Winds of change are blowing over the legal profession. Yet, compared to other professions and industries, legal services regulation remains very much a laggard. For the most part, legal services regulation remains rigid, reactive and complaint-based. These are not characteristics that are considered regulatory best practices. Recognizing this, a number of law societies are contemplating…
Lawyers as Professionals and as Citizens: Key Roles and Responsibilities in the 21st Century
This essay, published by the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School, presents a practical vision of the responsibilities of lawyers as both professionals and as citizens at the beginning of the 21st century. Specifically, it seeks to define and give content to four ethical responsibilities that the authors believe are of signal…
What We Know and Need to Know About Global Lawyer Regulation
This article is one of a series addressing the American Bar Association’s Commission on the Future of Legal Services, and is intended to provide a foundation for policymakers interested in global lawyer regulation. Rather than suggest the best approach to regulating global lawyering and lawyers, however, the article instead takes aim at developing a wish-list…
Vulnerable consumers
A qualitative study of how consumers with mental health problems and dementia experience legal services published by the Legal Services Board (LSB), England and Wales. Why is this research important? The LSB has a strategic objective to reduce the existing high levels of unmet legal need. Ensuring the needs of vulnerable consumers are understood and…
Opportunities for law firms to tackle unmet legal need
The opportunities for law firms to reach out to potential clients are outlined in a new paper published by the SRA. Improving access – tackling unmet legal needs outlines some of the barriers faced by the public and small businesses when they need legal services. It also details ways in which law firms can develop their…
Centralised assessment seen widening choice, lowering barriers
Proposals to centralise the assessment of would-be solicitors in England and Wales are highly likely to increase the number, and broaden the range, of training providers in the market, according to a report published by the Bridge Group. The report, based on 18 individual and group, semi-structured interviews (25 participants in total) with a representative range of…
UK study probes access, quality and costs in family law
Most solicitors practising family law in England and Wales appear to be providing services in line with expected standards, according to recently published research. The study, carried out by Ecorys UK, found fairly strong agreement among consumers that their solicitor met the core competencies, particularly those relating to their professional manner. Just over one-half (58…
Research on client care letters
Research by Optimisa commissioned by the legal regulators in England and Wales finds that client care letters – letters sent to clients to explain the lawyer-client relationship when the lawyer is first instructed – are not sufficiently effective. The research identifies principles to help legal services providers better communicate with their clients. These principles are…
Singapore Academy of Law Journals Online
A website providing access to a large number of articles published in the Singapore Academy of Law Journal, all relating to Singapore law, and the Singapore Academy of Law Annual Review of Singapore Cases, which reviews all Singapore cases in the major subject areas for any given year. Journals Online website
Singapore Law Blog
A blog on cases and articles on Singapore law, supported by the Singapore Academy of Law and administered by an administrative team of academics. Singapore Law Blog website