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Opinion
As a recent report on Justice Clarence Thomas' ongoing conflicts of interest makes evident, Supreme Court justices should be subject to an enforceable and binding code of ethics — like all other federal judges — to maintain the credibility of the institution, says Erica Salmon Byrne at Ethisphere.
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The opportunities for social media to increase a business are unlimited despite its flaws, and to make the most of its potential, training and regular updates should be part of all lawyers’ professional development, say Steve Rudaini and Emma Maule at MD Communications.
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With the direction of the U.K. government’s newly launched second economic crime plan undeniably altered by the recent focus on kleptocrats and their money, the emphasis is now on how the U.K. can deliver a more effective approach to reducing the threat of economic crime, says Kathryn Westmore at the Royal United Services Institute.
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Acts of unreasonable behavior of lawyers working on opposite sides can take their toll, and with mental health and stress never higher in the national consciousness than right now, such conduct should be reported to help the firm understand the treatment its solicitors are receiving and better manage the situation, says Libby Payne at Withers.
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As a sector that is guided heavily by the demands of its client base, the legal industry will have to overcome various obstacles to make stylish, convincing and successful in-the-room, virtual and hybrid presentations in the post-pandemic blend of home and office, says Gavin Brown at Speak with Impact.
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With an ever-broadening role, general counsel are being tasked to do more with less, with a need for caution and a requirement to leverage time wisely to anticipate and identify emerging industry challenges, says Jerry Temko at Major Lindsey.
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Whether or not the Solicitors Regulation Authority acts on its recently released guidance on toxic workplace environments in law firms and imposes harsh sanctions, it will hopefully encourage some positive top-down changes, and should give individuals confidence to demand acceptable behavior, says Georgina Calvert-Lee at Bellevue Law.
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The use of artificial intelligence is likely to become increasingly mainstream in the legal sector, and firms should not remain complacent in the current limitations of ChatGPT, but develop policies to ensure that AI-generated liability and regulatory issues are addressed sooner rather than later, say Corinne Staves and Andrew Pavlovic at CM Murray.
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At close to 20 years since public access to barristers came into being, it is a good time to take a look at its impact on the U.K. legal profession and the more collaborative approach between barristers and solicitors we have seen develop since its introduction, say Amani Mohammed and Sean Gould at Westgate Chambers.
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As more legal employers recognize the benefits of creating apprenticeship opportunities, they are likely to grow in popularity, ensuring that the best and brightest minds are available to meet the challenges of an ever complex and changing legal environment, says Aisha Saeed at Addleshaw Goddard.
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When solicitors make mistakes that cause prejudice to their clients, they will need to carefully consider whether they should try to fix their mistake, as trying to put things right may expose them to potential regulatory action, says Andrew Pavlovic at CM Murray.
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The German Ministry of Justice is aiming to do away with the mistakes of the past and overhaul the German civil procedure in order to accommodate English-language disputes, but the success of these proceedings will depend very much on factors that the proposal does not address, say Jan Schaefer and Rüdiger Morbach at King & Spalding.
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Thanks to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's pending new fining framework, which includes guidance on unsuitable fines and a fixed penalties scheme for low-level breaches, firms can expect to see more disciplinary findings leading to an SRA fine rather than referral to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, say Graham Reid and Shanice Holder at RPC.
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The recent U.K. High Court judgment of PJSC National Bank Trust v. Mints, a case brought by two Russian banks, is significant in clarifying that the U.K. sanctions regime does not deprive designated persons of their fundamental common law right to bring a claim in an English court, despite their assets being frozen, says Zoe O’Sullivan KC at Serle Court.
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An agreement has been reached on the European Union Pay Transparency Directive, paving the way for gender pay gap reporting to become compulsory for many employers across Europe, introducing a more proactive approach than the similar U.K. regime and leading the way on new global standards for equal pay, say attorneys at Lewis Silkin.