Legal Services Board of England and Wales annual report finds progress in regulation driving better legal services

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published its Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023. The report focuses on ensuring legal services are accessible and better meet the needs of society. The report covers the second year of the LSB’s ‘Reshaping Legal Services’ strategy. The key projects and activities during 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 Legal Services Board of England and Wales launches consultation on a new framework for regulation in the legal services sector

The Legal Services Board has begun a consultative exercise on how best to create more efficient regulation of legal services. The new system places greater emphasis on leadership, delivering the regulatory objectives and running effective operations. The proposed new framework comes after several years of the existing one, feedback from the regulators, and research into…

The California Bar adopts new five year strategic plan

The Board of Trustees of the California State Bar Board of Trustees has agreed a new five year plan, setting the Bar’s strategic direction until 2027. The plan includes four strategic goals: Protect the Public by Strengthening the Attorney Discipline System: Administer an attorney discipline system that is efficient, accountable, and transparent. Protect the Public…

Lawyer Regulation Stakeholder Networks and the Global Diffusion of Ideas

This Article examines the increasingly global nature of the networks to which lawyer regulation stakeholders belong. After identifying who lawyer regulation stakeholders are, the Article identifies five different kinds of opportunities these stakeholders have to interact with global counterparts or to be exposed to global perspectives. For each of the five identified opportunities, the Article…

The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales annual compliance officers conference goes hybrid

This key annual conference attracted 600 people to the face-to-face event, followed by more than 33,000 views of virtual sessions the following week. The programme covered topics including: Money laundering The SQE and what it means for your firm Innovation and technology – how can technology help firms spot risks and comply with regulatory obligations…

The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa has issued final guidance on reporting requirements under the Conduct and Client Care Rules

The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa has issued guidance on reporting requirements under the Conduct and Client care Rules. The rules came into force in July 2021 and attempt to clarify the behaviour expected of lawyers. The main goal of these guidelines is to tackle bully, harassment and discrimination in…

The Victorian Legal Services Board in Australia has issued new guidelines for dealing with sexual harassment

The Victorian Legal Services Board has published new resources on its website for people who experience of witness sexual harassment in the Victorian legal sector. These resources contain practical guidance about what individuals can do at the time and in the aftermath of experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment. These guidelines are being put in place…

The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales has published its regulatory decision making annual report

This is the second report of its type by the Bar Standards Board since the way regulatory decisions were made was reformed. The report finds that between April 2020 and March 2021 the number of reports and applications for exemptions substantially increased. This coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bar Standards Board has increased proactive…

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