The New Zealand Law Society has published a LawTalk article on succession and retirement planning, focusing on what is required to close a practice or hand over work in an orderly way. The article draws on the experience of retired solicitor and sole practitioner Sue Styants, who closed her Auckland office after 43 years in…
Law Institute of Victoria launches AML/CTF Hub for legal practitioners
The Law Institute of Victoria has made available an Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) Hub to support legal practitioners preparing for the new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime. The hub includes practical learning opportunities, including an AML Kickstarter Workshop and an ACAMS Certificate in AML General Awareness for Law . The hub itself…
Law Society of Ontario approves Indigenous cultural training course
The Law Society of Ontario has approved the implementation of a new Indigenous cultural training course for licensees. The course is intended to enhance competence for licensees who may represent Indigenous clients or deal with Indigenous legal issues across a wide range of practice areas, including corporate and commercial matters, estates, civil litigation, administrative and…
LexisNexis report highlights the mentorship gap in the age of AI
LexisNexis has published a report on what it describes as the mentorship gap created by the increasing use of AI in legal work. Drawing on a January 2026 survey of 873 UK-based legal professionals, the report identifies clear productivity gains from legal AI, while also raising concerns about how junior lawyers develop judgment, argumentation and…
Law Council of Australia says equitable briefing targets for barristers met for first time
The Law Council of Australia has reported that both targets under its Equitable Briefing Policy have been achieved for the first time since the policy was introduced a decade ago. The policy sets targets for women barristers to receive at least 30 per cent of all briefs and at least 30 per cent of the…
SRA consults on proposals to strengthen continuing competence requirements
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is consulting on proposals to strengthen continuing competence requirements for solicitors in England and Wales. The proposed changes are intended to provide greater assurance that practicing solicitors are maintaining the competence, that are needed to meet both their professional and ethical obligation. The proposals would require all solicitors to record…
Legal Services Board sets new expectations to strengthen lawyers’ ethical standards
The Legal Services Board has set out new expectations for legal services regulators in England and Wales aimed at strengthening lawyers’ ethical standards and reinforcing their role in upholding the rule of law. The LSB says regulators must place professional ethical duties at the heart of how lawyers are expected to behave, and has confirmed…
State Bar of California consults on AI amendments to professional conduct rules
The State Bar of California is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct addressing lawyers’ use of artificial intelligence. The proposals were approved for a 45-day public comment period by the Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct on 13 March 2026, ending close to two weeks from now on…
SRA chief executive sets out priorities for change in 2026
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has set out a renewed set of priorities for 2026, following remarks by Chief Executive Sarah Rapson to a meeting of the Law Society Council on 18 March 2026. The priorities are framed around fixing the regulator’s foundations and rebuilding trust with both the public and the profession. Rapson acknowledges concerns…
The coming revival of the PeopleLaw sector
In his latest newsletter, Canadian commentator Jordan Furlong argues that generative AI or GenAI is beginning to reshape the legal market in ways that could reduce the profession’s focus on corporate and organisational clients. Data highlighted by Professor William Henderson, notes that the share of legal receipts generated by organisational clients in the United States rose from 47.8% in 1972 to…