SQE consultation opens round 2 from SRA

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Paul Philip, SRA Chief Executive, said: “We think there is a strong case for the SQE and this consultation spells it out in more detail. We have taken on board a wide range of views and gathered more evidence, and I would like to thank the many organisations that have helped us to refine and develop our proposals.

“Ultimately, we want to make sure that the solicitors of the future have the high standards and skills needed to compete both domestically and in a global market. And we know that, internationally, an entrance examination is common practice in other major jurisdictions, from New York to New Zealand. We believe the SQE will enable us to be sure that all solicitors have the competences required to do the job.

“I would encourage everyone to let us have their views about the proposals set out in the consultation and to take the opportunity to influence the future qualification requirements for solicitors.”

At the same time as publishing its latest consultation on the SQE, the SRA is publishing a summary and analysis of responses from the first consultation, together with copies of the individual responses it received.

The consultation runs until 9 January 2017 and can be found online at: www.sra.org.uk/consultations

Bar Standards Board let equality and diversity data slip

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Bar regulators have allowed equality and diversity initiatives to slip and have been told to act immediately to restore them, the watchdog’s independent observer has said.

Isobel Leaviss, who has the role of providing independent oversight of the Bar Standards Board, said that she was “surprised” not to have found publicly available equality and diversity data for various professional conduct elements at the regulator.

Up to date recording and monitoring of equality and diversity data for the committee and board members at the BSB responsible for professional conduct “was not in place,” said Leaviss in a reportreleased on Friday.

She went on to say that “equality and diversity induction training for new members appeared to have lapsed”. Leaviss called on the regulator to remedy both shortfalls.

The BSB said that it had accepted the observer’s recommendations. Vanessa Davies, the board’s director, welcomed the report’s findings, saying that Leaviss’s “contributions ensure our complaints-handling process continues to be refined and improved, particularly in the context of being a risk-based regulator”.

Middlesex Law Society Continuing Competence program

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Audit Compliance Ltd have in association with Middlesex Law Society launched the Continuing Competence programme which starts at Middlesex University Hebron Campus on Thursday 20th and Tuesday 25th October and at the University of West London on Thursday 27th October

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Booking Form and details of Compliance Workshops

at the Middlesex University Hendon Campus 20 & 25th Evenings and University of West London Ealing Daytime 27th October 2016

Click to download

Continuing Competence Program continuing-competence-mls-letter-290916

Booking Form  continuing-competence-booking-form-220916-final

Middlesex University, Hendon Campus 20th and 25th October 2016 mls-compliance-workshop-20th-and-25th-october-2016-final

University of West London, St Mary’s Road, Ealing Law School 27th October 2016 mls-compliance-workshop-27th-october-2016-final

To become a member of  Middlesex Law Society  mlsmembershipform01102016

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Disbursements often missed

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In a recent survey with Today’s Conveyancer, Scott Bozinis, CEO of InfoTrack :“The results demonstrate that with over 60% of conveyancers receiving multiple invoices for any given matter, it is possible to miss disbursements. It is clear that accessing multiple websites for a single matter makes it difficult to keep on top of billing. A consolidation of the process is required to simplify the day-to-day conveyancing tasks in order to maximise revenue and time. The key to combatting these missed disbursements is through the use of technology which reduces the number of websites that need to be visited, relieving administration and bookkeeping headaches. InfoTrack technology enables conveyancers to improve the process by consolidating all the key tasks into a single platform, including electronic AP1 and SDLT forms, Contract Packs and Conveyancing Searches. Using our technology means firms receive a single, combined monthly bill making the bookkeeping of disbursements, such as AML checks and indemnities, simple.”

Heather Cameron, Marketing and Communications Manager at Today’s Conveyancer, stated: “It is clear from these results that in an already demanding role, dealing with many third parties all at once and errors like missing charging disbursements are as a result of insufficient processes in many instances. The fact that almost 74% of those surveyed feel undervalued by their client’s reveals just how high a client’s expectation really is on their conveyancer.

“We know the SRA in their most recent Risk Outlook, made it clear that they are looking to firms to innovate their processes through their use of IT to deliver a more streamlined approach to legal services; with the right IT practices, errors like this will diminish.”