While his lawyer wife allegedly armed herself with a foot-long metal pole A University of Brighton property law lecturer and his lawyer wife reportedly turned violent when their landlords tried to evict them. Dr Peter Orji is said to have threatened to “torch” the four-bedroom house in Southampton after he received a court order forcing the couple to leave. However, when landlord Navraj Singh and his brother Sukhdip turned up at the house to change the locks last March, Orji allegedly tried to run them over in his car. Sukhdip, a police officer for eleven years, reportedly told Southampton Magistrates Court: “We had previous dealings with the Orjis. They had been hostile and aggressive to my brother. On March 25, last year, we went into the house… Whilst on the phone to a locksmith, Mr Orji pulled on to the driveway in a silver Renault Megane. He revved the car, which startled me. He came onto the driveway at speed — if I had stayed where I was I would have been hit.” The court also heard how Orji returned to the property the next day and knocked Sukhdip to the ground after running at him like a “rugby player”. As that happened, Dr Orji’s wife, Chinenye Orji, reportedly armed herself with a metal pole and struck the Singhs’ friend Martin Conlon on the head, the Mail Online reports. According to Orji’s university profile, his research and teaching interests include legal education, property law, e-commerce law and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). He is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, as well as an advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and has also taught at Kingston University in London. Chinenye is also understood to have a legal background, having studied law at the University of Benin, before going on work as an in-house lawyer for an education support company she and her husband founded. Orji denies one charge of assault by beating, while his wife denies three charges of assault and one of obstructing a police officer. Both also deny theft, criminal damage and using threatening words or behaviour. The University of Brighton has been approached for comment. The trial continues. Comments on this article are closed for legal reasons. The post Eviction row: Brighton University property law lecturer threatened to torch landlords’ home, court hears appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/viction-row-brighton-university-property-law-lecturer-threatened-to-torch-landlords-home-court-hears/
0 Comments
An important step for future growth, says global outfit’s chief Global law firm DWF has today announced its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). In an update published on its website, the firm said it hoped to undertake an initial public offering (IPO). It also confirmed a registration document has been submitted for approval to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If successful, the flotation will be the largest in legal history. The Manchester-headquartered outfit revealed last summer it was considering “a number of strategic options”, including the “possibility” of an IPO, in a bid to achieve its “objectives more quickly”. According to media reports at the time, the move could see a small number of DWF’s senior staffers trouser millions of pounds each in shares. Commenting on today’s announcement, DWF’s chief executive, Andrew Leaitherland, said:
Kicking off a string of law firm flotations, Slater and Gordon was the first to go public when it listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2007. Other firms to make similar moves include Birmingham-based Gateley, national duo Keystone Law and Knights, as well as London-based outfits Gordon Dadds and Rosenblatt Solicitors. The post DWF to push ahead with flotation in UK’s largest law firm listing appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/dwf-to-push-ahead-with-flotation-in-uks-largest-law-firm-listing/ Spring score of 83% Allen & Overy (A&O) has posted its latest retention score. From a March qualifying cohort of 47, the magic circle player confirmed it made 40 offers. With 39 accepting, this hands A&O a solid 2019 spring result of 83%. Traditionally, A&O is one of the City’s more consistent retention performers. In the previous four rounds, the 44 office outfit has posted rates of 80% (37 out of 46), 80% (32 out of 40), 85% (40 out of 47) and 82% (31 out of 38). Commenting on its latest result, graduate recruitment partner and training principal at A&O, Claire Wright, said:
As rumours of a megamerger with Los Angeles-based outfit O’Melveny & Myers continue to swirl, Legal Cheek‘s Firms Most List 2019 shows that those who have chosen to stick around post-qualification will start on a recently improved salary of £83,000. Rookie remuneration currently sits at £45,000, rising to £50,000 in year two. So what’s life over at the firm’s swish Spitalfields office? In our latest Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey, A&O notched up A*s for tech, perks and office, as well as As for training, quality of work, peer support and canteen. The post Allen & Overy keeps 39 out of 47 qualifying trainees appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/allen-overy-keeps-39-out-of-47-qualifying-trainees/ Hale hails ‘historic’ occasion for Lady Arden and Lord Mance A husband and wife sat together on the Supreme Court bench yesterday in a first for the UK’s highest court. Lady Arden and her husband Lord Mance appeared side by side as Mance gave judgment in a miscarriage of justice compensation appeal. Speaking beforehand, Supreme Court President Lady Hale said:
Arden (72) and Mance (75) have been married for over 45 years. The couple tied the knot in Liverpool in 1973. Hale went on to joke that the court’s “normal practice is that husbands and wives should not sit on the same case” — prompting chuckles from her fellow justices. Fellow Supreme Court justice Lady Black is married to Court of Appeal judge Richard McCombe, so in theory that could become an issue if he were promoted in the next couple of years. The case concerned two men whose criminal convictions were overturned after they had spent many years in prison. Sam Hallam and Victor Nealon were refused miscarriage of justice compensation and tried to argue that the recently toughened rules breached European human rights law. They lost by five votes to two. Arden and Mance didn’t actually decide the Hallam or Nealon or any other cases together, as their time as serving justices did not overlap. Mance was back in the Middlesex Guildhall for one night only to deliver the judgment, having been part of the panel that heard the case just before his retirement last summer — so the happy couple took the opportunity to make history by sitting on the bench together. Arden’s addition meant that the Supreme Court had its first ever female majority on a case in October last year. The post Husband and wife team sit on Supreme Court bench appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/husband-and-wife-team-sit-on-supreme-court-bench/ Civil service role comes with a salary of £23,290 plus benefits The government is looking to recruit a barista on a salary and benefits package that will leave many legal aid lawyers mulling a career switch. Taking to Twitter yesterday evening, anonymous blogging heavyweight The Secret Barrister (SB) retweeted a job ad seeking a full-time ‘Head Barista’ for the House of Commons. According to the job listing, the central London post comes with a salary of £23,290 and benefits including a civil service pension, 30 days annual leave and a childcare voucher scheme. While many Londoners would struggle to make ends meet on a salary of £23,290, particularly those with families, SB was quick to claim “this total package is more than the average income of a junior legal aid barrister”.
With several social media-goers questioning whether he (or she) was having a pop at skilled baristas, SB added:
According to SB’s blog, the median take-home income of a criminal barrister for 2012-2013 was around £27,000. However, as SB pointed out to at least one non-lawyer who questioned the barista-barrister comparison, legal aid fees have decreased significantly since then and, as a result, barristers’ earnings. Last year, barristers across England and Wales refused to take on new publicly-funded cases in protest against government cuts to legal aid, namely changes to the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS). Around 100 chambers eventually joined the quasi-strike action. In response to the action, the government proposed an extra £15 million in justice investment. Members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) voted narrowly in favour of the deal — 52% (yes), 48% (no). Publicly funded work aside, and over at the commercial bar, the picture couldn’t be more different. Legal Cheek‘s Chambers Most List 2019 shows that pupils at the very top sets can receive awards northwards of £70,000 and go on to earn six and even seven figure sums. Unfortunately, for those interested in applying for the barista role, the listing has since expired. The post House of Commons barista paid more than average legal aid barrister appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/house-of-commons-barista-paid-more-than-average-legal-aid-barrister/ Scrapping the GDL and LPC is really gonna shake things up The debate surrounding the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) has moved beyond the ‘Will it actually happen?’ stage towards questions about implementation. There’s no avoiding it, folks. Preparations are underway at law firms and law schools across the country for the exam which will replace traditional routes to qualification. The Legal Practice Course (LPC) and the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) are toast once it comes into force in September 2021. It’s an exciting time for Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) education and training chief Julie Brannan, the brains behind the SQE and spearhead of the biggest shake-up of legal education in a generation. “We’re dealing with lots of practical questions to ensure the detail is right. There is a lot of preparation going on which I am very pleased to see,” she told me in an interview ahead of her appearance at the Future of Legal Education and Training Conference in May, for which Early Bird ticket sales close at midnight tonight. For students seeking to enter the legal profession during this time of change, what does it mean? Although large law firms cover the cost of their future trainees’ GDL and LPC fees, and will continue to do so for the SQE, the majority of students self-fund these courses. Legal Cheek’s LPC Most List shows a student in London can pay northwards of £16,000 for the year-long course required to practise as a solicitor in England & Wales. One of the overriding objectives behind the SQE is to reduce this cost. In November, the SRA projected the two-part exam is likely to cost between £3,000-£4,500. SQE1, which focuses on black letter law is likely to cost between £1,100 and £1,650, and SQE2, which tests practical legal skills such as advocacy, is likely to cost between £1,900 and £2,850. But these amounts are for the exams only. Preparatory course fees will be on top of that. No one is sure exactly how much they will cost, but when you put both figures together some have suggested that you might be looking at a greater amount than students pay at present for the LPC. So why bother bringing in the SQE at all? they ask. That’s not an entirely fair proposition. As Brannan points out, the SQE will create lots of different options, and present opportunities for future lawyers to potentially save a lot of money — with new routes including a combined LLB-SQE that some universities are already working on and standalone budget SQE courses. “There will be a wide range of courses available to students and this will impact cost. The cheapest option is likely to be a law degree with the integrated SQE and that will cost within the £9,000 fee cap which is cheaper than the LPC as it stands,” she explains. Two tier fearsHowever, it seems likely that the big corporate law firms — which account for a significant percentage of new trainees entering the profession each year and influence the market because they are seen by students as high status — will design their own bespoke SQE courses in association with existing providers such as BPP Law School and the University of Law that look very similar to the LPC in its present form (and cost the same and perhaps even more!). That would be fine for these firms’ future trainees who are benefitting from law school sponsorship deals, but what about students without training contracts who may feel under pressure to complete these same prep courses because they are seen as market-leading and more likely to lead to a job? On this, Brannan says:
As for law firms outside this elite bracket, Brannan, who has spent the last few days visiting various outfits across the country, comments: “If you think about the sector as a whole, it may well be the case that different law firms have different requirements — it’s no longer one size fits all.” Many of these firms view the new solicitor training regime as an opportunity to recruit in a different way that could reduce their training costs and allow them access to a more diverse pool of potentially hungrier and more street-smart students. Brannan continues: “The SQE provides the scaffolding for law firms to recruit well-rounded individuals from a wider cohort. It’s a real gain for the profession. Some have already dipped a toe in the water with apprenticeships — they liked what came through the door and are open to exploring new pathways,” she reflects. But what of the risk of creating a two-tier solicitors’ profession, divided according to whether new entrants did a fancy elite firm SQE or a budget version of the course? The main way that the SRA is seeking to mitigate this risk is through plans to publish the different SQE providers’ exam results. This would mean prospective SQE students could make purchasing decisions on the basis of provider performance rather than simply perceived status. A new course provider, for example, could be shown to be getting better grades than the long-established law schools. “It’s a very positive thing,” says Brannan, “that degree of transparency will help universities and training providers learn and improve.” It is probably also fair to say that students’ A-level and undergraduate university grades, and the reputation of the undergraduate university they attended, will — rightly or wrongly — continue to be more influential than where they did the LPC/SQE (and what they scored on it) in graduate recruitment decisions. New law schools and a roaring illicit trade in course materials?Where the SQE is likely to have a big impact is in increasing the level of competition among providers, which would over time should contribute to the further driving down of costs. Currently, LPC providers set the assessments and award the qualification. That requires substantial resources and infrastructure. But the SQE will be centrally assessed, with the SRA last year choosing global education giant Kaplan, which closed down its UK law school operations in 2016, to handle exams and marking in an eight-year long deal. This takes away a considerable barrier to entry to the market for new law schools who lack the resources to run assessment processes. One of the new entrants, for example, is set to be US-based legal education provider BARBRI, whose New York and California Bar prep course are well-known globally. Other players with comparable track records are rumoured to be circling the market with interest. We may also see some start-ups in this space. Legal Cheek reckons we’ll also be hearing stories from students that have taught themselves. We might even see candidates sharing course materials with their friends post-completion of the SQE. We put this to Brannan and she said:
Another aspect of the new super-exam that has sparked controversy is the form it will take. SQE1 will be a computer-based, multiple-choice assessment. Durham Law School dean Thom Brooks, who spoke at last year’s Conference, labelled this as “not the most effective way of discerning ability” as he expressed concern about a new era of “factory-produced” wannabe lawyers being taught to pass standardised assessments. What are Brannan’s thoughts on the proposed exam style?
Brannan will be headlining the after-lunch SQE discussion at this year’s Conference in May. What are her next steps between now and then? “We’re ploughing ahead with the piloting phase,” she replies. The SRA launched a campaign last year recruiting student ‘guinea pigs’ to test the new exam. “We had a really good response to that,” reveals Brannan. “Kapan ended up with more applicants than we needed which meant we were able to recruit a representative cross-section from those that applied. It shows that students are willing to invest their time to get the exam right,” she says. The pilot for SQE1 will take place between 20-22 March, while Kaplan is planning to pilot SQE2 towards the end of this year. Will there be a big reveal at the Conference in May? “I suppose there will be an update,” teases Brannan, “it will be an opportunity to discuss next steps with plentiful discussion through a Q&A.” Julie Brannan will be speaking at Legal Cheek’s Future of Legal Education and Training Conference which takes place on Wednesday 22 May 2019 at Kings Place London. Tickets are available at the early bird rate of £190 + VAT until midnight tonight (Thursday 31 January). Students interested in attending (we do not charge students for attending our events) should contact us about becoming part of Legal Cheek‘s campus ambassador programme. The post EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Super-exam architect Julie Brannan on LLB-SQEs, new law schools and students teaching themselves appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/exclusive-interview-super-exam-architect-julie-brannan-on-llb-sqes-new-law-schools-and-students-teaching-themselves/ Legal professionals most ‘selective eaters’, Deliveroo data reveals As office goers struggle to steer clear of vending machines and to stick to their post-Christmas foody resolutions, new (and very surprising) data suggests that lawyers are the healthiest workers in the UK. No, we aren’t joking. According to takeaway delivery giant Deliveroo, lawyers love salads, specifically customised ones to suit their health-conscious mindsets. The data shows that law firm workers are the most “selective eaters”, making the most amendments (eg. ‘add chicken’, ‘remove bread’) to their orders out of any other profession. Carb counting lawyers aside, Deliveroo reckons those in the financial sector tend to go for more “classic lunch options”, including sandwiches and wraps, while those in business and/or consultancy punt for more protein heavy foods such as lean meats and modern Greek cuisine. Elsewhere, tech workers have a penchant for Japanese cuisine, particularly sushi, ramen and noodle dishes, according to the research, while mechanical engineers and those in construction can’t get enough of pasta and pizza. Geographically, the healthiest city is London, followed by Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Nottingham. As for the most popular lunchtime order in London, that accolade goes to Farmer J’s ‘Charred Flank Fieldtray’. The post Salad loving lawyers crowned UK’s ‘healthiest profession’ appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/salad-loving-lawyers-crowned-uks-healthiest-profession/ ‘Poor Peter’ is accused of a crime he didn’t commit Years of government cuts and underfunding has left our criminal justice system at “absolute breaking point”, the Law Society has warned. Speaking at the launch of a new campaign to help highlight the ongoing crisis, Law Society vice president Simon Davis said the justice system, one of the UK’s most precious assets, is in great danger at a time when the country needs it most. He said:
Stressing that the right to a fair trial is at the heart of any democratic society, Davis continued:
Davis comments come as the solicitors’ representative body released a short, animated film about ‘Poor Peter’, a nurse accused of a crime (affray) he didn’t commit and his “nightmare journey” through the courts. Published on YouTube, the video (embedded above) highlights a number of issues including the growing shortage of criminal duty solicitors, overly stringent means tests for legal aid, court listing problems and disclosure failings. The video follows research which suggested criminal defence solicitors may become extinct in parts of England and Wales within five years. At the time, the Law Society warned that that government cuts to legal aid coupled with an increasingly ageing profession means the criminal justice system is facing a “cliff edge scenario”. The post Law Society warns justice system at ‘breaking point’ as it releases animated film following defendant’s ‘nightmare journey’ through courts appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/law-society-warns-justice-system-at-breaking-point-as-it-releases-animated-film-following-defendants-nightmare-journey-through-courts/ Crispin Passmore quit regulator last month The Solicitor Regulation Authority’s (SRA) former director of policy, Crispin Passmore, has launched a new consultancy business to help law firms navigate the very reforms to legal education he helped shape. In December, Legal Cheek reported Passmore was bidding a bon voyage to the regulator after five years. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, given that the SRA is in the midsts of one of biggest overhauls to legal education ever, namely the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). Now it’s emerged that the regulator’s former policy guru has launched Passmore Consulting, a business designed to help law firms get to grips with, among other things, the SQE (otherwise known as the super-exam). Claiming that the new exam format presents huge opportunities for law firms to rethink their approach to recruitment, training and development, Passmore’s website trumpets: “Invite me to facilitate and support you in working out what this means for your business, whether it is regulated or unregulated, and make sure you take advantage of the opportunities ahead.” Elsewhere on the site, Passmore explains how he “led the reform programme at the SRA” and warns firms to rethink their “education and training programme now”. Other areas of expertise promoted by Passmore include “legal business strategy”, “regulatory investigations” and “risk management”. News of the Passmore’s constancy venture comes after the regulator announced a revised launch date for the SQE of September 2021 — a year later than previously proposed. This following “strong” feedback from law firms and education providers. At the same time, the reuglator revealed it could cost wannabe lawyers between £3,000 and £4,500 to complete the assessment, but stressed the final figures could fall outside this range. It’s worth noting that these costs focus on the examination itself and do not include preparation course fees which are likely to add thousands onto the final training bill. Passmore declined to comment. The post Ex-SRA policy chief launches business to help law firms decipher super-exam shake-up appeared first on Legal Cheek. from https://www.legalcheek.com/2019/01/ex-sra-policy-chief-launches-business-to-help-law-firms-decipher-super-exam-shake-up/
A GOP congressman is introducing a bill called The BLAKE Act, with the sole purpose of stopping members of Congress from misuing their offices and its resources. Rep. Mark Walker, who serves the 6th Congressional District in North Carolina, plans to bring on the legislation, Wednesday. It's expected to save the US from seeing any more members of Congress taking up lobbying work, money after retiring from the House or Senate. The bill is named for Blake Farenthold, the GOP senator who spent taxpayer dollars to settle a sexual misconduct claim, quit, and broke a pledge to return the money, before taking up work lobbying former workmates in Congress. The bill would effectively block US lawmakers from getting into lobbying post-politics if they have paid off sexual harassment accusations with taxpayer funds without repaying the debts. The legislation to be introduced on Wednesday will reportedly be called The Bad Lawmakers Accountability and Key Emends or, or the BLAKE Act, named after the former Texas congressman. “Sometimes in Washington, the irony of how things like that come together is amazing,” Walker told HuffPost. In 2017, after Farenthold promised to repay the almost $90,000 of taxpayer dollars used to settle the claim brought by his former communications director. Farenthold subsequently broke his pledge — to literally return by hand the money to then Speaker Paul Ryan — before quitting politics and taking up lobbying. "I'm going to hand a check over this week to probably Speaker Ryan, or somebody, and say 'look, here's the amount of my settlement, give it back to the taxpayers,'" Farenthold told a local NBC News affiliate in April 2017. He did not. In December 2018, the Senate passed a bill that streamlines the harassment claims process and stops settlements from being paid for by taxpayer dollars. SEE ALSO: Congress passes bill to make members pay sexual misconduct claims Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: This tiny building in Wilmington, Delaware is home to 300,000 businesses from https://www.businessinsider.com/the-blake-act-blake-farenthold-sexual-misconduct-settlements-2019-1 |
AuthorHi I am Alana Smith 35 years old living in New York. I am working as an assistant in local law office. I like to share legal news with people to educate them. Archives
April 2019
Categories |