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…
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales moves to the next step of its project to ensure barristers practices comply with the Bar transparency rules.
The Bar Standards Board is beginning the next phase of its work regarding the Bar transparency rules which came into force in July 2019. This involves ensuring all barristers’ practices comply. The Bar transparency rules are designed to help the public make informed decisions about barristers’ services and improve the information available to the public before they…
The Law Society of New South Wales launches resource for working with clients suffering domestic abuse
The Law Society of New South Wales has launched a new resource which provides guidance to lawyers working with individuals who have or are at risk of suffering domestic violence. The Law Society of New South Wales has launched this resource aimed at helping lawyers deal with clients suffering domestic abuse as it is lawyers…