The State Bar of California today informed the California Supreme Court that it is changing its interpretation of a statute to allow for greater transparency with respect to closed disciplinary complaints. The State Bar announced that it has changed its position with respect to the Business and Professions Code section 6086(1)(b)(2). This statute allows the…
The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service has published a second consultation document on changes to the Sanctions Guidance
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has welcomed the publication of a second consultation document on changes to the Sanctions Guidance by the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS). These guidelines are used by Disciplinary Tribunals in deciding what sanctions to impose in cases of proven professional misconduct by barristers in England and Wales. This consultation seeks…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales publishes new statistics on the outcomes of complaints about barristers
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a new statistical analysis examining the outcomes of complaints made about barristers in England and Wales between January 2015 and October 2019. The research was particularly focused on investigating the relationship between the outcomes of, and the likelihood of a complaint being made, and specific characteristics of barristers,…
New Zealand Law Society consultation on lawyer behaviour rules
The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa is calling for feedback on new draft guidance designed to support the legal profession to comply with new rules governing the behaviour of lawyers. The amended rules clarify the standards of behaviour expected of lawyers when engaging with clients, colleagues and others, with an…
Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten unveils website to allow consumers to easily access disciplinary rulings
The Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten (NOvA) has created a website designed to allow consumers to easily access disciplinary rulings. The new feature has been launched as part of the ‘Find a lawyer’ search engine, which allows a litigant to better identify legal counsel. The website had previously shown indicative information about lawyers possibly facing a…
New Zealand Law Society released new rules governing lawyer behaviour
The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa will implement new rules on lawyer behaviour, with an emphasis on tackling bullying and harassment, from July the 1st. The amended rules will clarify the standards of behaviour expected of lawyers when engaging with clients and colleagues. New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui…
Legal Services Regulatory Authority of Ireland report highlights 33% increase in complaints about legal practitioners
On April the 7th the LSRA published its first complaints report for 2021 which shows it received 805 complaints in a six month period, demonstrating a 33% increase on the previous period. The report, entitled Independent Complaints Handling, gives details around the LSRA’s investigative activities in the reporting period of 7 September 2020 to 26…
“Trusted to the ends of the earth?” An analysis of solicitors’ disciplinary processes in England and Wales from 1994 to 2015
A newly released study by Boon and Whyte has collected data on lawyer’s discipline from across different eras of regulation in England and Wales. The data collected allows for a comparison of lawyer discipline before and after the introduction of the Legal Services Act 2007. The act led to the creation of separate regulatory and…
California approves measures to advance equity in attorney discipline
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….
ABA releases annual profile of the legal profession
The American Bar Association has published its annual profile of the legal profession in the US. The report uses the data gathered over the course of the year to analyse changes and developments in the profession across the country. Subjects covered include women and minorities in the profession, legal technology, pro bono, pay, legal education,…