Legal Services Board

Early morning run along the Yarra, listening out for kookaburras (no joy) to get myself going for day two of the ICLR conference, masterfully arranged by the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner. Yesterday was a stimulating start, focused on AI, kicked off fantastically by Ed Santow of the Human Technology Institute. No one has all the answers but that makes it all the more important for us to keep discussing, and learning from others. I was particularly struck by a case study from Oregon (thanks to Ankur) about the use of AI to drive plain language expression of legal content to support accesibilty. We also discussed the risks of a digital divide between those firms which can and cannot (or do not) draw on the benefits AI can offer, with a consequent impact on service provision and consumers. I also loved the observation from Matt Sims that whether a machine can think is as useful a question as whether a submarine can swim. Back to the river. We’ve also been hearing in so many ways about how Victoria is proactively addressing its history and supporting inclusion. This began with the First Nations welcome to Country we received from Stacie Piper, and the recognitions throughout the day. But it was enriched by the moments the VLSB enabled for visiting delegates to understand more deeply the traditional custodianships of the land on which we meet, discuss, and on which I ran this morning. Really inspiring and thought-provoking. #ICLRCORO2024 Legal Services Board

Super session discussing the opportunities and challenges of AI for consumers, the legal professions and society with fellow panellists Dominique Hogan-Doran SC and Careen Wong, alongside Elsie Lee and ace moderator Bobbie Wan at the International Conference of Legal Regulators, Melbourne. Great audience engagement. #legalservicesboard #ICLRCORO2024

We are delighted to announce the appointment of barrister Elaine Banton to the Office for Legal Complaints - the board of the Legal Ombudsman. Appointing people to the board is one of our roles under the Legal Services Act. Elaine's professional experience will benefit the organisation's work and further strengthen our aim of ensuring people who use legal services can seek redress when things go wrong. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eEp5Cwja.

Great to meet Roden Tong, President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, and colleagues as Craig Westwood and I start an exciting three days at the International Conference of Legal Regulators in Melbourne. Global reach conversations to come on workplace culture, AI, consumer empowerment and much more. #ICLRCORO2024 #LegalServicesBoard

We have provided written evidence to the review of bullying and harassment at the Bar. The Bar Council commissioned this independent review. Baroness Harriet Harman KC leads it. Bullying and harassment create a toxic workplace culture. This hinders efforts to create a more diverse, inclusive legal profession. This issue is not isolated to the Bar or experienced only by barristers. Research suggests there are concerning levels of bullying, harassment, and discrimination in the wider legal profession. Our research indicates that alarming workplace cultures are entrenched and systemic in nature. This means they are deeply rooted across large parts of the broader legal profession. So, solutions must focus on changing the professional culture as a whole. Why are we focused on this? We and the legal services regulators share many regulatory objectives. One is encouraging an independent, strong, diverse, and effective legal profession. This is set out in the Legal Services Act. But progress has been limited. All regulators should be concerned about how this behaviour affects public trust and confidence in the legal sector. It is time to consider whether regulation can be more active in creating a fair, healthy, diverse, and inclusive legal profession. Read our response: https://bit.ly/4h5V6NR

What are the most significant regulatory challenges and risks arising from the use of tech and specifically AI? This was the question Richard Orpin asked at this year's London Law Expo. You can read his thoughts, and an overview of our approach to digital innovation, here: https://lnkd.in/e5QvXG7g

It was a pleasure to speak at the Netlaw Media Ltd #LondonLawExpo last week on the role of regulation in improving access to legal services. The legal profession has a great opportunity to harness the power of technology to widen access and reduce unmet legal need. But we must build solid foundations at this early stage of adoption to ensure that AI tools are used to further the public interest. It’s up to all of us to make this a reality. It was great also to hear Stephen Mayson, Jenifer Swallow, Elizabeth Rimmer and Lucinda Soon speak about aligning culture and wellbeing to provide workplace environments in which legal professionals are supported and incentivised to uphold the highest standards of professional ethical conduct. Here at the Legal Services Board, we are focused on exploring how regulation can help achieve that goal. Thanks to Frances A. and everyone else involved in putting on the event. Full speech available here:

What are the challenges and opportunities facing the legal profession in the East of England? Share your views, thoughts and solutions with us in Norwich on 23 October 2024. Our Board is keen to meet and collaborate with people from across the profession. The event is open to lawyers, future lawyers, consumer organisations, academics, researchers, charities, advice agencies, regulators, and representative bodies—anyone with a part to play in ensuring that legal services better meet the needs of everyone who needs them. We expect the event to cover topics such as legal technology, access to justice, professional ethics, public trust, and more. The event is kindly hosted by the University of East Anglia from 4pm to 5.30pm. Find out more and sign up: https://lnkd.in/epknWaQs

We’re delighted that the research we published into litigation funding in England and Wales continues to generate interest. Professor Rachael Mulheron KC of Queen Mary University of London, the research lead, has been presenting the findings to a wide range of international audiences since publication. Some those findings include: 🌟 Litigation funding can improve access to justice for some, but with funding available for just 3-5% of potential cases, it can’t currently be scaled to provide a mainstream route to access justice. 🌟 Litigation funding can offer claimants their 'day in court,’ though the compensation may be unsatisfactory once costs and the funder’s return are taken. 🌟 Litigation funding has often been used in cases involving a significant proportion of the population. These cases are often about broader consumer interests, and their results may influence consumer markets, as well as the development and enforcement of the rule of law. The report is playing an important role in ongoing conversations, and we know that the Civil Justice Council is looking into the role of litigation funding in providing access to justice. You can read the full report here: https://bit.ly/4erXQmX

Our Director, Regulation & Policy, Richard Orpin, is at Netlaw Media Ltd's London Law Expo today. Richard will be the first speaker at the Tech Hub, discussing the role of regulation in supporting innovation that improves access to legal services. Do check it out if you're attending, and we'll share the speech soon. #LondonLawExpo2024 #legaltech #londonlawexpo