The International Bar Association (IBA) has recently published work that it commissioned from the professional services consultancy McKinsey, which seeks to quantify the social and economic value of the legal profession. This is quantified at $1.6 trillion, or 1.7% of global GDP. The calculation was arrived at by taking into account both direct economic contributions…
Flattening the World of Legal Services? The Ethical and Liability Minefields of Offshoring Legal and Law-Related Services
This article examines offshore outsourcing of legal and law related services as the newest twist in the international market for legal services. We consider the impact of offshore outsourcing on the profession generally and analyse the ethical issues raised by offshore outsourcing, both as it exists today and as the practice may develop in the…
The Scottish Government has released the results of its public consultation process into the outcomes of the 2017 Roberton Review
In 2017, the Scottish Government commissioned an independent Review of the regulation of legal services in Scotland (known as the Robertson Review). The primary recommendation from this was: “There should be a single regulator for all providers of legal services in Scotland. It should be independent of both government and those it regulates. It should…
The Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation has released a supplementary report on consumer harm and legal services
The catalyst for the Review was the market study carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2016. The CMA concluded that the legal sector was not serving the consumer well. This supplementary report fills in some of the gaps left by the final report. Chiefly, the final report assumes the nature of consumer…
The Legal Services Board of England and Wales publishes statement for regulators to empower legal services consumers
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published a statutory statement of policy on empowering consumers to better access information about the service and quality of legal services providers. Developed following a consultation and engagement with legal services regulators and others across the sector, the statement outlines how the regulators should ensure that individuals and small businesses who…
Close Contact Scheme for critical justice sector workers in close contact with COVID patients rolled out in New Zealand
The Ministry of Justice and Courts New Zealand has outlined a Close Contact Scheme for critical justice sector workers in close contact with COVID patients. Workers who cannot execute their work remotely will be allowed to continue their work if they apply for the Close Contact Exemption Scheme as long as they: are fully vaccinated…
Research shows a majority of solicitors in New South Wales hope changes to legal practice will remain in place
Research commissioned by the Law Society of New South Wales in Australia shows a majority of solicitors hope changes to legal practice brought about by COVID-19 remain in place. Respondents note that the move to remote delivery of legal services has brought a net benefit with the vast majority of solicitors in NSW hoping to…
WTO negotiations on domestic services regulation have concluded successfully in Geneva
67 WTO member delegates participated in the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation, which aims to reduce administrative costs and create a more transparent environment for services providers to operate in when conducting business in foreign markets. This initiative marks the first set of rules governing service regulation in nearly 25 years. The trade agreement…
The Scottish Government is beginning a consultation aimed at reforming legal services regulation
The Consultation has been launched with the aim of ensuring that consumer interests are at the heart of Scottish legal services moving forward. The Scottish Government are seeking views on developing a system of legal services regulation that would promote a flourishing legal sector and place consumer interests at its heart. Ministers want to ensure…
LSB sets clear expectations for regulators to improve consumer information, promote rights, and drive choice in the legal services market across England and Wales
The LSB in partnership with regulators is working ensure legal services providers offer helpful information to consumers about the cost and quality of their services and on redress and regulation, so consumers can make informed decisions. The LSB is also proposing that regulators implement effective programmes of activity to support public legal education, focusing on…