Legal Sector News
Celebrating 10 years of Excellence
24 October 2016
Congratulations to all the winners of the Law Society Excellence Awards! To see the full list of winners and highly commended nominations please follow the link below.
Law Society Excellence Awards Winners and High Commendations
Congratulations also to all those who were shortlisted.
Solicitors should give feedback on SRA plans amid threat to profession
1 September 2016
Solicitors are being urged to give their views on proposed changes to the SRA Handbook that would have a dramatic effect on their profession and clients by creating a two tier profession and significantly reducing client protections, depending on where solicitors work.
To help solicitors share their views, the Law Society has released guidance, case studies and a template submission. Designed to be easily tailored to reflect individual views, the template provides solicitors with a framework to make their views on the SRA’s proposed changes known.
‘The changes proposed by the SRA have huge implications for the solicitor profession and for clients. It is vital the profession has its say on these proposals, said Law Society chief executive Catherine Dixon.
‘Our template is designed to make that process easier, and maximise the number of solicitors contributing to this important consultation.
The Law Society holds grave concerns about many of the proposed changes, which risk undermining the quality and standing of the solicitor profession and vital client protections.
Catherine Dixon added: ‘We know solicitors from all over the country are gravely concerned about the SRA proposals as they fear that the reputation and standing of solicitors will be tarnished if these changes go ahead, resulting in two tiers of solicitors and vital client protections lost depending on where the solicitor is working.
‘Each solicitor will have their own experiences and draw their own conclusions on these proposals. A comprehensive response from the profession can only help improve the final decision.’
The Law Society is also running a survey of solicitors, round-table discussions, and roadshows to inform its own full and evidence-based response to the consultation, which closes 21 September 2016.
Download the submission template (Word 742kb).
Read the Law Society’s briefing for members and member survey on the SRA’s consultation.
Shortlist unveiled for Law Society’s 10th Excellence Awards
2 August 2016
The names of the brightest and best from the solicitor profession have been unveiled by the Law Society of England and Wales in their 10th annual Excellence Awards shortlist.
The awards are a recognition of the commitment, enthusiasm and passion that solicitors dedicate to serving their clients, and – in the process – underpinning our world-renowned legal system.
The finalists for the prestigious awards are selected by a panel of experts from within and beyond the profession, and demonstrate the expertise and values shared by solicitors working across England & Wales, from small local practices and in-house teams, to international City firms.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 4 Today programme presenter Mishal Husain on 20 October 2016 at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel, London.
Read more about this on the Law Society website
New legal aid crime contracts for 2017
21 July 2016
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has just opened the tender for the 2017 criminal legal aid contracts. The LAA has also published the 2017 draft contract, which was consulted on with the Law Society, Legal Aid Practitioners Group and the Bar Council for three weeks.
The new contract is broadly similar to the current 2010 contract, however, there are a number of changes and new requirements that crime practitioners will need to be aware of, some of which have been taken from the 2015 own-client contract.
Find out more in the Law Society’s press release: Legal aid contract gets mixed reaction from the Law Society
SRA’s new learning and development scheme ‘Continuing Competence’ in force from November 2016
8 July 2016
The deadline is fast approaching when all solicitors will need to have moved across and comply with the new Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) scheme for Continuing Competence.
‘Continuing Competence’ was introduced by the SRA in April 2015 to replace the existing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme. Under the new system there is no requirement for solicitors to attend courses, or to complete a set number of CPD hours. Anything that is done to address learning needs can now count towards a solicitor’s continuing competence.
Solicitors in England and Wales can choose to move to the new scheme at any time, but all practitioners must have made the transition before 1 November 2016.
The Law Society has published guidance for solicitors to help them adapt to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) new learning and development regime. The guidance has been issued in the form of frequently asked questions and has been prepared to help solicitors comply with the SRA’s new requirements.
Read the Law Society Guidance on new CPD arrangements
Inspiring have developed a Leadership and Management development programme specifically for Legal Firms. The first open programme will begin in October 2016 and will be linked to Chartered Management Institute Level 5 Diploma in Management & Leadership. For more information, call us on 0800 612 3098, email us at info@inspiring.uk.com or get in touch using the enquiry form on the left.
Brexit means ‘unprecedented and complex’ challenge for UK law
24 June 2016
Thursday’s vote by the UK electorate to leave the EU has created an unprecedented and complex range of legal issues and the solicitor profession is already firmly focused on finding solutions, the Law Society of England and Wales said today.
The Society’s president Jonathan Smithers said:
‘We did not take a stance on whether Britain should leave or remain in the EU – that was because we are a professional body and our membership has a diverse range of views. Instead, we sought to provide facts to inform the debate with a focus on the impact on legal services.’
Law Society annual professional indemnity insurance survey confirms favourable market for firms
28 April 2016
For the second year running professional indemnity insurance (PII) renewal went smoothly for the vast majority of firms, the Law Society of England and Wales’s 2015-16 PII survey has found. The market remains competitive and very favourable for firms, with plenty of rated capacity. Worryingly, however, the cost of run-off cover has increased significantly in the last year.
Commenting on the survey results, Law Society president Jonathan Smithers said: “The increased rated PII capacity and lower premiums are good news for firms, as is the easier renewal process. Firms should take advantage of these favourable conditions and shop around for cover when renewing. It is vital firms keep their risk management up to date, in particular in relation to scams, if they wish to continue to benefit from lower PII premiums.”
Lexcel is welcomed by indemnity insurers and can lead to a reduction in your premiums. Read more about the benefits of Lexcel and how to become a Lexcel accredited firm.
Growth in number of commercial organisations employing solicitors
25 April 2016
The number of practising solicitors both in-house and in private practice is on the up, according to the Law Society of England and Wales Annual Statistics Report for 2015.
Law Society chief executive Catherine Dixon commented: ‘The legal sector contributes £25.7bn to the economy each year, with net exports now at £3.6bn per annum, so the growth in the sector indicated by our research is great news for the UK.”
Read more on the Law Society Website
Click Here to view an executive summary of the report and for details on how to get a copy of the full report.
A £25 billion legal sector supports a healthy economy
22 March 2016
New analysis shows that an 8,000 jobs boost follows each one per cent growth in legal services.
The first ever investigation of the wider economic value of UK legal services shows:
- 8,000 new jobs are created and £379 million is added to the economy for every one per cent growth in the UK legal services sector.
- Each £1 of extra turnover in the sector stimulates £1.39 in the rest of the economy.
- Every 100 extra jobs in legal services supports a further 67 jobs.
- The sector grew by 8 per cent from 2014 to 2015.
- An estimated 370,000 people are employed in legal services in the UK. 63 per cent are solicitors or employed by solicitor firms.
- Growth in the legal services sector has averaged 3.3 per cent every year for the last decade – outstripping UK economic growth rate of 1.2 per cent.
- Net exports of legal services have grown by an average of 5.6 per cent per annum over the last 10 years, to £3.6 billion.
New report by the Law Society identifies the future of legal services
28th January 2016
Today, the Law Society publishes ‘The Future of Legal Services’, a report which brings together new and existing evidence to identify the key drivers for change, together with the opportunities and potential threats, in the legal services market over the next five years.
Law Society chief executive Catherine Dixon said: ‘Individuals and businesses seek and depend on excellent, affordable legal advice at critical times. Solicitors are innovators and are responding to changes in a highly competitive legal services market. With the upcoming Competition and Markets Authority study of the legal services market and the government’s consultations on opening up the market to more alternative business structures (ABS) and the separation of the legal services regulators from legal professional bodies, it is timely to look at the factors driving change to stimulate debate among solicitors as they plan and prepare for the future.’
Read the full press release and download a copy of the report on the Law Society website
Law Society Excellence Awards winners announced at prestigious ceremony
23rd October 2015
The best of our legal profession gathered at the Hilton Hotel Park Lane last night for the annual Law Society Excellence Awards.
The awards recognise extraordinary firms and individuals across England and Wales in areas such as pro bono, marketing and communications, diversity, client service, business, and human rights.
There were nine winners in the firms categories and seven winners in the individual categories. There were 15 highly commended awards in total.
The keynote speech was given by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, and BBC journalist Mishal Husain hosted the ceremony.
President of the Law Society Jonathan Smithers said: ‘The Law Society Excellence Awards are a celebration of the outstanding work our members do. We are immensely proud of the profession, its commitment to innovation, to first-rate client service, to business, equality, human rights, and of course to upholding the rule of law. I would like to congratulate every winner, highly commended and shortlisted entrant on their exceptional achievement. I know that choosing the winners from such an outstanding pool of talent was incredibly difficult for the judges in every category.’
See the full list of winners and highly commended solicitors on the Law Society website
Make it happen: how successful law firms provide outstanding law practice management and client care
26th August 2015
You have made the decision and agreed the strategy: your firm will provide excellence in legal practice management and client care. Now comes the hard part – carrying it out.
The Law Society are running an evening event on 6th October from 5-7pm at Berryman Lace Mawer LLP’s Southampton office, to showcase how successful firms deliver and enable the business changes that bring results.
Inspiring’s Josie Addleton will be one of 3 facilitators at the event, sharing her extensive knowledge on the Lexcel practice management standard and answering your questions about the process. It will also be a great chance for you to discuss the issues being faced by law firms in the region and to learn from each other’s experiences and ideas.
Read more details and book online at the Law Society website
Judges unveiled for Excellence Awards 2015
14th May 2015
President of the Law Society Andrew Caplen is pleased to announce an impressive line-up of judges for this year’s Law Society Excellence Awards. The judges are all highly regarded specialists in their individual fields, from senior partners, justices of the High Court, and consultants, to legal commentators and journalists.
Read full press release on the Law Society website
Legal Aid Tender Requirements
15th April 2015
Lexcel is now recognised by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) as an alternative standard to the Specialist Quality Mark (SQM) for firms wishing to tender for a legal aid contract, meaning firms now have the choice to rely on either Lexcel or SQM as part of their tender submission. If you are considering tendering for any future contracts, it is worth working towards a quality standard now, so reducing the amount of work at the tender stage, and also ensuring you have a standard in place to meet any required tender deadlines.
If you already hold the SQM but are considering transferring to Lexcel, we can offer a Lexcel assessment at a reduced rate when you apply within 6 months of your last SQM audit. We can also offer a reduced rate should you wish to have a joint Lexcel and SQM visit.
Please complete our contact request on the left of the page and one of our Lexcel team will be in touch to discuss your requirements.
Lexcel for In House Legal Practices
24th March 2015
For in-house practices, there are a variety of benefits which can be experienced by achieving Lexcel accreditation. Mistakes can be reduced, and efficiency increased, which can be beneficial not only to the legal department but also to the wider organisation within they sit. Lexcel accreditation can allow in house practices to test the quality and cost effectiveness of the services they provide and show that they are embracing best practice.
More and more, in-house legal services are asked to be more efficient and cost effective and many now operate within a commercial environment internally. Lexcel accreditation can enhance this commercial edge. Lexcel accreditation can also help the practice to demonstrate a commitment to excellent client care and delivering the best service possible.
For the first time in May 2015, a tailored version of the Standard for in house legal practices will be available. This takes into account requirements which will have a different impact on in house legal practices. For more information about this new version of the standard, fill in our contact form on the left and one of our Lexcel team will contact you to discuss your requirements in more detail.
Refusing to Provide a Service
16th February 2015
The Legal Ombudsman (LEO) will now accept complaints from prospective clients where a person has unreasonably been refused a service. How can you demonstrate that you acted properly when refusing this prospective client?