Legal industry observers keenly watching the march of technological progress across the profession may well have paused to wonder when the twenty-first century was likely to alight on other aspects of our judicial system. Though some have accused lawyers of being rather slow on the IT uptake, there is nonetheless evidence that many firms and…
The effects of the Ministry of Justice’s 30% cut to Legal Aid fees have been widely reported – and, perhaps justifiably, deplored. The historic walk-out by barristers earlier this year struck headlines with considerable force, as the public confronted the realities of a legal system no more immune to the swinging of the fiscal sword…
Few regulatory changes have provoked quite such a stir as the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA). The ongoing row over the controversial programme (designed to assess all advocates against a set of standard criteria) reached fever-pitch this week as Sir Brian Leveson handed down a decision from the Queen’s Bench. After fervent arguments against…
Legal dramas thrive on courtroom scenes. Who is not familiar with the plucky, blonde (and frequently Northern) defence barrister wittily scoring points over a curmudgeonly judge? Or with the courageous witness turning trembling to the dock and declaring “It was HIM!”? Truth be told, a more accurate staging of a legal drama would involve hours…
Lawyers returning to work this week might have spotted newspapers reporting that this Monday was officially the most depressing day of the year. Dubbing it ‘Blue Monday’, gleefully gloomy reports cited post-Christmas blues, New Year debts and even a surge in filings for divorce as factors in a miserable return to the office. Despite the Guardian’s annual plea for scientific rigour…
Last year’s ruling by a Manhattan judge that Twitter must release tweets deleted by a user charged with criminal activity during the Occupy Wall Street protests was met with defiance from the social media giant. Despite their published privacy policy stating that posted tweets will be released “as lawfully required by appropriate legal process such as subpoena, court order or other…
eDiscovery technologies are being increasingly recognised as a crucial legal tool – and something of a Swiss army knife, at that, with numerous applications beyond merely slicing through court-ordered eDisclosure obligations. Firms keen to use eDiscovery expertise beyond its litigation applications should be aware that employment law in particular brings its own set of challenges….
Already tired of your iPad mini, or your Galaxy S4 with its photos-with-sound gadgetry? Unimpressed by the Google glass technology, and jonesing for your next IT fix? Then consider this: it’s predicted your next investment will not live in your pocket or briefcase, but will be wearable tech to rival anything sported by James Bond….
