This article compares and contrasts the changes in the way that legal services are provided in England and Wales under the regulatory regime adopted there in 2007 with New York’s traditionalist approach.
After a series of public investigatory commissions, the British Parliament adopted the Legal Services Act in 2007. The act created a new regulatory regime covering all those authorized to provide “reserved” activities (e.g., drafting wills and deeds, and appearing before tribunals) by virtue of membership of one of the professional bodies. The two largest groups subject to the Legal Services Act are barristers and solicitors.
