A synopsis of panel session 8, which takes place on 6 October at ICLR Singapore, kindly provided by the session’s moderator, Victoria Rees. Conference materials will be made available to ICLR.net members after the conference. Moderator: Victoria Rees, Director of Professional Responsibility, Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, Canada Panelists: Scott MacLean, Acting Executive Director, Investigations, Office…
Focus on Ireland: Legal Services Act 2015 Briefing
Background to the Act In Ireland the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 has been enacted primarily to establish a new Legal Services Regulatory Authority for all legal practitioners, update the legal costs system and allow possible future introduction of new business structures for the provision of legal services, including legal partnerships (solicitors and barristers), multi-disciplinary…
Event: NOBC 2017 Annual Meeting
Join the National Organisation of Bar Counsel (NOBC) in New York on 9-12 August 2017 for its Annual Meeting. You’ll get the opportunity to meet and learn from others who face the same issues. Session topics include: ‘A discussion about “attacks” on regulatory counsel (and how to deal with them)’, ‘Interplay Between Disciplinary Agencies and Client…
Legal technology and regulation
The month of May saw two technology and legal regulation issues come to light in the US. Cyber security and client communications The changing technological landscape and rising incidence of “cyber intrusion” prompted the ABA’s ethics committee to update an 18-year-old opinion on whether lawyers must use encrypted e-mail when communicating with clients. Technologically, much…
Profile of a regulator: Gene Shipp Jr.
Wallace E. “Gene” Shipp Jr. is retiring as head of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel for the District of Columbia after nearly 37 years of service. In 2016 Shipp was the recipient of the American Bar Association’s Michael Franck Professional Responsibility Award, he was also a popular and active member of the ICLR community. Recently,…
A review of the ABA’s National Conference on Professional Responsibility
From May 31 through June 2, 2017, the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility held its 43rd ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibility. The National Conference has long been the premier event of its kind in the U.S., bringing together legal scholars, jurists, regulators, and specialists in the professional responsibility field for two days…
Recognition of qualified lawyers: an SRA consultation
On 12 April 2017, the SRA Board took the decision to introduce a common assessment, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The SQE is designed to test whether individuals who wish to be admitted as solicitors have the skills and knowledge set out in the Statement of Solicitor Competence. The SQE will not be fully implemented…
Illinois becomes first US State to adopt proactive management based regulation
The Illinois Supreme Court has announced today the adoption of certain new rules governing the legal profession in Illinois. The changes are intended to help minimize many of the risks that lawyers face in the private practice of law. In doing so, Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to adopt Proactive Management Based…
SRA Innovate
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in England and Wales has a policy of encouraging providers to communicate their service innovations so the regulator and providers can make sure regulation is not a barrier to innovation. The programme is called ‘SRA Innovate’. The SRA website says, ‘If you have been thinking of a new way to…
Hong Kong Law Society to introduce common entrance exam
Hong Kong Law Society has proposed that from 2021 onwards, lawyers in Hong Kong will be required to sit and pass a ‘Common Entrance Examination’ in order to enter a trainee solicitor contract. The exam will be set and marked by the society itself, and is designed to standardise testing across Hong Kong’s three law…