Limited Liability Partnerships. The Authority has introduced regulations in relation to the advertising of legal services and has taken over the responsibility for regulating the advertising of all legal services. The Authority has also introduced regulations in relation to professional indemnity insurance for practising barristers. The Authority provides administrative and logistical support to the Advisory Committee on the grant of patents of precedence which considers applications, from both solicitors and barristers, for the grant of the title Senior Counsel. The Authority has a challenging research agenda. In December 2023, just prior to the commencement of this Agreement, the Authority, in accordance with Section 34 of the Act, reported to the Minister on the possible creation of a new profession of conveyancer. At the request of the Minister for Justice, the Authority also conducted research into barriers that may prevent entry into the solicitors’ or barristers’ profession and a final report arising from that research was submitted to the Minister in January 2024. On an annual basis the Authority publishes a report on admissions to the legal profession. The Authority has commenced its second review of the operation of the 2015 Act and will report on that review in quarter one 2024. The Authority issues an annual levy based on the provisions of Part 7 of the Act which provides funding for the Authority. The Authority first issued the statutory levy on the legal professions in 2019. The Authority worked with the Department to ensure that the necessary amendments to the 2015 Act were included in the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 to ensure that the levy funding arrangements provide a sustainable long term funding model for the LSRA. The first levy under this revised model was implemented in 2023.
