All Features articles – Page 2

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    Feature

    GenAI – the power of conversation

    2024-09-24T14:42:00Z

    The advent of GenAI demands a fundamental shift in law firm thinking. Now tech is less about search and more about conversation.

  • Barnsley Council
    Feature

    On good authority

    20 September 2024

    Despite councils’ financial woes, local government lawyers tell Katharine Freeland they are committed to this ‘rare legal ecosystem’.

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    Feature

    Staying at number 1

    2024-09-18T14:47:00Z

    Brexit was a headache for lawyers keen to maintain London’s pre-eminence as a centre for dispute resolution. But the capital has defied the doomsayers. Business is booming on the back of a surge in class actions, reports Joanna Goodman.

  • Bethany Walker
    Feature

    Law Society spotlight: How to get on to Council

    2024-09-12T13:45:00Z

    Three incoming Council members representing junior lawyers share tips for writing strong election statements.

  • Gen AI cartoon
    Feature

    How to: choose a GenAI tool

    2024-09-11T14:23:00Z

    Generative AI will transform the work of law firms and in-house teams. With a plethora of vendors offering products, Nick Abrahams sets out why it is crucial to pick the right tool.

  • Women toilets cartoon
    Feature

    Answering the call

    2024-09-11T09:48:00Z

    Women were admitted to the profession a century ago but the Law Society was slow to provide them with their own facilities, writes Eduardo Reyes. A fascinating new book on legal landmarks between the wars recounts how it took a highly symbolic special general meeting to force Chancery Lane’s hand.

  • Umbrellas
    Feature

    Taking shelter

    2024-09-10T15:35:00Z

    Dire predictions of a mass exodus of insurers appear wide of the mark, reports Eduardo Reyes. For many firms, the PII market is at its most benign for years.

  • Yvette Cooper James Cleverely Parliament Opening 2024 GettyImages-2161794562
    Feature

    Off track

    2024-08-07T13:23:00Z

    The new government has pledged to fix asylum and immigration, but lawyers point out that much of the detail remains lacking. Catherine Baksi reports

  • Amy Marren
    Feature

    Earning and learning

    2024-08-05T13:55:00Z

    Solicitor apprenticeships have proved a good news story for the profession – widening access and expanding law’s talent pool. The challenge, Joanna Goodman reports, is to ensure numbers keep increasing.

  • Doverlorries
    Feature

    Reset moment

    2024-07-29T09:56:00Z

    The new government won’t deliver the growth it desperately needs to deliver its programme without reinvigorating trade with the EU. Lawyer experts tell Joanna Goodman what needs to be done to build new bridges to the continent.

  • Green Man stained glass window by Jude Tarrant Sunrise Stained Glass
    Feature

    Facing the truth

    2024-07-22T14:42:00Z

    The growth of ESG reporting is subjecting law firms to unprecedented ethical scrutiny, but does it drive change? Katharine Freeland finds lawyers need to do more than reduce their air miles

  • Model village
    Feature

    It’s a small world after all

    2024-07-16T15:24:00Z

    The ‘fuller life experience’ of qualifying with a small firm is a solid foundation for a fulfilling career. How well do new paths to qualification support that? Catherine Baksi reports.

  • London Stock Exchange
    Feature

    London in the stocks

    2024-07-16T08:49:00Z

    London’s stock exchange was once the epicentre of City life. Now lawyers report a ‘malaise’ that is hard to shake, reports Maria Shahid. Will a much-heralded overhaul of the listing rules bring back the good times?

  • Robot concept
    Feature

    The search for common standards

    5 July 2024

    With law firms reporting that generative AI is slashing the time involved in certain tasks, calls are growing for benchmarking and quality standards.

  • Richard Boath
    Feature

    Trial and error

    2024-07-07T19:57:00Z

    The scope and scale of fraud are daunting for cash-strapped enforcers. With its ‘tiny’ budget and chequered history of prosecutions, Katharine Freeland asks, can the Serious Fraud Office turn the tide? 

  • Crowncourtsign
    Feature

    Trials and tribulation

    2024-07-02T13:36:00Z

    Crown courts are in crisis, reports Catherine Baksi. The backlog continues to climb, the estate is crumbling and there aren’t enough lawyers. So what’s the plan?

  • Cargo ship
    Feature

    Hard selling

    28 June 2024

    Resolving trade disputes efficiently and equitably is key to global peace and prosperity. Joanna Goodman reviews the growing challenges parties face in maintaining trade relations as globalism wanes.

  • Blood protest
    Feature

    Anatomising a disaster

    2024-06-26T15:17:00Z

    Sir Brian Langstaff delivered his final report on the infected blood scandal last month. Fiona Scolding KC, who represented over 300 victims, examines how the state failed them so badly – and the role played by lawyers and the legal system.

  • SME main pic
    Feature

    Sweating the small stuff

    2024-06-25T09:40:00Z

    Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the economy. Katharine Freeland looks at the snowballing challenges facing legal advisers who are helping these businesses to scale up or sell up.

  • ESG illustration
    Feature

    Seeing and believing

    14 June 2024

    Regulations around the ethical and environmental credentials of businesses are tightening, leading companies of all sizes to rely more heavily on their lawyers. In the first of two features on ESG reporting, Katharine Freeland looks at the position of clients.