Last 3 months headlines – Page 1703
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Where there’s a will...
Solicitors working pro bono have raised £775,000 for charity through the 2008 Will Aid campaign. The campaign involved preparing wills for people free of charge, but inviting them to make a voluntary donation to a charitable fund. Lauren Smith of Sheffield firm Watson Esam raised more than £4,000 in a ...
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Post-recession: the state of the legal landscape
One of the advantages of being president of the Law Society is that people generally don’t turn down an invitation to speak to you about their work. I must confess that I exploited this benefit to the full recently when I asked Professor Richard Susskind to drop by at a ...
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Office of the Public Guardian highlights positives
I am disappointed to see that the Gazette continues to highlight criticism of efforts made by my office to improve services to customers. I think it’s wrong for the Gazette to portray the views of a vocal minority as the general (and current) position. It is true that there ...
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Estate agency – it's not rocket science
Now is the time for the Law Society and its members to take heed of the advice offered by Peter Morgan in his letter, that ‘we need to embrace property selling’ (see [2009] ...
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Which? is impartial
Following your item headlined ‘High street network and Which? link up’ (see [2009] Gazette, 26 February, 1), I would like to clarify that Which? Legal Service would not solely recommend one particular service. As part of the consumer charity Which?, we pride ourselves on providing independent, impartial advice. ...
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There is no problem with costs in publication proceedings
I am beginning to know how Alice in Wonderland felt during her trial as she argued with the Queen who was demanding ‘sentence first – verdict afterwards’.
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Unpublished research confirms bar earnings divide
Widely held suspicions that white male barristers earn far more than their female and ethnic-minority colleagues have been confirmed by unpublished research commissioned by the Bar Council.
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Law Society unveils client care helpline package
The Law Society and Legal Services Complaints Commissioner yesterday unveiled a package of client care measures to help solicitors, including a £100,000 ‘best practice’ consultancy service and a dedicated helpline. Society chief executive Des Hudson described the initiative as an important step toward helping practitioners deal ...
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SRA considers asking for rethink on voluntary accreditation
The Solicitors Regulation Authority may ask the Law Society Council to reconsider its decision to transfer voluntary accreditation schemes back to Chancery Lane. The Law Society representative body expects to take control of voluntary programmes no later than June after council voted in favour of ...
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Employment tribunal ruling challenges ageism
The first tribunal hearing to deal ‘head on’ with bars to employment based on date of birth has ruled that the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) acted unlawfully in rejecting candidates over 35.
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Deaf student launches discrimination action against law school
A deaf would-be law student has begun proceedings against a London law school, alleging disability discrimination on the grounds of ‘unfavourable treatment’ and failure to make ‘reasonable adjustments’.
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Firms increase their provisions for bad debt
Some top London corporate firms are expecting to double the percentage of outstanding legal fees they classify as unrecoverable, the Gazette has learned. Data gathered from top firms’ latest accounts and industry sources suggested that firms are upping their write-off estimates to as much ...
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Over-regulation may thwart LSA reforms, Law Society warns
Over-regulation by the Bar Standards Board may make partnerships between barristers and solicitors unattractive and threaten the intentions of the Legal Services Act, the Law Society has warned. Responding to the BSB’s second consultation on the regulatory implications of the Legal Services Act 2007, Chancery ...
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CPS urged to change its culture on complaints
The Crown Prosecution Service needs to become less defensive about complaints from the public, according to the chief inspector of HM CPS Inspectorate (HMCPSI) in his first review of the process.
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Firm urges US to follow regulatory reforms
US-based international law firms face a future as subsidiaries to English firms unless the US adopts English-style regulatory reforms, according to the chief executive of a firm operating in 46 US states. Michael Skoler, of The Law Offices of James Sokolove Law, said that the US’s ...
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Free legal web project seeks funding
A scheme to create a comprehensive online guide to English law is looking for £50,000 to fund its first phase. The Free Legal Web, the brainchild of legal publishing consultant Nick Holmes, has already won a government-sponsored prize for innovative uses of official information.
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Pro bono services ask City firms to keep up support
Some of the UK’s biggest pro bono advice services have called on recession-hit City firms to continue supplying their lawyers for voluntary work amid escalating demand. Citizens Advice, the Law Centres Federation and LawWorks told the Gazette this week that they are concerned about City job ...
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In-house lawyers urged to contribute to litigation study
The judge conducting a review of the costs of litigation has called on in-house lawyers to respond, to rectify a ‘dearth’ of evidence from those who pay for the costs of litigation. Lord Justice Jackson, who will present his preliminary report on the costs of ...
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Sports partnerships, footwear deals and pro bono cases
Sporting partners: City firm Taylor Wessing advised Kentaro, a sports rights agency, on partnering with Jerome Anderson’s Sport, Entertainment and Media (SEM) Group, whose clients include Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand (pictured) and Barcelona forward and former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. ...