The Law Business: 18th to 24th February

Welcome to the year's seventh edition of the weekly 'Law Business' column brought to you by the SundayLawReview team. The collapse of the Vicky Pryce trial this week led to some questions being asked of the jury system. But the age old principle of being judged by one's peers was defended by senior lawyers. Britain's senior most female judge Lady Hale has openly argued for positive discrimination to promote more women in the judiciary to offset centuries of gender imbalance. In the wake of a very interesting article on why women find it difficult to sell their achievements in workplace, perhaps the legal profession still has some barriers to knock down.

 

This column takes a serious look at what happened in the business of law within UK as reported by online legal publications throughout last week. 

The most interesting articles on developments, compliance, business and the study of law including articles cited within TheLawMap 'focus of the day': 
 
  • Bar goes ahead with aptitude test for entrants | Law Gazette http://t.co/W0etab3b2T 
  • Government ‘hiding’ RTA Portal evidence, Society claims | Law Gazette http://t.co/dKbSsGnMJQ 
  • High-cost cases to escape new management rules | Law Gazette http://t.co/a9GQ7nB773
  • High value cases get extra protection from costs management | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/66kAT8kkMm
  • Growing percentage of enquiries through solicitors’ websites makes them a most valuable marketing tool | Law Gazette http://t.co/8yTt6qonaj 
  • Impact of wellbeing on performance | Law Gazette http://t.co/IDYcjmUFWr 
  • Top-40 firms seek ABS status, research shows | Law Gazette http://t.co/c3hD8oLCWX 
  • Concession over EU sales law | Law Gazette http://t.co/T2tQPaSH7a 
  • Mediation fails to reduce litigation over children | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/wMZmhvqsmD 
  • Lord Lester rallies supporters of Defamation Bill | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/xeLsirXxFS 
  • Profit falls the ‘new normal’ for high street firms | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/TFGyUayoO8
  • Impact of wellbeing on performance | Law Gazette http://t.co/IDYcjmUFWr 
  • Suspicion not enough in care proceedings | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/sRLS9USoww 
  • Solicitor who lost firm works as carer for former clients | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/YMpOPKd1jV    
  • First construction ABS as global consultancy buys law firm to offer multi-disciplinary service | Legal Futures http://t.co/6lad93N5ax 
  • Motorbike accident management company becomes ABS | Legal Futures http://t.co/s8WMdlDiRN
  • BSB launches probe after report identifies possible race bias in disciplinary work | Legal Futures http://t.co/HfwQLRLkPq  
  • UK lawyers told to go digital | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/fJ14xCOD
  • Once more into the electronic justice breach | Law Gazette http://t.co/3w8hKwFl
  • Compliance – catalyst for consolidation? | Law Gazette http://t.co/rdw1jcri 
  • Homeless families can be accommodated in separate flats | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/mnbShcEE
  • British banks face £9bn unfunded litigation bill | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/j1Vpv8NQ 
  • Four-borough shared legal service gets go ahead | The Lawyer http://t.co/R9qkApMS 
  • Will drafted by experienced partner was invalid, appeal judges rule | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/Ue4UGmxl 
  • Will drafted by experienced partner was invalid, appeal judges rule | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/IEwPK9cF
  • Solicitor-run chambers becomes ABS | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/q7SdOIbk 
  • No new money for defence in Green’s digital justice plan | Law Gazette http://t.co/TZsLWPSe
  • The never-ending story: publication of Legal Education and Training Review delayed again | Legal Futures http://t.co/fLv3e9ln 
  • Referral fee ban will drive insurers to buy law firms, "but it won't reduce claims costs" | Legal Futures http://t.co/pwzDyePY 
  • Latest crop of ABSs eye external investment and non-legal services | Legal Futures http://t.co/qUEOYhs4 
  • SRA rejects LSB call for review of separate business rule | Legal Futures http://t.co/HK69hSK4
  • Cobbetts’ demise and resurrection – the full story | Law Gazette http://t.co/G5TZCgRr 
  • EU watchdogs target Google privacy policy | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/qex4FX0N 
  • Partner jailed for £20m fake marriage racket | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/lAfK9wFt 
  • Advocate General backs workers in TUPE battle | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/Yp45Ajfz 
  • Several QualitySolicitors firms are considering moving to alternative business structure status | Law Gazette http://t.co/R15UHfQ3
  • Bar reviews conduct regime over ethnic disparities | Law Gazette http://t.co/HanBgxL8 
  • Cable hails unified patent court boost | Law Gazette http://t.co/zJVZIzxo
  • Shake-up of legal education faces new delay as review report is pushed back | Legalweek http://t.co/cHsJ3WXE
  • Firms warming to outcomes-focused regulation, says the SRA | Law Gazette http://t.co/jLqa5YBF 
  • Wales says no to separation – for now | Law Gazette http://t.co/8NwWJmOy 
  • Status quo is best for Wales | Law Gazette http://t.co/IbEQER07
  • Find-A-Lawyer, EU-style | Law Gazette http://t.co/byOESaM3 
  • Lawyers slam Theresa May’s ‘populism’ on immigration | Law Gazette http://t.co/ihG94WK1
  • Lawyers let down by poor mental health programmes | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/vJNO3jWw 
  • Lawyers "need to unbundle services" to compete with online providers | Legal Futures http://t.co/5MQ7nklU 
  • SRA survey: OFR confusion for many firms - and their compliance officers | Legal Futures http://t.co/LCg2Pk6r
  • SRA plays down law firm finance concerns | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/PdyZ6X3p 
  • Patent law change to boost UK innovation | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/w5t8zBwn 
  • Top British companies ramp up legal budgets | The Global Legal Post http://t.co/kDLc8Prr 
  • Publication of legal education review faces yet another delay | The Lawyer http://t.co/DJbOy55Q
  • FTSE 100 Firms' Legal Liabilities Shoot Up http://t.co/HCbNgUCK 
  • Rights to light ‘being exploited’, Law Commission says | Solicitors Journal http://t.co/fBEiGpMs
  • Goodbye Solicitor And Barrister, Hello ‘Legal Process Analyst’ | Review: ‘Tomorrow’s Lawyers’ Richard Susskind http://t.co/qxT2ZFz2 
  • Legal Services Board presses SRA not to shackle provision of non-reserved legal work | Legal Futures http://t.co/wi2ZgYO4 
  • Law Society warns of significant risks if foreign lawyers are passported into law firm partnerships | Legal Futures http://t.co/q7Gtytdb
  • Success and the smaller Law Firm | The Lawyer http://t.co/zLUkqaqh 
  • Are these Libor fines all fine? Lack of accountability and minuscule nature of payouts | The Lawyer http://t.co/DV2yIiI1 
  • Lawyers with football club clients should not underestimate the tough new financial controls regime | The Lawyer http://t.co/t6uCN6Du 
  • Cab rank on a ride to nowhere | The Lawyer http://t.co/J3SHC8pO 
  • The anti-online tracking campaigners harrying Google are the shock troops in a wider digital war | The Lawyer http://t.co/YQlcxwvE 
  • Firms are considering their options prior to the Jackson reforms deadline in April | The Lawyer http://t.co/LJghRHBr 
  • The Belgian market is packed so why are firms still eager to get a look-in? | The Lawyer http://t.co/oxEjH3I6 
  • Privatisation work is trickling back into Greece and foreign investor interest is resurfacing | The Lawyer http://t.co/795K2C83 
  • Profit on the margins | The Lawyer http://t.co/RCqYFO2O
  • Effectiveness and appropriateness of the Scottish Parliament in terms of legislative reform | The Firm http://t.co/CxYX1FFw 
  • Forensics conference aims to produce "Agenda for Change" in legal handling of expert evidence | The Firm http://t.co/ssSrImK6 
  • Police Station Duty Participation Hits 50% | The Firm http://t.co/IdOB44E1 
  • 2000 firms in crisis talks as ABS bites | The Firm http://t.co/BaUU4VJO
  • Strategies for responding to the challenges faced by the Criminal Bar | The Barrister Magazine http://t.co/VxkCOVzY 
  • Minority Legal Orders in the UK | The Barrister Magazine http://t.co/mR0Mtrxd
  • Tax warning over children’s wills | Law Gazette http://t.co/2K37NMAA
  • Volunteers ‘unable to fill legal aid void’ | Law Gazette http://t.co/246sVPyn 
  • MoJ considers ending lump sum PI damages | Law Gazette http://t.co/ZMXdrtEA 
  • Barclays boss signals panel shakeup | Law Gazette http://t.co/Yz34FuIn
  • MPs: family judges should talk to children | Law Gazette http://t.co/SSAAmhzS 
  • Ministers tight-lipped on EU opt-out | Law Gazette http://t.co/U22kiwsX 
  • PM ‘mad’ to cut legal aid for EU immigrants | Law Gazette http://t.co/rRWBY9G5 
  • How To: get a training contract | Law Gazette http://t.co/QG4gQ8rX 
  • Freedom of information | Law Gazette http://t.co/maAj9i8z 
  • SRA denies 2,000 firms in crisis talks | Law Gazette http://t.co/iX6vlcwb 
  • US eases curbs on foreign in-house lawyers | Law Gazette http://t.co/BucSqcf7 
  • Two law firms on Cameron’s Indian mission | Law Gazette http://t.co/oN2kjVYv
  • Supreme court denies government pressure to select a woman. Senior legal figures believe promotion of three male judges to highest court delayed because ministers want a woman to fill one of the vacancies. Full story - Guardian Law
  • Ministers are to consider the case for successful personal injury claimants to receive damages over a period of time rather than in one lump sum. Full story - Law Gazette
  • Profit on the margins - You don’t have to be a big firm to innovate and thrive in a downturn - 10 inspiring stories from Law Firms. Full story - The Lawyer
  • Lord Kerr warns that councils will 'exploit' Supreme Court ruling. Homeless families can be accommodated in separate flats and do not have to be housed in the same units, Supreme Court justices ruled. Full story - Solicitor's Journal    
  • The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has rejected a demand by the Legal Services Board (LSB) that it start a review of the separate business rule, saying it can see “very little public interest justification” for doing so. Full story - Legal Futures

Notable Articles of the week:

The UK and international articles of the week are pieces selected by @TheLawMap tweeting team based on recommendations from friends and followers of LawNewsIndex.com daily law news blog. 

  • International law isn't 'real' - pseudo-consensus on what the law 'is', but simply a consensus among elites | Nanjala Nyabola - Al Jazeera 
  • Beyond Asimov: the struggle to develop a legal framework for robots | Mark Piesing - Wired 
  • Why giving men anonymity in rape cases is a bad idea | Lisa Longstaff - The Guardian

News from the Law Firms & Chambers: 

Friday 22nd February
Thursday 21st February
Wednesday 20th February
Tuesday 19th February
Monday 18th February

We would like to thank all the publications cited in this week's column. Please notify via @TheLawMap Twitter handle of any errors or omissions.

 

TheLawMap Publications at a glance: 
LawNewsIndex.com - Daily Law News Archive
SundayLawReview.com - Weekly Law Business News Blog
Law Specials - A compendium of articles on Justice & Society
Wig - Daily Newspaper Focusing on Law & Society
MetaLawIndex - Informal Blog chronicling behind the scene events at LawNewsIndex & Twitter