All articles by David Pickup – Page 13
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News
Trusted advisor
Judging from the reaction to my blog on the new outcomes-focused regulation the profession is not overwhelmingly optimistic about this. However, one positive thing to hang on to in troubling times is the solicitor’s traditional role as a trusted advisor and how that concept is enshrined in the new rules. ...
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News
Don’t panic over outcomes-focused regulation
The age when a solicitor could buy a copy of the guide to ethics and conduct and put it on their shelf and hope they will never need it have gone. We now have a new Code of Conduct which uses very different language and introduces concepts which are challenging. ...
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News
Did you get the holiday you deserve?
I have given advice to a client wearing my swimming costume (I mean I was wearing the trunks, not the client). I do not know what the SRA would say about that. They would ask what was the objective and the desired outcome. I also spoke to my bank manager ...
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News
Law firms setting up stall
The profession seems to keep dreaming up ideas to make its own life a bit more difficult. This week I had to go to a Midlands town and arrived at a shopping precinct next to the station. There were two stalls in the middle of the mall offering legal advice. ...
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News
Professional indemnity choices
Indemnity - like Christmas - comes just once a year, which is a relief in many ways. And like Christmas we face it with good intentions to plan ahead and get everything ready on time. However well prepared we mean to be, somehow time catches ...
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News
How to pick the right applicant
The thing I am noticing this year is that work experience people want to come back. They do a week’s job-shadowing and you get a nice letter of thanks asking if they can return later in the year. No bad thing of course. Most students are delightful, interesting and no ...
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News
Clients remain reluctant to pre-empt problems using simple legal advice
My Saturday paper had a feature recently on how to avoid problems with your builder. One suggestion was if you have a contract worth over £8,000 then get a solicitor to look over it first before you sign anything. It ...
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News
Why lawyers say yes to work experience students
In common with many firms, there are times in the year where we have work shadowers, or interns if you are really posh. Whatever you call them they write in or email begging for a position. The summer is the same if not more busy. ...
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News
Be realistic about legal aid cuts
I do not think we can fault the reasoning behind the legal aid cuts, which largely preserve funding for the essential areas of human rights. We should be realistic and admit that some areas of law are not priorities, and one wonders why they were ever included in the scheme ...