At its July 16 meeting, the State Bar Board of Trustees approved a plan aimed at improving equity in the attorney discipline system, following up on the bar’s first-ever study on racial disparities in the disciplinary system. The first group of reforms aim to expand representation by counsel when an attorney faces a disciplinary investigation….
Victorian Legal Service Board research into vulnerability to miscounduct
In February 2016 the Victorian Legal Service Board and Commissioner entered into a research partnership with the University of Melbourne. The project was designed to help identify risk patterns and predict areas of concern within the Victorian profession. The study focused on 10 years of regulatory data on complaints (2005 to 2015) and looked at…
Institute for the Advancement of the Americal Legal System releases report on public confidence in the courts
The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) has released the findings of its new report into public confidence in the courts. The report comes as the culmination of an ongoing project which has had the following objectives: Conduct exploratory research to facilitate a deeper understanding of how the public views the…
Catherine Marienau on experiential learning and CLE
2Civility, the communications arm of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, has released a new video in its series on reimagining the law. The video features an interview with Catherine Marienau, Professor Emerita at DePaul University, discussing experiential learning and its use in CLE, particularly with regard to online learning. Watch the video.
Law Society of Saskatchewan podcast on the future of legal education with Dr. Kara Mitchelmore
The Law Society of Saskatchewan has released a new episode of its Legal Skies podcast, outlining the ongoing changes to legal education in Canada, as well as the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had and will have on education and training. The podcast features Dr. Kara Mitchelmore of the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal…
Canadian Bar Association survey on COVID-19 and young lawyers
The Candian Bar Association has launched a survey to gather information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young lawyers and students. Anecdotal evidence gathered by the association has suggested that early-career lawyers have been disproportionately adversely affected by the pandemic, finding it difficult to get work experience, find first jobs or articling positions….
NSW law society to provide solicitors with session with psychologist
The Law Society of New South Wales (NSW) has launched its new Solicitor Outreach Service (SOS) as part of its ongoing efforts to support the mental health and wellbeing of the state’s lawyers. Solicitors in the state will be provided with 3 sessions a year, with a qualified psychologist free of charge, and will also…
Law Council of Australia roundtable on addressing sexual harassment in the legal profession
On the 8th July 2020 the Law Council of Australia held a national roundtable to discuss sexual harassment in the legal profession and what strategies could be put in place to address the issue. The event was aimed at providing a forum for experts to develop, discusses and refine policy positions for legislative reforms, and…
Hong Kong to consider extending AML and CFT rules to cryptocurrencies
In the Financial Secretary’s 2020 – 2021 budget speech, the Hong Kong government announced that it will consider extending the anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing requirements to cover cryptocurrency service providers. Cryptocurrencies are currently classified as virtual assets in the city and are regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission. By including cryptocurrencies under AML regulations, the…
IBA launches project on lawyer mental wellbeing
The International Bar Association (IBA) has launched a global project aimed at addressing the mental wellbeing of legal professionals, particularly in light of the tensions raised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first phase of the project is made up of two global surveys – one for individual lawyers, the other for law firms and…