and national security. This chapter sketches the way in which algorithms are or may be used across the spectrum of government decision making — from the drafting of legislation, to judicial decision making, to the…
Technology-based legal document generation services and the regulation of legal practice in Australia
This article examines, in the Australian context, the status of technology-based legal document generation services provided directly to the public, where the service provider is not a lawyer or law practice. A brief overview of how legal practice is regulated, what legal practice is and who can engage in it under Australian law is provided…
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales has welcomed the new sanctions guidance announced by the Bar Tribunals and Sanctions Service
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales has welcomed a new sanctions regime brought in by the Bar Tribunal and Sanctions Service. The new sanctions will be used by Disciplinary Tribunals and by the BSB’s Independent Decision-Making Body in deciding what sanctions to bring against barristers found to have committed professional misconduct. The new…
The Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee has released a report on reforming the criminal justice sector
The Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee report into the criminal justice sector has highlighted the severe issues within the sector and confirmed the need to urgent change to avoid any potential disasters. The committee held a series of roundtables aimed at uncovering the short and long term steps that need to be taken to mitigate…
The legal Aid Board in the Netherlands is to begin a subsidy scheme experiment for divorce cases
The legal Aid Board in the Netherlands will begin a subsidy scheme experiment for complex divorce cases. The scheme will begin in February 2022 with the aim of uncovering how best to assist litigants in complex divorce cases, with a view to providing high quality legal aid assistance after an appropriate fee has been agreed….
The Young Lawyers’ Committee and the Women in Practice Committee of Singapore are working to develop a workplace harassment prevention policy
The Young Lawyers’ Committee and the Women in Practice Committee of Singapore currently working in tandem to develop a key policy to address work place bullying. The harassment prevention policy is to be rolled out amongst Singapore law firms at some point next year. It comes on the back of the Law Society of Singapore’s…
Legal Sector Workers United report claims that 7 out of 10 of its members have suffered issues with their mental health linked to their jobs
The Trade Union survey of it’s members reported that 71% of respondents said their position had negatively impacted their mental health. This is compared to just 14% who responded that it had had a positive affect on their mental health. While 59% suggested their work was the biggest threat to their mental health. This survey…
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Ireland undertakes first survey of trainee and early career legal professionals and undergraduates
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Ireland is undertaking the first detailed survey of trainees, early career solicitors and barristers and law undergraduates. The survey is being done through anonymised surveys. The survey is taking in a wide range of topics including remuneration, information available to early career professionals and the potential…
CLIEX and training company Pearson co-operating on the creation of new legal services ‘T-level’ in England and Wales
CLIEX and Pearson begin work on the creation of a new legal services qualification, a ‘T-level’, which will sit alongside the traditional A-level. The qualification will be for students who want to enter the legal profession, particularly those interested in business administration roles within the legal sector. The qualification will lead directly into a CLIEX…