THIS ISSUE
The government’s sledgehammer approach to legal aid benefits neither access to justice nor the public purse, says Geoffrey Bindman
Alec Samuels discusses challenging service charges
Masood Ahmed reports on the interpretation & application of the ‘additional amount’ under Pt 36
Early cash; ADR: agree it, do it; eternally privileged; look, no boarding card
John McMullen provides an update on the automatic transfer principle & its effects
Peter Stevens traces the recent history of compensation awards for employee inventors
Nearly 60% of expert witnesses believe judges should have powers to permanently disqualify experts who don’t understand their role.
The main challenge law firms face with e-billing is the way in which they record their time, according to a report.
The Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) has warned that the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) ‘poses significant risks to the standing and credibility (both domestically and internationally) of the solicitor qualification’.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Birketts—trainee cohort
Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025
Keoghs—four appointments
Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Brabners—Ben Lamb
Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner
NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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