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…
Law Society of Ontario introduces enhanced transparency requirements
The Law Society of Ontario has approved amendments expanding both the information that lawyers and paralegals must report to the regulator and the information that will appear in the public Lawyer and Paralegal Directory. The changes follow Convocation decisions taken in May and September 2025. The LSO says amendments to By-Law 8 expanding reporting requirements…
Legal Services Board publishes interim findings on litigation guidance
The Legal Services Board of England and Wales has published interim findings from its review of how frontline regulators provide guidance on the scope of litigation activities, following the High Court’s decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys. The Mazur judgment highlighted uncertainty around what constitutes the “conduct of litigation” under the Legal Services Act…
Four-year review of the SQE highlights early impacts on entry to the profession
The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales has published a four-year review of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, providing a substantial dataset on candidate demographics, pass rates, and performance trends since the SQE replaced traditional qualification routes. The review reports changes in the profile of SQE candidates, including higher representation from some minority ethnic backgrounds…
BRAK Guidance on new EU-AML Obligations for Lawyers and Bar Associations
The German Federal Bar (BRAK) has published an explanatory note on the increased AML obligations for lawyers under the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (EU 2024/1624). As the Regulation will be directly applicable from 10 July 2027, BRAK advises strongly that law firms subject to AML rules should start preparing now, to ensure that the new structures and processes are in…