With competition hotting up in the legal sector, firms are looking for comfort in numbers, writes Elizabeth Davidson. The options available include joining a franchise like face2face or QualitySolicitors, a network like highstreetlawyer or a marketing venture like lawyers2u. (Pic: Amanda Holden at the launch of QualitySolicitors’ legal access points – the idea is to
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has overpaid legal aid lawyers by some £20.4m in the last year (it was £28.3m in the prior year), while a further £15m has been spent on clients whose eligibility is not proven, writes Elizabeth Davidson. The discrepancies, highlighted in a National Audit Commission (NAO) report this month (July), mean
The National Audit Office reported that legal aid lawyers were overpaid by over £20m last year, plus £15 million went on funding costs for people who did not appear to have been eligible for the help. The spending watchdog refused to give the Legal Services Commission a clean bill of health for the fourth year
A criminal barrister has launched an insurance policy for defendants facing ‘staggering’ legal fees for their defence in the Crown court following changes to legal aid funding, writes Elizabeth Davidson. Low and middle-income earners charged with a criminal offence often struggle to pay their contributions to their defence. Some are opting to dispense with legal
Lawyers who deal with asylum claims are likely to be thin on the ground as a result of the legal aid cuts and the consequences for women asylum-seekers, in particular, will be ‘catastrophic’, charities have warned – writes Elizabeth Davidson. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act retains legal aid for asylum but
Congratulations to all this year’s LawWorks pro bono award winners. LegalVoice sponsored the firm of the year award – won by Linklaters. The panel of judges included Baroness Patricia Scotland; John Wotton, president of the Law Society; Joshua Rozenberg, journalist; and Hekim Hannan for the Junior Lawyers Division pro bono award. The City law firm
Criminal Bar Association (CBA) chair Max Hill QC is standing by his threat of industrial action but has ruled out the prospect of barristers striking before September. Last month (May), Hill told assembled practitioners attending a CBA annual dinner that a survey of its members had shown nearly nine out of ten were willing to
‘City’s aid sought for post-LASPO project,’ announced the Law Society earlier this month. Apparently, Chancery Lane is seeking the backing of City firms for (in its words) ‘a high-profile initiative aimed at helping high street practices and their clients meet the challenges posed by legal aid cuts’. The Society’s vice-president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff discusses the group’s
New rules for solicitors (and registered European lawyers) who want to undertake criminal advocacy form January 2013 will require them to notify the Solicitors Regulation Authority under the new Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (Crime) arrangements, writes Anne-Marie Lynch. The scheme opens on July 2nd 2012 and will be open for notifications until 21st September 2012.
The Law Society is in discussion with City law firms over a number of ideas to ‘plug the gap’ post-Laspo, including ‘strategic litigation’, monitoring of public bodies and a privately funded CLAF, writes Elizabeth Davidson. An initial meeting was held last week between representatives from the Law Society, pro bono and corporate responsibility departments of
