The Law Society of Saskatchewan has announced amendments to the Legal Profession Act, 1990, effective from 1 January 2020. The Law Society is an independent regulator with the core mandate of the protection of public interest. In 2017 the Law Society and the Ministry of Justice established the Legal Services Task Team, comprised of lawyers,…
Law Society of Scotland releases guidance to improve price transparency
The Law Society of Scotland has published guidance on pricing for solicitors, aimed to improve consumer understanding of the cost of legal services. The guidance encourages firms to publish indicative pricing up-front, allowing consumers to gain a broad overview of price comparison before they contact a solicitor. The guidance will come into effect on 1…
ABA approves resolution to expand access to justice
On February 17th, during its annual midyear meeting, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates approved resolution 115, encouraging State Bars to consider innovative approaches to expanding access to justice, particularly focused around improving the affordability and quality of civil legal services. The resolution initially proposed by the ABA Center for Innovation and supported by…
Key findings from largest ever legal needs survey in England and Wales
A survey has been conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Legal Services Board (LSB) and the Law Society of England and Wales, looking to examine the current state of legal need across the jurisdiction. A nationally representative sample of 28,633 members of the public was consulted on 34 different types of legal issues, in order…
IPBA 2020 conference delayed by six months over COVID-19 concerns
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association 30th annual conference, which had been scheduled to take place in Shanghai, from April 20th to 23rd, has been delayed by six months and will now be held from October 18th to 21st. Organisers have cited member concerns over the novel strain of coronavirus COVID-19, as well as governmental and travel…
BSB publishes annual report on diversity at the Bar
On the 31st January, the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales (BSB) published its annual report on diversity at the Bar. The report demonstrates that there has been some progress, with increased diversity and representation across the profession. However, the report also demonstrated that whilst the direction of travel was positive, there is still…
Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan to launch new skills course with CPLED
A new skills course designed by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) will be launched for articling clerks in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. The course, known as The Practice Readiness Education Program or PREP is designed to equip students with the necessary practical skills to pursue a career in law in the future. The…
FLSC launches anti-money laundering and terrorist financing risk advisory for the legal profession
The Federation of Law Societies of Canda (FLSC) has launched a series of risk advisories and risk assessment case studies, designed to help legal professionals adapt to the new anti-money laundering rules. The rule changes are based on an FLSC model rule and have been adopted by Nova Scotia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The…
Law Society of Alberta piloting part-time membership
The Law Society of Alberta is currently piloting a part-time membership programme, which would be the first of its kind in Canada. In order to be eligible for the part-time membership, a lawyer must be in private practice, work fewer than 20 hours a week, and average fewer than 750 billable hours per year (not…
The future of legal services in England and Wales – regulation, consumer protection and responding to innovation
Morning, Tuesday, 25th February 2020 Cavendish Conference Auditorium 22 Duchess Mews, Marylebone, London, W1G THIS EVENT IS CPD CERTIFIED This conference focuses on the future regulation of legal services in England and Wales. It will be an opportunity to discuss the recently published interim report of the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation and look ahead to the…