Covid-19 protocol encourages 'positive behaviours' in clinical negligence litigation
Best practice agreement designed to protect frontline staff and reassure claimants.
Jury trial halted in Liverpool after paralegal tests positive for Covid-19
Manchester Crown Court remains closed after virus outbreak.
Court rooms are sitting empty, says criminal bar
Number of trials being vacated remains persistently high, according to government figures.
Bar Council wades into exam row
Representative body said in June that students should be allowed short breaks during exams.
London criminal set to close after Covid-19 pressure
Chambers says the pandemic and the pending sale of its premises fuelled the decision.
Fixed costs regime 'cut via the back door' for legal aid lawyers
Law centre solicitor says housing would become financially unsustainable.
Innovation sandbox to be tested this year as LawtechUK contractors named
Oxford consortium will work on online dispute resolution platform for small and medium-sized businesses.
DLA Piper announces £150m litigation funding pot
International firm is collaborating with two litigation funders.
Legal information giant snaps up digital courts system
UK startup Caselines lists Crown courts and Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal among its customers.
MoJ reveals impact of suspending housing possession proceedings
Figures for April to June show unprecedentedly low levels as government prepares to lift evictions ban.
Masks not mandatory in appointment-only firms
People visiting high street firms must still cover their faces, Health and Safety Executive tells Society.
SRA declines to comment on Freshfields investigation report
Magic circle partner is under investigation for her review of the handling of a rape allegation by a City bank.
Lawtech and protection of justice spending on Society’s CSR wishlist
Society proposes a cross-departmental strategy on law and justice in spending review.
Hunger striking lawyers 'in critical condition'
Bar associations including Law Society condemn Turkish government's clampdown on legal profession.
Profession sides with harassed bar exam students
Student reports urinating in bottle because he was not allowed to leave his desk during exam.
SRA shuts down West Midlands firm
Regulator stages fifth intervention in space of a day.
Lord chancellor faced two JRs before immigration U-turn
Claimants in both challenges were told on 4 August that controversial legal aid regulations would be revoked.
SRA closes national firm Kingly
Regulator intervenes in directors' practices citing 'reason to suspect dishonesty'.
Norton Rose Fulbright cuts NQ pay to reward senior associates
Solicitors qualifying in London this autumn will receive £82,500 as City firms continue to tighten belts.
Revenues rebound by 20% in June, but still down on last year
UK legal sector billed £2.79bn in June, latest ONS quarterly figures show.
Bar exams plagued with technical faults, anxious students claim
Several students were unable to sit yesterday’s online ethics assessment because the system crashed.
'Robust security checks' at Nightingale courts
HM Courts & Tribunals Service responds to Daily Mail article alleging serious failings.
Performance at big US firms drops sharply
US law firms experience sharpest quarterly fall in performance since the credit crunch.
Government U-turn over immigration fee reform
One of the country's biggest legal aid firms threatened to sue the lord chancellor over regulations introducing £627 fee.
Students lodge formal complaint against BPP alleging City favouritism
University prioritised LPC students with prestigious training contracts, students claim.
Court of Appeal warns of race bias in facial recognition technology
South Wales Police did not do all it could to fulfil public sector equality duty, landmark judgment states.
Family judge steps down from 'thankless' leadership role
HHJ Robin Tolson QC says family justice system seems increasingly incapable of meeting users' needs.
Chambers cut office space in flexible working drive
One in 10 chambers has given partial notice on premises, according to survey of profession.
Linklaters latest magic circle firm to cut NQ pay
Solicitors qualifying this autumn will receive a salary of £90,000, plus a discretionary bonus.
More clients shopping around - but 'struggling' with price data
Ninth annual survey by Legal Services Consumer Panel shows growth in online services.
Solicitor probate applications must go online, government proposes
‘It is clear the process has to modernise,’ says Ministry of Justice as professionals spurn digital route.
Obituary: Lord Lester of Herne Hill
Architect of race and sex equality legislation has died at 84.
Extended hours: Society issues guidance for practitioners
Covid-19 operating hours pilot will begin at Liverpool Crown Court next week.
CPS prepares for office return
Premises are being made Covid-secure for 'limited' staff based primarily around wellbeing.
AML fines falling, global survey suggests
UK authorities collected £98.2m in calendar 2019 - but only £36.6m in first six months of 2020.
Judge loses race discrimination claim
District judge claimed to have endured harassment, direct race discrimination and victimisation after a complaint was made against him.
Manchester Crown Court closes again after Covid-19 outbreak
Three people who were at the court have tested positive for coronavirus, says Northern Circuit.
Ex-client pursued for £1,800 costs years after halting RTA claim
Bill of costs included litigation executive charging £250 an hour for work on minor RTA claim.
Quindell successor sues PwC for £63m over Slater and Gordon deal
Big Four firm denies allegations of illicit communication affecting 2015 negotiations.
Discount for early guilty pleas 'could be abolished' - report
Criminals currently get up to a third off their sentences if they plead guilty at the first opportunity.
PEP drops by 12% at Osborne Clarke
UK profit falls by 5% to £59.8m.
Family affair: Father and sons work almost 170 years at same firm
Last month Obiter reported on south east firm Thomson Snell & Passmore being recognised as the world’s oldest legal practice.
Irwin Mitchell puts 110 jobs at risk of redundancy
Firm says move to digital processes has changed requirements of the business.
Clyde & Co retains 90% of trainees – but trims NQ pay
Newly-qualified solicitors will now receive £68,000.
City giant self-reports to SRA after trial streamed live on Zoom
Clients from different countries were able to access trial last month in contradiction of court order.
Manchester Crown Court shut after suspected Covid outbreak
Reports say the court centre reopened at 2.15pm today after deep cleaning.
Sacked lawyer handed cash through car window wins appeal
Paul Greenberg insisted the money was a gift and not a top-up of legal aid payments.
High Court denies journalist access to files on flawed adoption
Local council had sought to remove girl from her mother ‘on the slimmest of evidence’.
Planning law overhaul aims to fast-track housing projects
Government hails ‘once in a generation’ opportunity - but critics point to sidelining of local communities.
Odds of securing pupillage through gateway widen to 14-1
White candidates more than twice as likely to receive offer than BAME applicants.
DAC Beachcroft celebrates sixth year of profit growth
Firm is as ‘strategically, financially and operationally resilient as possible’.
Big firms recall most furloughed staff - but job losses loom
Furloughs and freezes part 2 - Firms are braced for 'unpredictable year' despite tentative signs of recovery.
Irwin Mitchell to run helpline for 1,500 rugby clubs hit by Covid
Firm using link with England Rugby to provide legal and financial advice during difficult times.
Black lawyers leaving firms to go in-house, says diversity recruiter
White solicitors stay at firms 18 months longer than black colleagues, according to new data.
Top firm takes on 86% of trainees to defy Covid concerns
Retention rates across City remain high despite Covid-19 challenge.
Firm offloads clin neg and PI practice as 25 staff switch
Blake Morgan says it wants to concentrate on developing its healthcare work.
‘Out of his depth’ senior partner allowed banned solicitor into office
Mahesh Chouhan found himself in charge of a firm with no real understanding of the role, tribunal finds.
Court shortage: ‘Dozens of suspects may have to be released’
Crown court judge lambasts lack of investment to ensure cases come to trial.
Remote firm wooing City lawyers vows to donate profits to charity
Aria Grace Law founder says he wants to get away from people at the top making all the money.
Furloughs and freezes: Latest on firms' Covid-19 responses
Some staff have returned to work after being included in job retention scheme from March.
Charity's new advice hub seeks solicitor volunteers
Free Legal Answers, backed by Deloitte Legal, will handle one-off legal questions free of charge.
Portable loos and waiting rooms to be installed next to court buildings
Latest measures to tackle the justice backlog that has built up during lockdown.
Solicitors welcome announcement of new master of the rolls
The Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Vos will take over from Sir Terence Etherton in January.
Government u-turn on ‘racialising’ the courts
Controversial policy introduced as part of Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’ regime is ditched.
Charities sue jailed solicitor and her firm over lost estate monies
Linda Box was jailed in 2017 after forgery conviction and now faces claims from good causes.
Macfarlanes cuts NQ pay as profits surge
Operating profit is up 14% on last year at £126m.
Court rules £2.2m claim was abuse of process - but it lives on
Solicitors punished on costs after it was not made clear claim was unsuitable for low-value protocol.
Linklaters offers support package for staff living with domestic abuse
Domestic abuse is now a workplace issue, says magic circle firm.
High Court censures City firm for threatening respondent with jail
Remote working firm gunnercooke put ‘illegitimate pressures’ on respondent, says judge.
Withers partner profits soar by 40%
Firms say client demand grew in some areas in the final quarter.
Top firm avoids tribunal by agreeing to rebuke
Womble Bond Dickinson blames rogue partner for allowing client account to be used as banking facility.
Epidemic of pandemic claims yet to materialise
The world has changed, as adverts selling us washing powder and tinned sausages seem to tell us endlessly.
Ince narrowly misses growth target as Covid hits income
’We can justifiably claim this has been a year of great progress,’ declares group CEO.
High street firms and law centres 'could collapse', warn MPs
Justice committee says government must do more to financially support lawyers through Covid-19 crisis in landmark report.
Faking it to get off the hook
Escaping traffic offences, avoiding child maintenance payments, and dodging a parking fine: reasons to fake your own death.
Poetry and motion
London Legal Support Trust encourages you to ‘take on 10k your way’ this year: will you write 10 poems or skip 10km?
Big Breakfast
Solicitor Kate Studholme, author of An Elephant for Breakfast, embarks on mission to save wildlife.
News focus: Witnessing wills in absentia
Lockdown has prompted the government to update the 183-year-old rules on witnessing wills. But some solicitors think reform is unnecessary and risks creating a contentious probate spike.
NHS facing Covid compensation ‘storm’ from cancer patients
Clinical negligence specialist warns that goodwill towards the NHS during the pandemic will not last.
Black lawyers plagued by stereotypes, says Grenfell solicitor
Prominent civil liberties solicitor Marcia Willis Stewart QC decries continuing perpetuation of racial stereotypes in the law.
City firms remain upbeat despite profit pressures
City says it is 'cautiously optimistic' for next year.
Three quarters of in-house lawyers outsourcing work to cut costs
Large organisations spend nearly one out of every three hours on ‘low‑value’ tasks, report finds.
Remote prison visits for solicitors 'not available for weeks'
Solicitors unable to take instructions from clients in custody before hearing due to video-link availability.
Claimant ordered to pay defence costs after fundamental dishonesty finding
Defendant had failed to show collision was bogus but got dishonesty through on extent of injuries.
40% of LPC students not getting training contracts
SRA says new exam will help drive a more competitive and flexible legal training market.
Former Tory justice minister to chair independent JR review
Review will consider whether judges should decide on certain executive decisions.
Abolish Supreme Court - think tank
Supreme Court is willing to decide cases on policy grounds, without disclosing adequate legal basis, policy paper argues.
Bid for legal recognition of humanist marriages fails
Couples argued that the fact that the law provides for legally recognised religious marriages means that it is discriminatory not to recognise humanist marriages.
New lockdown rules: Guidance states Manchester offices can still open
People in affected areas should not socialise with people they do not live with in indoor public venues - but offices are not included.
Shoosmiths says WFH requests assumed to be approved in future
National firm will reopen offices next week but will operate an ‘output not occupancy’ policy.
