The Bar Council of India has issued a direction requiring universities that provide legal education, or have affiliated Centres of Legal Education, to conduct physical inspections of those institutions before granting or continuing affiliation. The measure follows concerns about the continued operation of deficient law colleges and emphasises that a university’s responsibility for regulatory compliance…
New Mexico Supreme Court approves skills-based route to lawyer licensing
The New Mexico Supreme Court has approved a skills-based examination as an optional alternative to the traditional written bar examination. Under the new route, an eligible graduate of an accredited law school will receive conditional authority to practise, complete 675 hours of supervised legal work within one year and undergo midpoint and final reviews. The…
Rhode Island Supreme Court issues AI rules for lawyers and judges
The Rhode Island Supreme Court has amended its professional competence rule and adopted interim guidance on the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers and judicial officers. The amended rule requires lawyers to keep up to date with changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with existing and…
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission publishes Regulatory Statement to guide implementation of new Act
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) says the statement is intended to explain how the Commission will apply the new regulatory objectives as Scotland implements the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2025. The SLCC is named in the Act as a regulatory authority and says the reforms will affect its existing complaints functions as…
Law Society of Ontario approves Indigenous cultural training course
The Law Society of Ontario has approved the implementation of a new Indigenous cultural training course for licensees. The course is intended to enhance competence for licensees who may represent Indigenous clients or deal with Indigenous legal issues across a wide range of practice areas, including corporate and commercial matters, estates, civil litigation, administrative and…
SRA consults on proposals to strengthen continuing competence requirements
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is consulting on proposals to strengthen continuing competence requirements for solicitors in England and Wales. The proposed changes are intended to provide greater assurance that practicing solicitors are maintaining the competence, that are needed to meet both their professional and ethical obligation. The proposals would require all solicitors to record…
Legal Services Board sets new expectations to strengthen lawyers’ ethical standards
The Legal Services Board has set out new expectations for legal services regulators in England and Wales aimed at strengthening lawyers’ ethical standards and reinforcing their role in upholding the rule of law. The LSB says regulators must place professional ethical duties at the heart of how lawyers are expected to behave, and has confirmed…
State Bar of California consults on AI amendments to professional conduct rules
The State Bar of California is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct addressing lawyers’ use of artificial intelligence. The proposals were approved for a 45-day public comment period by the Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct on 13 March 2026, ending close to two weeks from now on…
SRA chief executive sets out priorities for change in 2026
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has set out a renewed set of priorities for 2026, following remarks by Chief Executive Sarah Rapson to a meeting of the Law Society Council on 18 March 2026. The priorities are framed around fixing the regulator’s foundations and rebuilding trust with both the public and the profession. Rapson acknowledges concerns…
Legal regulators urged to adopt more forward-looking risk strategies
Risk-based regulation remains central to legal sector oversight, providing a framework for identifying potential harms, assessing their likelihood and impact, and directing regulatory attention accordingly. In established areas of concern, this model can be highly effective, particularly where regulators are able to draw on complaints data, supervisory engagement and enforcement experience to identify recurring patterns of risk. Its limits become more apparent, however, where…