Legal aid
New Law Journal covers our response to the news that the LAA has announced that 1,236 firms have been awarded civil legal aid contracts, a significant drop compared to last year.
President Richard Atkinson said: “We know many housing legal aid providers are making the difficult decision to exit the market, as they have been pushed to work grossly excessive working hours to support their clients and are unable to run a viable business.”
The Big Issue examines how asylum seekers can get legal help if they can’t find legal aid. The Law Society website is cited as a source to find accredited asylum solicitors.
Industrial strategy
New Law Journal publishes an article about our focus on identifying opportunities for growth in the legal sector, after the UK government published its 10-year industrial strategy.
Chief executive officer Ian Jeffery said: “It is a breakthrough moment for the legal sector recognising its importance and acknowledging that it’s not just about the bigger firms but, very importantly, it is also about supporting the backbone of our economy, small business.”
Diversity in the profession
Times (£) publishes an article about the first black senior partner of a top 100 law firm and mentions Law Society past president Stephanie Boyce becoming the first black president of the Law Society.
Conveyancing
The Gazette speaks to conveyancing practitioners, including Sarah Dwight, a member of our conveyancing and land law committee, about the issues facing conveyancing solicitors.
Today’s Conveyancer reports we have hosted two webinars concerning the TA6 property information form.
Find out more about the webinars
Today’s Conveyancer reports that we have launched a consultation on climate risk and conveyancing. We are seeking members’ views to help us scope out a practice note that reflects real-world issues, supports best practices and empowers our members to better advise and protect their clients.
The consultation closes on 31 October.
Find out more about the consultation
Truth and falsehoods
Jonathan Goldsmith, chair of the Law Society’s Policy & Regulatory Affairs Committee, writes in the Gazette in a personal capacity about truth and falsehoods, and how lawyers navigate within those two areas. He questions whether the Law Society and the SRA should remain on Twitter/X.
Also worth a read:
- Lawyers still waiting for outcome of whiplash tariff review – Gazette
- Major report rejects regulation of third-party litigation funding – Legal Futures
- Campaigners call for resurrection of standalone SLAPPs bill – Gazette
- CMS bumps London NQ lawyer pay to £110k – Legal Cheek
- Ministers to give magistrates in England and Wales more sentencing powers – Guardian
- 60,000 illegal migrants will be allowed to stay in UK – Times (£)
- Starmer and Reeves face down cabinet revolt over spending cuts – Financial Times (£)
- Comment: When we cannot even expel foreign criminals, it’s time to leave the ECHR - Telegraph (£)