The Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales (SRA) has published the results of its independent study into innovation in the legal sector, commissioned in March. The study was carried out on behalf of the SRA by a research team at the University of Oxford which included Professors Mari Sako and John Armour. The study…
Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales publishes latest annual reports
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published its suite of annual reports, which cover five core topics, these are: ‘Anti-money Laundering‘, ‘Authorisation‘, ‘Client Protection‘, ‘Education and Training‘ and ‘Upholding Professional Standards‘. Key findings from the reports include: There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of solicitors qualifying through apprenticeships, firms offering recognised training…
Solicitors Regulation Authority publishes data on the profile of solicitors in its enforcement processes
As part of its wider work on providing clear reporting on the operational aspects of its work, the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales (SRA) have published their second annual report on their enforcement activities. The ‘Upholding Professional Standards’ report summarises the handling of over 9,500 reports and 3,600 investigations in the 2018/19 period….
SRA legal access challenge, reports and next steps
Following the conclusion of the SRA and Nesta Legal Access Challenge, joint reports from both the SRA and Nesta have been released which highlight the lessons learned and the future next steps that will be taken to support the development of innovation. The SRA report focuses on how the lessons learned from the challenge are…
SRA resources to help solicitors prepare for new standards and regulations
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), has produced a dedicated webpage of resources for solicitors to help them prepare for the introduction of their new Standards and Regulation on 25 November. The new Standards and Regulations aim to reduce bureaucracy, simplify rules and provide greater flexibility. One of the key new requirements is for all law firm…
Revised SRA approach to CPD is well recieved by law firms
Newly published feedback received by the Solicitor Regulation Authority (SRA) on continuous professional development (CPD) requirements introduced in 2016 has indicated that the changes have been well received by solicitors and law firms. The requirements, known as ‘Continuing Competence’ are available in full here and include requiring solicitors to make an annual declaration of their own…
The new route to qualification as a solicitor: the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)
In April 2017, the SRA announced that it would be introducing a new national licensing exam for those wishing to be admitted as solicitors of England and Wales, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, or the SQE. Where did this idea come from? And why is reform necessary? What is the current system for qualification as a…