All topics


Price transparency in the legal services market

In December 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its market study into the provision of legal services in England and Wales.

Personal injury: The quality of legal services in the personal injury sector

We looked at 14 areas of the PI market where concerns have been raised. We visited 40 law firms. Firms generally showed they had systems and processes in place to make sure a proper service is provided to clients.

Research into the experiences and effectiveness of solicitors' first tier complaints handling processes

We and the Legal Ombudsman jointly commissioned London Economics and YouGov to conduct independent research into the experience of people making complaints about solicitors' legal services.

Authorisation and monitoring activity September 2015 to August 2016

The purpose of this report is to tell our stakeholders about the outcomes of our quality assurance activity in relation to education and training. Unless otherwise stated, it relates to the period 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016. This reflects the higher education academic year.

Mapping advantages and disadvantages: Diversity in the legal profession in England and Wales

We commissioned independent quantitative research on solicitor career progression and how it is influenced by gender and ethnicity.

Unlocking the benefits of diversity

We wanted to understand what is being done, and what can be done, to improve the representation of female and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) solicitors in senior roles such as partners or directors.

Improving access: tackling unmet legal needs - Risk publication

This paper sets out why access to legal services is a risk and the current barriers that people and small businesses face and highlights actions that firms are taking to improve access.

Experiences of consumers who may be vulnerable in family law

From the perspective of legal firms and consumers, this research explores the accessibility, cost and quality of family law services in the context of recent legal aid reforms.

Introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination: Monitoring and Maximising Diversity

This report, prepared by policy association the Bridge Group, considers how the SRA could monitor the impact of the SQE on candidates with protected characteristics and on those from lower socioeconomic groups through data collation and analysis. It also recommends steps the SRA could take to maximise the positive impact of the SQE on diversity.

Asylum report: The quality of legal service provided to asylum seekers - Thematic review

Thematic review: In this report, we set out the results of our thematic asylum project (the project). This review was undertaken in the light of the findings of independent research we commissioned in 2014, reported in the, 'Quality of legal services for asylum seekers', published in January 2016 (the research paper).