Legal Services Board shares new competence standards
The Legal Services Board has publicised its new statement of policy, detailing expectations for legal regulators.
The new statement of policy lays out enhanced expectations for legal services regulators, including IPReg, in order to support lawyers’ access to high-quality skills and knowledge.
The statement establishes that legal regulators are required to set competency standards, work to gain a clear understanding of lawyers’ existing competence, and work to ensure that the standards they have developed are maintained.
CITMA responded to the consultation on the draft statement of ongoing competence. In our response, we said: “The Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg), already carries out these duties and we do not object to them continuing to do so.”
Click here to read our full response.
When performing consumer research, the LSB found a disparity between public expectations of the legal sector and the reality of current standards, with 95% of people polled believing that lawyers should have to demonstrate continued competence and development over the course of their career.
In order to align more closely with these public expectations, the LSB will require all legal regulators to develop an evidence-based approach to ensure that their members remain highly qualified throughout their careers.
Click here to read the LSB’s statement in full.
The LSB intends to receive progress updates by January 2023, and for the changes to be fully implemented by January 2024.