In April 2025 Legal Services Threat Assessment published by the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). The report provides a detailed analysis of the sanctions compliance risks facing UK legal services providers, with a particular focus on the period following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. OFSI highlights the legal sector’s critical role in…
Australia and United Kingdom develop legal services regulatory dialogue
A development has been reported by the Law Council of Australia in its statement dated 11 April 2025, welcoming the continued progress of the Australia–United Kingdom Legal Services Regulatory Dialogue, established under the Australia–UK Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA). In its commentary, the Law Council highlighted the importance of this Dialogue in advancing cooperation on legal…
Korean Bar Association calls for reforms to reduce the number of new attorneys
A statement has been published by the Korean Bar Association (KBA), which issued a strong call for urgent reform to Korea’s attorney admission process and a significant reduction in the number of new lawyers admitted each year. In its public position released on 10 April 2025, the KBA emphasised the unsustainable oversaturation of the legal…
European Union artificial intelligence continent action plan
This development has been reported by the BRAK in its News from Brussels (Issue 7/2025). In its commentary, BRAK underscored the significance of the European Commission’s efforts to shape a unified and strategic approach to artificial intelligence (AI) across the continent. It noted that the AI Continent Action Plan represents a pivotal step towards establishing…
European union human rights: a search of a law firm requires a written search warrant
This landmark decision has since been reported by the BRAK, the Federal Bar Association of Germany. In its commentary, BRAK highlighted the importance of this judgment for legal practitioners across Europe, underscoring the principle that any intrusion into a lawyer’s professional environment must be strictly regulated and accompanied by appropriate judicial oversight. BRAK noted that…
The state bar board of trustees of California approves testing locations and vendor for in-person July bar exam
The State Bar of California has issued a release announcing that its Board of Trustees has approved both the software vendor and proposed testing locations for the in-person July 2025 California Bar Exam. This decision forms part of the State Bar’s broader efforts to enhance the exam experience and address concerns raised by candidates who…
Regulatory leadership on access to justice
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has issued a report titled “Regulatory Leadership on Access to Justice”, prepared by Nottingham Law School. This report discusses how legal services regulators in England and Wales can play a more active and strategic role in addressing the ongoing challenges surrounding access to justice. It emphasises that access to justice…
Big Four accounting company gets Arizona approval to operate firm, plans to use AI to transform legal services
The ABA Journal has published an article titled “Big Four accounting company gets Arizona approval to operate firm, plans to use AI to transform legal services” by Debra Cassens Weiss, highlighting a significant development in the U.S. legal industry. KPMG has become the first of the Big Four accounting firms to own a law firm…
Fake rule of law
The International Bar Association has published an article by Michael Goldhaber, IBA US Correspondent, titled “Fake Rule of Law,” which critically examines how former U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly invoked the phrase “rule of law” while fundamentally misrepresenting its meaning. Goldhaber contrasts the accepted definition of the rule of law—laws that are equally enforced, independently…
Equal Pay Day: large salary gaps continue to exist in the legal profession in Germany
On March 7, 2025, Germany observed Equal Pay Day, symbolizing the persistent gender pay gap, which stood at 16% in 2024—a decrease from 18% in prior years, marking the sharpest drop since 2006, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Adjusted for factors like industry, qualifications, and working hours, the gap remains steady at 6%. This…