The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa has issued guidance on reporting requirements under the Conduct and Client care Rules. The rules came into force in July 2021 and attempt to clarify the behaviour expected of lawyers. The main goal of these guidelines is to tackle bully, harassment and discrimination in…
The Victorian Legal Services Board in Australia has issued new guidelines for dealing with sexual harassment
The Victorian Legal Services Board has published new resources on its website for people who experience of witness sexual harassment in the Victorian legal sector. These resources contain practical guidance about what individuals can do at the time and in the aftermath of experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment. These guidelines are being put in place…
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Ireland is opening a public consultancy for the new profession of Conveyancer
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority is inviting interested parties to make written submissions ahead of a report to the Minister of Justice in relation to the creation of a new profession of conveyancer in Ireland. The consultation pages, available through the link below, outline the type of submission, including suggested topics, the Legal Services Regulatory…
WTO negotiations on domestic services regulation have concluded successfully in Geneva
67 WTO member delegates participated in the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation, which aims to reduce administrative costs and create a more transparent environment for services providers to operate in when conducting business in foreign markets. This initiative marks the first set of rules governing service regulation in nearly 25 years. The trade agreement…
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales has published its regulatory decision making annual report
This is the second report of its type by the Bar Standards Board since the way regulatory decisions were made was reformed. The report finds that between April 2020 and March 2021 the number of reports and applications for exemptions substantially increased. This coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bar Standards Board has increased proactive…
First generation lawyers find fewer jobs than peers
New data from the National Association of Law Placement, in the US, suggests first generation lawyers have a harder time securing a job than their peers. First generation US lawyers, who don’t have at least one parent with a bachelors degree find securing a job after graduation much harder than their peers a study has found….
Law Society of Alberta continues Lawyer Referral Service review
In 2020 the Law Society of Alberta took the Lawyer Referral Service back in house, and launched a survey to gather the input of key stakeholders regarding the service. After many years being run by Calgary Legal Guidance, in March 2020, the Law Society took LRS back in-house. This was partly to better understand how…
California Bar launches access to justice consultation
The State Bar of California is seeking to solve the issue of access to justice many residents suffer given the high cost of legal services, by establishing a new paraprofessional. They estimate 85% of legal problems received no or inadequate help. It is hoped a new more affordable legal professional would go some way to…
New Zealand sees first pro-bono legal portal open
The New Zealand Ministry of Justice has funded NZ’s first pro-bono portal, connecting lawyers with people in need of legal assistance. Te Ara Ture is New Zealand’s first pro-bono legal service aimed at helping Kiwi’s who cannot normally afford to enlist the help of legal professionals. The software takes referrals from the community and through…
Legal-aid bill assessment shake up in the UK paused by Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice in the United Kingdom has shelved plans to stop legal-aid bills from being court assessed and bring them inhouse. Under the current system legal-aid practitioners can choose to have bills between £2,500 and £25,000 assessed by the courts or the Legal Aid Agency. Under the new scheme the Ministry of Justice wanted…