The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has opened a public consultation into the draft of the amendment of the ‘Rules on Reporting and Submission of Supporting Materials Regarding Immunity from or Reduction of Surcharges’, and the draft of the ‘Guidelines to the Reduction System for Cooperation in Investigation’, following the passage of new anti-monopoly laws last…
Arizona set to become first state to allow ABSs
Arizona has become the first state in the US to formally file for the introduction of Alternative Business Structures (ABSs) in the US. The Arizona task force on the delivery of legal services has filed a petition with the Arizona Supreme Court which suggests eliminating rules which prevent fee sharing with non-lawyers and entering into…
Notes on the Westminster Legal Policy Forum keynote seminar – 25th February 2020
This ICLR special report has been compiled to give members a flavour of what was discussed during the annual Westminster Legal Policy Forum, held on the 25th February 2020. The theme of the day was ‘regulation, consumer protection and responding to innovation’, with speakers drawn from across regulators, representative bodies, academia and the legal services…
Legal Services Regulatory Authority publishes annual report
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) in Ireland has published its 2019 Annual Report which provides an overview of its performance for the year, including its new role in handling public complaints relating to solicitors and barristers. The Annual Report contains statistical data on complaints and early trends, including: During the 12 week period from…
Regulatory Abdication in Practice
Abstract “Meta-regulation” refers to deliberate efforts to induce private firms to create their own internal regulations—a regulatory strategy sometimes referred to as “management-based regulation” or even “regulation of self-regulation.” Meta-regulation is often presented as a flexible alternative to traditional “command-and-control” regulation. But does meta-regulation actually work? In her recent book, Meta-Regulation in Practice: Beyond Normative Views…
Consultation on the unification of the solicitors’ and barristers’ professions in Ireland
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) in Ireland is inviting submissions as part of a public consultation prior to a report to the Minister for Justice and Equality in relation to unification of the solicitors’ profession and the barristers’ profession. The consultation is seeking views from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the legal…
Legal services reform in Scotland – regulation, international competitiveness and seizing opportunities for innovation
Edinburgh, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 This conference will discuss the next steps for legal services in Scotland. Delegates will examine: Major proposals for regulatory reform; The sector’s international competitiveness going forward; and The impact of innovation in legal technology. The conference includes a ministerial contribution – and will be an opportunity to discuss the issues as…
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security publishes analysis of changes in lawyer regulation
Following the March 2015 report submitted by the Advokatlovutvalget (the Lawyer Commission), which suggested changes to the regulation of lawyers in Norway (see the report in Norwegian), the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security has decided to further evaluate the recommendations. The Ministry has commissioned research consultancy Copenhagen Economics to provide further analysis on two…
Law Society of Saskatchewan amends Legal Profession Act to expand access to legal services
The Law Society of Saskatchewan has announced amendments to the Legal Profession Act, 1990, effective from 1 January 2020. The Law Society is an independent regulator with the core mandate of the protection of public interest. In 2017 the Law Society and the Ministry of Justice established the Legal Services Task Team, comprised of lawyers,…
ABA approves resolution to expand access to justice
On February 17th, during its annual midyear meeting, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates approved resolution 115, encouraging State Bars to consider innovative approaches to expanding access to justice, particularly focused around improving the affordability and quality of civil legal services. The resolution initially proposed by the ABA Center for Innovation and supported by…